Walks from Gravesend

Flat estuary landscape, gravel tracks, grassy paths, marshes, open water, mud flats, RSPB reserve, industrial heritage and big skies.

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Recommended: A route of two halves: a quiet way through Gravesend on residential streets, small parks and a green lane, then around 70% off-road through wide open fields and woodland and small lanes towards Sole Street. Easy-going paths; a steep lane in places. Around 70% off-road overall. Almost follows the Weald Way long-distance route between the petrol station and Sole Street. Passes alongside the Cyclopark, a linear country park. Bluebells in the small woodlands in season.

Time: 2h30–5h

Lunch: A Morrisons with a cafe and toilets at the edge of Gravesend, plus a small petrol station; a pub and a tiny shop at Sole Street.

Warnings: White Post Lane requires a 20m stretch of road walking; take care.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Views across the marshes on either side are beautiful. A varied walk with a wonderful, peaceful section along the naturalised Thames and Medway Canal (NCN route 1) across the marshes, plus arable fields, a steep wooded valley, frustrating and sometimes overgrown urban sections through Strood and Rochester. Some grazing-marsh paths can become very wet and impassable after a wet season; the Rochester end has noisy busy roads. The canal section follows Sustrans NCN route 1 and teems with wildlife: warblers, whitethroats, cuckoos, lapwings, a marsh harrier and semi-wild ponies. The route can be shortened to Higham Station, and the statue of Pocahontas stands in St George's churchyard in Gravesend.

Time: 4h–8h30

Lunch: A shop in Higham village is about 1km off the route.

Warnings: Grazing-marsh paths near Church Street can be impassably wet after a wet winter and spring. Several busy roads near the Rochester/Strood end. If the Thames Path is closed, the official Milton Road diversion adds road walking. Can be muddy.

Walk details: Slow Ways.