5 day walks from London

London is a city with a very hectic pace, whose time flows so fast that it is difficult to notice. Every day is intense, including the commute in underground, daily meetings in the workplace and various commitments. However, I believe that at this particular time of the pandemic, many of us will have rediscovered the importance of contact with nature. And it is precisely in a period of stasis like this that the greyness and smog of the city leave room for wide green expanses where you can breathe pure and fresh air.

If you are lucky and live in the City, you will have the opportunity – by bus or train – to reach the coast in limited time, to make excursions suitable for everyone (including those who are less trained, families and children). The English coast, in fact, for those who do not know, has a path that lends itself greatly to every need of man.

In this article I list some of the most amazing walks in England, tested by me personally, to be done from London in a day (the article will be constantly updated as I undertake new interesting paths).

#1 THE WONDERFUL SEVEN SISTERS

The “Seven Sisters” are a series of seven hills (such as those of Rome) located within a long, wavy cliff of bright white chalk overlooking the English Channel. Their name comes from a legend according to which seven sisters lived on these limestone formations, each of which had a house between these hills that, put together, make up the c.d. “Seven Sisters Country Park” , located within the larger South Down National Park. Read the detailed article about this walk here.

the cliffs of the Seven Sisters

Birling Gap

#2 THE CLIFFS OF DOVER

The recent and past history of the cliffs of Dover tells us that they played an important role, as well as being immortalized in numerous movie sets. They are limestone formations overlooking the sea and their height exceeds 100 meters. They overlook the English Channel and are the closest point to France, only 33 km away. On a clear day you can see the French coast, which with the English Channel and the port are, for those arriving from continental Europe, the gateway to England. One of the theories on their genesis is that the canal was created by erosion of the sea, in fact near Calais in France there is a white cliff identical to that of Dover. Read the detailed article about this walk here.

cliffs of Dover

panorama of Dover cliffs

#3 FROM MARGATE TO RAMSGATE THROUGH BOTANY BAY

This walk takes place on the Thanet Peninsula, the easternmost point of Kent near the districts of Dover and Canterbury, where some of the most beautiful bays of England are hidden. In the past, Thanet was separated from the rest of the county by the Wantsum Canal. The walk connects three historic towns within the peninsula such as Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate and develops along the Viking coast trail. The walk can be done both on the cliff and at sea level ; in fact during the low tide you can walk along the beach between the various bays. Read the detailed article about this walk here.

Viking Coast Trail

panorama along the coast

#4 FROM WHITSTABLE OYSTERS TO RECULVER TOWERS

A pleasant walk starts from the town of Whitstable, famous for its oyster farm, to the ancient towers of Reculver. The whole walk is pleasant, not surprisingly it is a path particularly suitable for families. The trail runs all along the waterfront and is part of the Oyster Bay Trail. Read the detailed article about walking here.

beach of Whitstable

Reculver towers

#5 FROM THE PICTURESQUE RYE TO THE BATTLE SITES OF HASTINGS

The walk starts from the picturesque village of Rye to the Battle of Hastings sites. The two villages for over 500 years have been part of the unique confederation of the Five Ports, which protected the king and the country from frequent and violent attacks. The confederation of the Five Ports can rightly be defined the cradle of the Royal Navy ! The two towns are connected by a walking route called the Saxon Shore Way and are located in Sussex County. Read the detailed article about walking here.