walking

Tuesday 9th June 2026 – Herne Bay and then a walk from Tankerton to Whitstable….

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Wet overnight and several hefty showers during the day but fortunately we managed to dodge the worst and have a good day.

After sitting out an heavy rain shower, we started our day with a walk along the promenade at Herne Bay, the beach here is shingle with some low tide sand just becoming visible so we were glad to be walking along the promenade….

The pier was a delight with lots of little artisan cabins (many of them still closed or probably just opening at weekends) selling lots of crafty bits, speciality coffees and homemade cakes with a small funfair at the end – not an amusement arcade to be seen which is quite refreshing and offering lovely views along the beach….

At the far end (east) of the town a pretty clocktower and just visible on the horizon out at sea the 6 remaining Maunsell Forts (one of the original seven was destroyed when hit by a ship in 1963), abandoned military anti-aircraft installations from WWII….

Retracing our steps and continuing further west we arrived in Hampton and enjoyed far reaching views of Hampton Beach where the sand was more exposed and more rain was on it’s way….

Moving a little further west we found parking along the sea front at Tankerton and after the shower had passed we made our way down onto the promenade above Tankerton beach….

From here we walked in a westerly direction to the small but lively village of Whitstable and it’s shingle working beach – oysters just about everywhere along the sea front being sold from cabins or in sheds – shucked or not, but with a pretty little high street running behind with lots of individual shops and cafes ….

Here the heavens really opened but fortunately we were able to take shelter under a shop awning until it had passed and strolled back to the van in brilliant sunshine!

Today’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 43
  • Miles walked – 6
  • Beaches – 4
  • O/N – £9.50

Sunday and Monday 24th & 25th May 2026 – two more very hot days spent travelling through chunks of the day to get to the coast….

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As this current heatwave continues, so does our journey north and then westwards. We are trying to get reasonably early starts to avoid driving in the worst of the afternoon sun and still we are benefitting slightly from the sun being behind us instead of full on the windscreen.

By early Sunday afternoon we have made it as far north and West to O-de-Selle, a small sleepy hollow village a little south of Amiens and well on our way to the Normandy coast. Here we found a lovely shaded pitch backing onto a stream, giving us the chance to sit out and cool down whilst watching the ducks lazily making their way up and down stream….

Later, we did venture down into the village and for a wander along the river, though not another sole stirred on this warm Sunday evening….

Away early in the morning we were soon arriving at the coast, however we quickly realised that it is also a Bank Holiday in France and being such a fine day, everybody was heading to the coast as well! Our planned stops at firstly St Jouin-Bruneval and then Etretat were so not going to happen, both resorts being absolutely overflowing with parked cars and certainly the beach at St Jouin-Bruneval was jam packed with no opportunity to even hop out to take a photo.

Time to find somewhere quiet and preferably shady to stop and come up with a Plan B. Fortunately I hadn’t booked anywhere for an overnight stop and the chances of getting onto the ones that I had earmarked near the sea are slim to nonexistent so a real Plan B was to head further north and inland to Luneray, where I was able to book a space on an Aire for the night.

Arriving much later and much hotter than we planned, we waited until early evening before venturing out for a brief cooling walk along the handy, leafy cycle path and called it a night.

Tomorrow is a another day….

Sunday’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 192
  • Miles walked – 3
  • O/N – £12.50

Monday’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 179
  • Miles walked – 3
  • O/N – £13.70