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indicates every 2 milesCrab and Winkle Way Cycle Route
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GPX| Cycle Steps | |
| This is part makes up part of the Inverness to Dover cycle route provided by the National Cycle Network. It uses in parts a dismantled railway line and provides much to see along the way. | |
| Starting in Whitstable Harbour turn right on to Harbour Street. Cycling along take the 2nd exit on your left on to Albert Street. | |
| Cycle to the end of Albert Street and go round the 90 degree bend to the right head on to Action Road. Turn left at the end and head straight on, crossing the road and heading under the railway. | |
| Once through the tunnel turn left and cycle until you come back onto the road, on your right you will see Seymour Avenue. Turn right and cycle along Seymour Avenue. | |
| Take the first left on to All Saints' Close. Keep your eyes peeled for the track on the left that takes you on to Crab and Winkle Way. | |
| Keep cycling along the path until you come on to South Street. Cycle along South Street, just after the layby on your right take the route off South Street heading south and crossing the A299. | |
| You will now come back on to the dismantled railway line in the Clowes Wood. Keep heading south and you will come to the Winding Pond and Winding Wheel Seat. This was apparently where they wound the locomotives up the hill. | |
| The route veers off to the right here heading out the forest. Staying on the track you will eventually cross over Chapel Lane and Tyler Hill Road where major production of tiles and pottery during the 13th and 14th centuries due to the great supply of materials. | |
| After crossing Fishbourne Stream, shortly after you will arrive at the corner of Park Wood Road. Turn left here and cycle on to the next T-Junction. Turn right again and then first left on to the roundabout. | |
| Take the first exit onto the track that leads you to Leycroft Road. Head along Leycroft Road turn left at the T-Junction and then first right on to St Stephen's Green leading on to St Stephen's Road. | |
| After crossing the bridge over the railway turn right on to North Lane. Cycle to the end of North Lane turning left on to Whitehill road and then first right heading back over the railway onto Queens Drive. | |
| Head off the end of Queens Drive under London Road and heading left once on Westgate Court Avenue on to the path. | |
 This will bring you up passed Neal's Place. Looking East at this point you get a fantastic view of Cantebury. |
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| Carry along the path on to the road. Turn left on to the main road and then pass the first exit on your right to Giles Lane and take the path on your right shortly after. This will take you back on to the path heading back to Whitstable. | |
| Landmarks/Pubs for lunch/Sites to see? | |
| If you can have lunch in Whitstable, you have to try the Oysters. Cantebury is of course full of Cathedrals and Museums. Clowes Wood is managed by the Foresty Commission which usually means there is lots of cycle tracks to experiment with. |
| Near By Cycle Shops | |
| Whitstable Cycle Hire | |
| Canterbury Halfords |
| Your comments? | ||
| posted by:nooboots | Rating :  | difficult :  |
| I'm a complete beginner and quite unfit, so this was too hard for me. We actually started at the end of south street as I was nervy about cycling on roads and thought that we could do bits of the route that are not on road. The initial bit over the A299 was bad enough but then the slop up into the woods, I had to walk this bit, then could only see that the slopes continued upwards. I gave up. We will re try this one when I have built up a bit. | ||
| posted by:Saddlesore | Rating :  | difficult :  |
| Being a complete novice I read the other review and thought damn what have I let myself in for. We left from Canterbury and joined the route near the Pilgrims hospital. It was a lovely ride, seemingly the first half felt like mainly uphill but the second half was down hill, obviously what goes up must come down applys. The journey back was just as lovely. I walked up most the hills as despite hitting the lowest gear I still was making no progress! I would recommend this for anyone as long as you take your time, don't push yourself too much and just enjoy the scenery, no road riding until you hit Whitstable and even then it is limited! | ||
| posted by:Hannah | Rating :  | difficult :  |
| Easiest ride I've done to date (I am fit, but not to the extent that I can ride to and from Whitstable and Canterbury on a daily basis). Did it in the summer of 09 when it was really hot, the weather wasn't a problem though, as a majority of the ride is under the trees through Clowes Wood, which was lovely. The ride overall...stunning, beautiful, enjoyable and easy! I'm actually running the crab and winkle (both ways) and then doing a bike ride along the Viking Trail (recilver to margate) for charity in the summer of 2010! Good luck! | ||
| posted by:Rick | Rating : | difficult : |
| Excellent ride, a steep hill on the way out of Whitstable and on the return out of Canterbury, but other than than great. Some of the "pinch points" for bikes were a bit tight but no problems. | ||
| posted by:seb | Rating : | difficult :  |
| I really enjoyed this cycle route. I ride once in a while and found the "Crab and Winkle Way" very easy. I started in Canterbury and got a Fish & Chips in Whistable! | ||
| posted by:Janice Eldridge | Rating : | difficult :  |
| Being completely new to cycling, both me and my husband (in our 50's) loved this cycle ride. We left from Canterbury right the way through to Whitstable, easy peasy going that way, but we did realise that coming back might be a bit more tricky. We had a couple of hours in Whitstable itself, fish and chips on the beach etc etc. The trip back was harder going because it is much more uphill than coming so we had to get off now and again and walk the bikes up, but all in all a fantastic ride and would deffo recommend it and would do it again! | ||
| posted by:James and Priscilla | Rating :  | difficult : |
| What a brilliant cycle route. It is a easy ride and the signs are fab which means that you can concentrate on the scenery and not making sure that your going the right way. In whitstable the shop to head for is wheelers oyster bar - to get a oyster, crab and prawn tart. | ||
| posted by:Tom | Rating : | difficult : |
| Great cycle route do it atlest 2 times a week all year round so enjoyable to not have to worry about the traffic and commotion of being on the roads. The hills are no where near as severe as people have made out. Really would recommend this route to all | ||
| posted by:Earl | Rating : | difficult : |
| I was nearly put off by some of the comments regarding the hills and difficulty. I wouldn't consider myself particularly fit (not for endurance anyway). I started off in Canterbury and really enjoyed the route to whitstable. There was some road riding, but not as much as i expected. A few hills, but nothing i needed to get off and walk for. Quick tip when you arrive in whitstable, follow the road signs, i followed the 'route 1' signs and began heading to faversham! After some oysters and a beers it was time to head back. Now to be fair the hill out of whitstable and the hill in the forrest were a bit of a challenge, and i had to walk part of one. Saw a few people on tandems there must be a hire shop somewhere for those without bikes. It makes a great day out and i cycled with some 8 and 9 year olds for part of it, so if they can do it anyone can! For a less challenging run why not try the route to chartham, leaving form the same point (west gate) in canterbury. That is all flat and great for building confidence. | ||
| posted by:Barry Gorman | Rating : | difficult : |
| What an enjoyable ride, parked up in Canterbury and Cycled the route enjoyed fish and chips in Whitstable then turned back and done the route in reverse. I'm reasonably fit and thought the route was pretty easy, and it was the hottest day of the year. There are some amazing views alone the way. | ||
| posted by:Earl | Rating : | difficult :  |
| Lovely route (i went from canterbury first). The ride from canterbury is very pretty and pleasant, although riding through blean woods was by far my favourite part. I am not massively fit, but i think some of the comments here are a bit unfair, some of the hills are steep, and although this sounds silly it was harder from whitstable to canterbury with 2 long and steep climbs. One of which i walked part of the way (until i saw a 60 year old man going up and was shamed into getting back on). I think unless you are morbidly obese or have other medical issues you will be fine. Great for kids, beginners and intermediates. One word of warning, is to abandon the route and follow the road signs into whitstable when you are close. I followed the national cycle route 1 sign but it seemed to be sending me to faversham, so when back and followed the signs at the roundabout | ||
| posted by:Hannah Barham | Rating : | difficult : |
| I really liked the cycle ride as went with my family. I work at the university of kent and would like to ride in more often - can anyone recomend a site where I can ride with others? There in the morning at least? | ||
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