Walk the Royal Military Canal by Train
Photo: Ian Dunster at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Royal Military Canal runs 28 miles from Seabrook near Folkestone to Cliff End near Hastings along the old cliff line of Romney Marsh, built against a Napoleonic invasion. Westenhanger, Appledore (Kent), Rye and Winchelsea stations give train access to the towpath.
There are 6 stations within reach of the Royal Military Canal: within 2 miles of it, or half a mile in towns.
The Royal Military Canal runs about 23 miles in our route data, including any river sections it follows. The stations below are in order along it.
Royal Military Canal train stations
- Appledore (Kent)0.7 mi (about 0.8 to 0.9 mi on foot) · closest
- Winchelsea0.8 mi (about 1 mi on foot)
- Ham Street0.8 mi (about 1 mi on foot)
- Sandling1.3 mi (about 1.5 to 2 mi on foot)
- Westenhanger1.9 mi (about 2.5 mi on foot)
- Rye2.0 mi (about 2.5 mi on foot)
Walking distances are estimates from the straight-line distance and the type of ground, not a measured route. Check a map before you set off.
There-and-back walks
No two stations share a walkable stretch of the Royal Military Canal, so these walks head out along the towpath and come back to the same station. The distance is the longest the towpath allows, up to 20 miles; turn round sooner for a shorter walk.
| Station | Out along the towpath | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandling | 4.7 mi and back | 12.5 to 13 mi | about 4 to 4.5 hours |
| Westenhanger | 4.1 mi and back | 13 to 13.5 mi | about 4.5 hours |
| Ham Street | 7.5 mi and back | 17 to 17.5 mi | about 5.5 to 6 hours |
| Appledore (Kent) | 7.4 mi and back | 16.5 mi | about 5.5 hours |
| Winchelsea | 3.1 mi and back | 8 to 8.5 mi | about 2.5 to 3 hours |
| Rye | 3.1 mi and back | 11 to 11.5 mi | about 3.5 to 4 hours |
Times use Naismith's rule and don't include stops.
Canal routes and towpaths © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More of Royal Military Canal
Photo: Alex Wolfson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Simon Carey, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph