The south-east corner of England might seem like a busy place, but it's easy to escape the crowds and discover this green and pleasant land by bike.
The ‘Garden of England’ is densely packed with trails, quiet lanes, big-ticket sightseeing, quirky coastal towns, salubrious towns and villages, and curious one-offs. Whether you fancy an invigorating ride along the cycle paths linking colourful seaside towns, or prefer to head inland and explore the rolling green countryside of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, there's lots to discover. It's a haven for food and drink connoisseurs, with a wealth of local produce to sample, vineyards galore and the pointed white tops of hop-drying oast houses peeking through the trees.
As part of the European Regional Development Fund EXPERIENCE project, Cycling UK is working with the Kent Downs AONB to develop an official riders' route for the North Downs Way National Trail through Kent (based on Cycling UK's suggested riders' route from 2018). We're also creating cycle hub locations along the North Downs Way, with promoted routes which showcase the varied riding in the area, and supporting businesses within these hubs to become accredited Cycle Friendly Places so you know you’ll have great options for places to eat and stay.
These five cycle-friendly hubs are great bases for a visit
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Canterbury
Home to three UNESCO World Heritage sites, Canterbury has great facilities for visitors, and with lovely riding in all directions it makes a wonderful place to visit and explore by bike.
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Dover
One of Britain’s best-known south coast ports, Dover stands proudly between its famous white cliffs. Our three routes use ancient pilgrim routes and byways, Roman roads and new cycle paths to visit the numerous historic sights, castles and world war memorials.
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Lenham and Hollingbourne
Easily reached by both road and rail, the Kent villages of Lenham and Hollingbourne are right on the edge of Kent Downs, providing great riding in stunning English countryside, with plenty of quaint tearooms and country pubs for those all-important fuelling stops
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Otford
With narrow winding country roads weaving between pretty villages and quaint country pubs, the wildlife-rich countryside around this peaceful village is lovely to explore by bike.
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Wye
The medieval village of Wye is a great base from which to explore the surrounding countryside and the rich history of the area. Our three routes provide a range of riding and experiences to suit leisure riders, explorers and off-road enthusiasts alike.
Experience the Garden of England on a 234km bikepacking tour around East Kent
EXPERIENCE is a €23.3 million project co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF, €16 million) through the Interreg VA France (Channel) England Programme 2014-2020, boosting visitor numbers in six pilot regions across England and France. This project will harness the experiential tourism trend to extend the season (October – March), generating 20 million new off-season visitors spending €1 billion across the Channel region by June 2023.
