- Description
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Details
One of the finest coastal walks in England, taking you right along the top of the famous White Cliffs of Dover. On a clear day, you get stunning views of the English Channel, and the ferries buzzing in and out of Dover Harbour, and the French coast from Boulogne to Dunkerque.
The White Cliffs of Dover were formed 80 to 65 million years ago at the bottom of what was then a tropical ocean. The chalk is made up of the small shells of millions of sea creatures. It is estimated that it took 10,000 years to create 15 milimetres of chalk (that is a million years to make 15 metres). In places the chalk is 250 metres deep. The cliffs are actually the terminus of the North Downs, which run all the way from Farnham, just south west of London to this point. Originally the ridge stretched across to France, but was broken by the ice 26,000 years ago during one of the ice ages, separating the UK from Europe.
Deal beach is popularly supposed to have been the landing site for the forces of Roman general Julius Caesar when he came to Britain in 55 BC to see if it was worth invading.
Walmer Castle and Deal Castle were built by Henry VIII in 1539-40 as artillery platforms to guard against a threatened French invasion. They were never permanently occupied and saw only minor military action.
How to find us
Maria will be at the meeting point detailed in the section "Transport and Meeting Point" below. In case of difficulties locating her, you can call her on 07535295739 (texts cannot be replied to)
Food
We will stop during the hike for a snack lunch so please bring food and drink. We will visit a pub after the hike where we can get refreshments.
Price:
- Members: £26
- No Members: £34
Planned arrival time back into London at 21:00pm. We have a group train ticket so all attendees will go and return together to the same station. If you want to return separately, please buy your individual train ticket.
The price includes the guided hike and return train travel from the group departure station listed at the top of this event.
What to Bring
- Suitable hiking clothes & hiking footwear (ideally hiking boots). Waterproof jacket, trousers and footwear are recommended
- Water (at least 1 and ideally 2 litres)
- Packed lunch/picnic
- Money for drinks and refreshments after the hike
- That's it! We will take care of train tickets, logistics on the day etc, so that you can just turn up and have a great day :-)
Cliffs - danger
There are sheer drops off the cliffs and some of these soft chalk cliffs are crumbling at the edges with chunks regularly falling and no fencing in place. Please keep at least 3 metres away from the edges. If you fall, or the ground at the edge of the cliff collapses it will almost certainly be fatal.
IMPORTANT NOTE: To reserve a place you must make the full payment, otherwise the reservation will not be accepted.
Do not forget to click Going! and send a copy of the payment with the full name and contact telephone number of the attendees. You can send this data through our Facebook, by email events@hikinginlondon.co.uk or by whatsapp 07535295739.
Safety
This hike is led by a trained hike leader and qualified Outdoor Activity First Aider. Outdoor activities involve a risk of personal injury. Please come with suitable hiking footwear and hiking clothes such as warm clothes, waterproof jacket and trousers in case of rain - more info
© Club Hiking in London. Ltd 2022 (CASC) in collaboration with Saturday Walkers Club.
Errors and Omissions ExceptedNotice: Photos and videos taken during our events are for personal use only. Commercial use is strictly prohibited without prior consent. Please respect the privacy and rights of all participants. For more details, visit our Photo and Video Usage Policy.
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