Day 163 – Dungeness to Rye: 16.5m: 5.4h

Gary arrives for 7 a.m. breakfast feeling none too chipper and announces that he will not be joining the walk today. His intention is to catch a bus to Folkestone and take an early train back to London from there. However, as the  brekker and a couple of cups of coffee take effect, a degree of chipperness returns which indicates that perhaps he was simply feeling the effects of getting practically no sleep during the course of the night. Accordingly, when the team reappears to check out shortly before 8 o’clock, he’s changed his mind and is ready to be driven with John, Ben and Mike back to the Pilot by Helen who is planning to stay in New Romney for much of the morning before a lunchtime rendezvous in Rye – or at an earlier bale out point if the weather becomes too challenging. She will also be transporting our luggage, thus ensuring the availability of dry clothing which all the weather forecasts suggest will be needed.

However, the initial challenge when we set off from the Pilot at 8:15 is the wind. As we continue our walk south towards the Dungeness headland, it is very strong and directly in our faces. Fortunately, having ticked off an extra hour from New Romney yesterday, we only have to endure the headwind for around 30 minutes. We then turn west to walk along the southern boundary of the Dungeness nuclear power station. But as we reach its western end, the rain sweeps in and, even when it isn’t too heavy, the continuing strong wind makes it feel such. We trudge across a stretch of land which is essentially shingle interspersed with occasional clumps of grass, before reaching a small construction site near Jury’s Gap where work is being carried out to a jetty. The route along the coast comes to an end here and we have to turn inland and follow a series of paths past another set of rifle ranges and a large watersports area to arrive in Lydd which subsequent research reveals has the distinction of being the most southerly town in Kent. We’ve been walking for just over two and a half hours, and any restorative effects of Gary’s morning coffee must have worn off because he is now feeling distinctly weary and rather cold. A phone call is accordingly made to Helen asking her to meet him in Lydd whilst the other three continue along a roadside path towards Camber where they’ll hopefully meet up with Helen and Gary and decide whether to continue on to Rye.

Helen duly collects Gary from an accommodating post office in Lydd where he’s been able to shelter. The rain is getting heavier and, a mile or so along the road to Camber, they spot three familiar and bedraggled figures on the adjacent path. Conveniently, a lay-by is available at which to stop and confirm that the walkers are going to continue at least as far as Camber. John also takes the opportunity to get into the car and change his walking boots – a process which takes nearly 15 minutes and, by the time he sets off again, Ben and Mike are a good half mile further along the path. Helen and Gary arrive in Camber shortly after 11:30. Having established that nothing is open near the beach, they drive to the Camber Sands Holiday Park which, despite its name, is on the north side of the coast road. Among the various facilities available, at the back of an amusement arcade, is the Boat House café and bar which provides a very welcome and warming cup of coffee. Gary is also able to retrieve his rucksack from the car and change into some dry clothes. Helen notifies the others of our whereabouts, and Ben and Mike appear just after 12 o’clock. However, a few minutes later, we hear from John that he’s at the beach. Helen goes to collect him and the team are briefly reunited at the Boat House where the walkers indulge in a bit of drying off (and Ben indulges in a glass of red wine) before announcing that they will complete the remaining few miles to Rye.

We drive back to the beach where John, Ben and Mike set off along the sands, and Helen and Gary continue on to Rye. When they arrive, it’s still raining so any ideas of a sightseeing stroll are quickly shelved. Instead, they park at the station and spend quite a bit of their waiting time completing Helen’s Sunday Times crossword. The others appear not long after 2:15 and, during a short break in the rain, are able to effect a goodly measure of clothes changing in the car park. John and Helen then begin the long drive home while Ben, Mike and Gary buy some sandwiches at the station and catch an earlier train than originally planned to Ashford International. The resulting longer wait there for the service back to St Pancras enables them to complete the walking year with a couple of small bottles of wine each in the platform café.