Route 1 to Rochester along the Thames Path. This ride is mostly off road to Dartford and then there are a few busy roads before Gravesend.

Gravesend for lunch hopefully at the riverside cafe.

Quiet roads from Gravesend to Rochester. Return to London by train from Rochester.

Report

With the bright sunshine and the first warm day of spring forecast - but it’s still officially winter – the turnout for the ride was good, despite a couple of riders who had had late nights and had hangovers.

Anthony, Paul, Jane, Geoff, Kay-E, Steve, Jo, Ian, Ray, Sam and Roy.

The ride went down the Thames Path around the Dome where work to get the O2 venue ready for the first event in July is at fever pitch.  The ride speed is relaxed at about 10mph or just above and the wind is at our backs making it very easy. And from a leaders point of view it’s wonderful that there are several people on the ride who know where they are going so there is no need to be at the front all the time.

On past Woolwich and new housing projects are taking shape along the water front – it won’t be long before the entire distance between Woolwich and Thamesmead will be one long stretch of housing. Don’t they know it’s going to flood?

On past the fragrant sewage works of Crossness and we meander along the narrow path into Erith. Through Erith and we go onto Crayford Marshes. All the marshes are actually looking like marshes at the moment, the large amount of rain we’ve had in the past few weeks has turned these areas into swamps. The path is dry though as it runs along the top of a raised flood defence. As we reach the last fence at the mouth of the Darent we come to a locked gate. The path is closed for soft earth works. The 10 feet high fence at either side of the gate prevent us going around because we would have if we could have as what was on the other side looked very rideable. We retrace our ride back to the entry to the marshes and marvel that 11 riders have ridden by 4 or 5 signs that inform them that the path ahead is closed at the flood barrier. I think the problem is that these signs look too smart (see photograph) and do not look like a warning. We follow the diversion and take one wrong turning after coming to another sign that tells us that the path ahead is closed. The farmer in his farm at the end of the wrong turn tells us that it’s the path back into Erith that is closed and that you can turn and carry onto into Dartford. We thank him and he says it’s OK because I’m getting used to giving people directions who mistakenly come up my garden path.

Back on route 1 by the Darent we wonder if we might have been better off on the roads. The path has been dug up and is incredibly bumpy – very hard going. It looks as if the path is being widened and hopefully soon a nice hard packed surface will be put down – improvements are on the way. As we approach Crayford at the end of the path by the River Cray there are large earth works. Something very big is going to be built there. Jo speculates that it is the controversial super incinerator planned for Bexley.

We now whiz along the duel carriageway and make up a little time. Dinner beckons after the awkward diversion. We pass the Dartford Queen Elizabeth II suspension bridge, pass the new Ebsfleet station, apparently only 10 minutes from King Cross, take on the 3 hills into Gravesend and then drop down to the riverside before ambling through Gravesend to our dinner at the Promenade Café. Dinner for me was a toasted ciabatta with bacon, cheese and onions – only £2.50. All day breakfast was £4. The prices are very reasonable but it’s not a good place for vegetarians.

After dinner we cruise through the last 11 miles, through Hoo and Higham Marshes. At Upnor we drop down to the river for a look at the Medway. Ray fools 3 of us into taking a riverside path while he and the rest snigger at out muddy progress before the path comes back up to meet the road and laughing “friends”.

We roll into Rochester at 4pm and five of us head straight for the station leaving the rest of us go for a drink before heading back to London at about 5pm.

No one was at Rochester Station to sell us the 4 for 2 deals so we had to make do with the Network Card discount the machine offered us. Why is the 4 for 2 deal not available on these machines?

A great day out, lots to see and a very good tail wind made it an easy ride.

Stats

40 miles
6 hours
1032ft of climbing – a mostly flat ride.
Lots of birds, horses and sheep.

Ian Pendleton