Capstone Park -Chatham

Terns Feeding

We went to Capstone Country Park - a place that complements the parks of Shorne and Camer.  Tucked in the valley that runs from Bredhurst past the Hempstead Valley that leads down into Luton where Gillingham looms over the edge of the hills.  Assets include free parking.




I am not a Chatham fan.  I used to live just outside in Walderslade and on Bluebell hill; the first we described in our address as near Chatham and the second as near Rochester.  I went to school in Chatham, served my time as an apprentice in Chatham Dockyard, got drunk in Chatham and all the things you do in any town, I did in Chatham.  But I have never liked the place.  I have resisted going there since I returned to the UK until recently.

A Friendly Meeting

Recently with my camera in tow and my sketch book with a friend and fellow artist I have explored the Chatham Dockyard. It was an interesting experience and has created some art for me and a project that needs putting together.  So, when Sister suggested swanning off to Capstone Country Park I was sceptical. Delving through the maps and recalling that we have been to many places in Kent I gave in and agreed to go.




Apart from the gloomy weather,

Gorse Flower in February

grey cloud with a little sunshine here and there, wind and the hint of rain, I was pleasantly surprised by what was on offer.  Aware of the vast expanse of housing estates,Victorian terrace housing, grim rows of slate roofed houses and the mess of roads that are clogged with traffic, the ugly buildings and the encroaching tide of commercial building and housing it was with some trepidation I approached the park.



I expected and got the usual blockhouse cafeteria and overkill on the barriers with signs carrying regulations and perhaps a little too keen on management of resources but was not expecting the well laid out paths and trails that were integrated so well with other activities.  The lake is artificial but looks near natural and the visitor centre looks as if some care was taken to place it in the woods without it dominating.

Flying Jay

The tracks are color coded and one can walk short walks or long ones with the option of using the public footpaths to places beyond the park.  People beside the lake fed the birds which was evident from the flock of Terns, the ducks and the fat swans that gathered close to the cafeteria walkway. Moorhens and Coots sailed on the water and above them on the island were a flock of Cormorants sitting in the branches of a large tree.   A little gaggle of geese begged for food on the pathway and wisely Zoid the Oid was led past them on the grass a few metres distant.

We walked the perimeter with a few excursions and had the pleasure of seeing a Jay dancing for its food, and passed the time of day with a local Horseman and his daughter.  A treat was to talk with a gent on a mountain bike whose companions were two friendly Greyhounds.

A bacon sandwich and a vegie burger washed down with coffee at the cafeteria was a welcome break before we set off again to walk the middle bits.  We managed the fitness trail - wearing ourselves just thinking about the exercises we were  expected to do.  Eek!  My sister explained that when she lived in Lordswood Estate she and her husband would take their children to the park and at one time she was involved with planting trees.  We found the plantation plus the place where small reptiles were encouraged, a rock strewn area ideal for lizards and snakes.  Good stuff.

Sharsted Farm and a footpath to Lordswood

Apart from walking the park caters for Mountain Bikes, Horse riding with some extensive and newly devised Bridleways, a ski practice slope, an excellent children's playground and a few areas for educational purposes plus an events building.  Quite a comprehensive range and all within walking distance of Chatham ( or a bus ride).

Broadstairs - a Dickens of a place

Broadstairs - a little rough

I know that winter, January 22 to be precise, is not the best time to go to the seaside where the entertainment is more likely to be ice creams, buckets and spades in the sand and strolls along the promenade to enjoy the sea air.  We had a stiff, cold breeze that numbed the digits, snatched at ears, delivered frost bite to bald heads and created a desire to seek warmth.

What's that?

We walked from the car park to
the sea front and along the lower promenade beside the sand and admired the buildings, the beach huts and enjoyed the splendour of a wild sea that ignored the wishes of a populace needing a drop or tow of sunshine.  More like teetering on the desire to snow.

It was invigorating.

Lifeboat House

We walked up top the cliff top and looked at Bleak House (as one must) enjoying the whale shape lifeboat service building and watching for waves to splash the sea wall.  A young Seagull obliged by posing on the wall of the steps leading down and we saw plovers disappearing quickly on the hard driven along by the wind.  A stop at the Lord Nelson pub for a Guiness and a coffee was a necessary thing and after a wander through the streets and alleys simply enjoying the flint walls, the neat houses and feeling of being in a coastal town.  Quite pleasant.  We were dogless so a stroll was on the cards minus the need to remove doggy doos (as some irresponsible pooch owner had refused to do) and wander into the Dickens Museum.

Bleak HouseAdd caption

I like museums and will take or leave the commentary of the volunteers.  The old boy who played the part of museum host was fine but a little irritating spewing out information that really wasn't needed.  I felt like J in Three Men in a Boat trying vainly to enjoy his afternoon by the church wall.  We didn't get skulls or graves but we got endless drivelling trivia in and around the most useful information the old boy could tell us.  The idiot kept interrupting my thoughts about the writer's life and works and I lost the thread.  I had images of him in the ruins of his ancestral home with Harris singing comic songs on the rubble - that was a comfort.

However, irritating old boys aside, the place is worth a visit and the old boy knew his stuff.

And for those who want to reach the beach without walking the steps there is a lift.  I ask why?  Maybe wheelchairs to the promenade?

There are plenty of places to eat in Broadstairs but we chose a non-descript Fish and chip shop which had some well done wall paintings of fishy scenes.  Eating cod and chips in a warm place was a pleasure but the real pleasure was to have a wander around and casually walk the place and plan another visit in the better weather, maybe by choo-choo to avoid having to find parking for the car.  We can stay all day (I do not think there is a zoo)  and maybe walk along the cliff pathways.  One thing noted that makes Broadstairs a great place is that it is wheelchair friendly for those who want to use their electric mobility and take a long (virtual) walk.

We intend to pay another visit.

A walk to a Windmill

Detail of the Windmill

This Saturday was a day of cold weather after the heavy rain and high wind of Friday night. Still blustery with a the occasional sunny burst the idea of walking in the mud did not appeal so we pushed intrepidiness aside and decided on a trip to a paved area.  The result was a pleasant walk around Herne close and above Herne Bay, the village dominated by the restored windmill standing proudly against the skyline.

The Famous Butcher's Arms

There is a car park on School Lane and from there we set out on foot to explore the village.  Walk to the Canterbury road and you are faced with a wide area dominated by the imposing church and stroll down the hill toward Herne Bay (Toilets in the recreation and sports field) and take a look at Strode House.  Beyond is a turning that leads up the hill to the


Windmill which is open on Sunday afternoons, Thursdays, and Bank Holidays all at limited times.

Hidden Parts

We walked along the road from there to Hunter's Forstal and turning right when we jolly well felt like it seemed a good idea.  It was.  There was a road we could walk on and to the left some interesting footpaths we could take if we wished - the going was soggy so we didn't - and a good reason to return and explore the area later.

As it was we discovered we were on School Lane eventually leading into Herne and took a paved footpath beside the school to discover the charms of the older part of Herne, a row of cottages leading to the centre and two buildings of weatherboard, the second of which, must have required some very thin and strong, agile contortionists to build so close are they.  (By this time the light was so bad that pictures were getting difficult). The most amazing conglomeration of weatherboard buildings, Georgian and Victorian houses greet you as you wander around and it is a good idea for the visitor to search them out for themselves.

Forge Cottage

We walked up a little further with the dog wanting to travel all the way to Canterbury - Saar is not far away - but we were feeling peckish so we returned to the village aware that we had barely touched the sides and sought out sustenance.  Dog friendly Pub!  The Upper Red Lion, not looking its best in the winter murk but with a car-park creating a space before the church entrance it was most welcome.  Inside  it was cosy and we had an inexpensive lunch that hit the spot.  A pint of IPA for me and a good strong cup of tea for Sister and we were set up for the day.

It only remained to have a look at the church.  The entrance was a Gothic treat lined with naked trees reaching high and dark creating an arch that framed the spire and the door at its foot in a classical 'here there be Vampyres' fashion.

I have been to Herne in the Summer and I have to say the impression then is much different.  Two friends and I had a drink or two and some bread and cheese in the Butcher's Arms. Behind the Butcher's Arms there is an old tractor with a rusting plough covered partly in weeds, but then most places have their hidden parts.

Sheppey Crossing - Kent

Base of the old bridge

It was long decided that the old King's Ferry Bridge was due for a bit of help.  Having served the Isle of Sheppey for many years as its road and rail link it was obvious that increasing traffic,long delays, especially when the centre span was lifted to allow ships to pass underneath and if there was an accident or road closure.  The A249 was a four lane road from Maidstone to the Bridge serving Sheppey, Sittingbourne and the M2 motorway.  Sheerness as a port with a steel works and freight forwarding docks shipping goods of all sorts and cars became busier and the single link was becoming more of a bottleneck than a thoroughfare.

Something had to be done.

View of the new bridge

The result was that after all the planning in 2004 the new bridge was started. Changes to the road alignment  were started earlier and as
that progressed so the traffic got more congested.  However the bridge grew and soon an arch began to form resting on large concrete pillars, the road bed became more real and in 2006 the high span bridge was opened.  Many residents took part in a charity walk across it to celebrate the opening and today we cross it  ignoring the old bridge and taking the smooth ride over for granted.  The A249 and Sheppey Way is no more than another commuter road.

Curious Marsh Resident

Basically the Island is a mixture of commuters, farming, industry - witness the steel works - light industry and dockland activity with goods ferries crossing to and fro  Europe.  Farming is a mixture of crops and grazing with the odd chicken and fish farms.  In the past the largest employer was the Sheerness Naval Dockyard and the Summer migration of visitors to Sheerness and Leysdown.  Today, although Leysdown and Eastchurch see many visitors in the season the numbers are down from the heyday of the fifties and the sixties.

Norman, bird watcher.  Interesting man

The Island, a place of many interests such as Bird Watching on the Elmley Marshes and the RSPB reserve as well as that of Shellness and Harty is also a great place to walk the dog, take part in what the Americans call Skeet shooting, clay pigeons and of course sailing.





This year (2011) I am taking part in 365 a project designed to post a picture a day for 2011 - the project is based in Faversham and runs simultaneously with another in Canterbury as well as on Sheppey.  My initial take on it is to begin with the bridge and explore the island as if I have never seen it before; to look for new views of the familiar.  After four years of use the new crossing has become familiar.  I want to start by taking a fresh look.

Burnt out boat

We begin in the Winter.

The bleak appearance of the marshes in Winter gives way to color and activity in Spring and that is one of the things I hope to capture in my journey.

Westerham and the Zoid

In the History of England there are many significant events and we all know the most common, 1066, Magna Carta, The Industrial Revolution, World War I and World War II among others.  We tend to think of the two world wars as English and British although they were the last gasp of the British Empire and a means of setting up the modern superstates and all that.  However, it is easy to overlook the achievements of some men and women in our History.  Queen Elizabeth the first springs to mind with Drake and Raleigh  who more or less fought for English claims on the Americas that shaped the future for our islands.  The battle with the Spanish and the Portugese over the Carribean and the eventual fight with the French over North America and especially Canada has great significance for the Kent town of Westerham.

The George and Dragon

We, that is Zoid the dog, my sister and myself, took a trip there to explore and have lunch at the dog friendly George and Dragon pub.  The pub was a good choice and more of that later.

We arrived at the town surprised that snow was still lingering there including a fair amount on the surrounding fields and as to be expected much dirty snow on the sidewalks and gutters although most areas were sanded.  The day was a mixture of grey cloud and sunshine, cool but not cold and starting from the main town car park we walked across the sports fields crossing the narrow but fast flowing Darent river and into the town.  Westerham boasts many old buildings and we saw many as well as some pleasant modern efforts, as well as the inevitable nondescript blocks of flats.  These older buildings that represent the centuries from Tudor to Victorian give Westerham a charm that creates for the visitor a sense of the history of England.  And indeed this is evident with the statue of General Wolfe and the Quebec House that remind us of the empire building that claimed wrested Canada from the French and claimed much of America before it turned into a Republic (and eventually saved us in two world wars).  Westerham is proud of General Wolfe.

Churchill

Straddling the A25, the once clogged East West holiday highway, Westerham sits on a hill surrounded by hills and is a hub for Emmets gardens, Ide Hill, Toys Hill and other attractions including Chartwell House the home of Sir Winston Churchill.  To show that Westerham knew how valuable the old warrior was they erected a statue to him as well. Both statues are nicely placed on the green  - we also noted there was a Christmas Tree - and having passed through the town on occasion in the Summer realise how attractive these tow monuments look.  Ah, but, when Zoid saw the statue of Winnie his hackles rose and he emitted a series of low growls.  Weird, but then he is an Australian breed and it is well known that many Aussies don't like Churchill, stemming as it does from Gallipoli and again at Singapore where much of the AIF was stranded to deal with the Japanese.  Zoid is a Kelpie, an Australian breed dog.

Westerham is small and it was a pleasure to walk through the town to the outside and discover footpaths which later we will explore.  Paths that will no doubt lead up to the hills and follow the river East to Sevenoaks and West to lands yet to be explored.

A Row of house just off the main road

But to lunch.  The George and the Dragon was a pleasant experience, friendly staff, an excellent menu and unobtrusive but friendly service.  The bar we were in with the dog was cosy and comfortable with heaters under the window seats for that cold bum and back.  Out back the garden bar offers views across the valley and in summer will make a pleasant place to eat and drink.  We will no doubt use the pub again (with or without the dog) .

Snow covered farmland

A treat was meeting up with a man in Georgian costume standing in the grounds of Quebec House taking his leisure with a clay pipe and a snuff box.  It would have been interesting to visit the place but with Zoid in tow we might not be that welcome.  However, we wandered admiring the church and took a walk up Holey Road and back before it got too dark to enjoy the sights.  

Gentleman with Pipe  

The idea will be later to visit Quebec House in March when it reopens and look on the web-site for events.  The history of Canada was set here we could say  but at the same time we have to remember that it was Europeans ripping off the locals and arguing with each other over the spoils.  Bear in mind that if it were not for Wolfe and the timely intervention of troubles in France all of Canada would be French speaking.

Chatham Dockyard

Typical quiet spot

Visiting the Historic Dockyard at Chatham was a combination of nostalgia and a glimpse in to Maritime history. The ghastly thought about the whole experience was that I was part of that history having been an employee there on and off from 1957 to 1966 - eek!  Who would have thought that so little of the place would be left and so many memories would come rushing back.  The places I worked are no longer there; the basins are subsumed by the civil docks and fill for Saint Mary's Island.  The 200 Ton crane is gone and the only Destroyer left is a world war two veteran.  The site of the old number one slip has been lost in obscurity and much of the old yard is merely a ghost of what it was; much of the workshops taken up with shopping malls, entertainment centres, roads and buildings and the old Naval Barracks now part of Greenwich University.

View of the slip 

However, there is enough to make it interesting. The idea that people can walk around and play in a place where once I and many thousands of other men and women worked for wages, saw a navy that steadily was eroded and finally outdated is quite odd.  I recall being the first tradesman to work on the preparation of the atomic powered submarine re-fueling station assembling valves in a dust free room after completing machining operations on them.  We were apprehensive then about the viability of the unit and when I heard a few years later that the nuclear facility had closed and later so had the dockyard I was quite sad. Unfortunately that is what happens.

Bob taking a rest

To more cheerful things; the trips into the yard have proved to be good fun.  I have met and talked with re-enactors, steam men, fellow workers and a lad from the school where I work who is now a security guy and looking to go to university.  It appears he has better prospects than I but he also shares the enthusiasm for the dockyard.  A reward.

Fairlight Cove - Sussex



Fairlight Church

  Fairlight Cove in Sussex was a place of myth, a place where our father took us on what was for him nostalgic trips.  This Summer during the school holidays I took a trip to Pett Level  and to Fairlight and Fairlight Cove to discover the truth of the myth.  In other words I demystified the experience of going onto the cliffs near Fairlight with my father and being frightened by the steep proximity of the sea viewed below the cliffs, the labyrinth of gorse and the mystery of why Dad wanted to walk these cliffs. 







Rocks on the beach at Pett Level



Pett Level apepares in the story because that is wheer we often stopped for a sea side picnic, to gather winkles and play among the rocks and soggy beaches.  My memories of the place were vague but I did remember roughly where we parked the car and piled out for a picnic.  I recalled the canal, the grassy verge and the walk across the road to the beach which was always interesting at low tide.  My two brothers and my sister spent hours there safe in the knowledge that our parents would not take us to a dangerous place and so we enjoyed it. Camber was our favorite but that was getting commercilised and there was a danger there of the sudden encroachment of the sea after the turn of the tide.  The long sandy flats tend to trap the unwary.  But the dunes and the sandcastles, pools and model sailboating were not to be missed.



The beach at Pett level



However, there are memories and my sister and I have different memories of the same times, she being some eight years younger than me, and sharing them was quite an experience. The first for me was the terrifying walks along the cliffs  and for her it was the rocks at Pett Level thatfascinated her.  For both of us the canal and the little houses alongside were etched there and these we found.  The rocks were there, the houses and the canal are there and so are the cliffs but these come later.   For the moment we will try to see Pett Level as it is.  The place has changed, more houses, the sea wall is good if somewhat boring and the rocks are still there on the shore and below the cliffs. To my surprise, not because it wasn't there before, the Smuggler's Inn loomed dominant as a place to have a pint and a meal.  Dog friendly and pleasant with good beer and on the second time around good food, the place seemed part of the experinece in 2010. In the 1950's I do not seem to recall the place being there but it must have been. We picnicked, my father was not a drinker (my Grandmother on my mother's side liked her glass of stout) so we would not be taken near the pub. There may have been a little shop there but only my sister remembers that.



Beach house - Pett Level



 Now, as for the trip to Fairlight; it was on the way we discussed the idea why Dad liked the place so much. It appears that he lived there at some time and was always liking the idea of going back there to live once more.  I can see his point.  Fairlight is dominated by the tall church tower (pictured at the top) which was used as a lookout and a marker for shipping.  That it can be seen from a long way is evidenced by the way it shows up on the high point of the hills from Pett and Pett Level.  For the day it was a target, a place to head for and close by is the entrance to the Hasting Country Park which stretches from Hastings, close to the funicular lift all the way along the cliffs to Fairlight Cove.



Twisted Gorse bushes



The attraction for the visitor is not only the walks but that the unique landscape of rolling sandstone cliffs and the steep dipping valleys with access to the beaches below, the well managed 'natural habitats' and the fantastic views across the bays that change with every twist and turn.  The day I went in August was a breezy, bright day and I was assailed by views so stunning that I gasped.  I met people with dogs, children, fatehrs and children on bikes, old people walking and young people enjoying what is a magnificent natural attraction. The picture of the gorse bush (commonly known as Furze) is part of the walk along the fire hills leading to Fairlight Cove and what with the heather, bracken, bramble and coarse grass in abundance as well as the outcropping of chalk the walk came a live. Insects buzzed, birds flitted and from the sea came the calls of the gulls and the ever present smell of the sea itself.  Yet walk away from the cliffs and you would think you were well in land on a rural countryside stroll.



Heather on the Fire Hills



Boats on the beach at Pett Level



 I make no apologies for waxing lyrical.  the experience was one that tied the childhood memories and the present day together and filled in some gaps. But what of the walk? Choose to go to the Country Park and start from the information centre - collect a leaflet and map - and take the the cliff path to Fairlight Cove, saving the walk to the church to last, and if you wish explore Fairlight Cove itself although a good stroll would be to walk back up through the woods to the center again and then to walk along to the Tea Rooms and sample their excellent fare before visiting the church.  After that take the walk back along the road to the centre and take the paths across the top of the cliffs and choose a point according to the time you have to wander down into the bushy tracks and climb up and down back to the car park and visitor centre.  Take your time, visit more than once and explore.  The walking is not that easy for old and fat people (me) but is varied and deceptive for the time some parts of the walks take.  The Centre to Fairlight Cove and back can take up to two hours. 

Surprisingly there are some walks around Pett Level too.  It is possible to walk from there to Winchelsea following the canal and naturally if you wish you can walk along the beach. There is a pleasant walk from the canal, crossing a wide bridge and up the hill past the pill box on the sandstone outcrop to the upper road, along to Pett and then down again to Pett Level.

There were a few other memories on the drive down that I recalled but they belong to another tale.