Wondrous Walk 9

Exploring Manston

with Colin Bridge

MANSTON is an historic village lying at the heart of Thanet. Local family names go back to the Middle Ages and beyond and there was an ancient manor house called Manston Court of which the chapel remains. The village itself seems unremarkable when hurrying through in a car but the slower pace of a walk allows an appreciation of a range of historic buildings.

What brings the village its wider fame is the airport. The first huts were put up in 1916. In WW2 Manston played a major role although initially it was heavily bombed because of its proximity to Europe. Indeed six German aircraft landed at Manston thinking they were in France. To cope with crippled bombers returning the runway was extended and this remains one of its main features.

This is quite a short walk so hopefully there will be time to visit the two museums on the west side of the airport and learn more about Manston's fascinating past.

It's remarkable that Manston which is so close to runways, major roads, towns and shopping centres, is actually surrounded by countryside. This is a walk of views and quiet corners. However it unfortunately comes with a health warning. Most of the stiles in Thanet are concentrated in Manston and some are exceedingly inconvenient to cross. Across East Kent stiles are being replaced by kissing gates which are far more friendly to walkers. So for the more agile of Thanet ramblers, 'Enjoy !'.