Snorting exhaust fumes out of our noses from the busy road out of Dover we clamber up the steep path to the top of the first cliff.

After the headwinds of my last walk, forecasts of 50 mph winds lend weight to a decision to walk anti-clockwise.

Empty high speed train tips me into the serenity of The Leas on a bright morning. Steep paths from the lush green sward and majestic houses down to the hard concrete walkway that will lead me to Hythe.

10. Dover to Deal | 08.01.12

Hidden behind the engineered landscape of the Eastern docks a narrow lane with weathered concrete fence posts leads us up to the white cliffs of Dover and beyond. Evenly spaced small boats keep watch for what? Illegal immigrants? The path leads down to St. Margarets and the enchanting Pines Gardens – the Poetry Path, the Catalan Calyx roofs topped with turf. On to cream teas in the Bluebird Café and a hobble into Deal.

Distance: 11 miles