Walk 2: Exploring Monkton

Thanet still remains an island. It’s not so noticeable these days but a bridge has to be crossed somewhere to enter or leave this corner of Kent.

Our walk explores a tranquil corner of Thanet crossing the marshes that once surrounded the isle with glorious views along the River Stour and inland to the higher ground of Thanet’s heartland.

Start: Monkton Parish Church

Distance: 3.5 miles (allow 2 hours)

Taking care: field edge paths and farm tracks can be rough and uneven with some long grass so wear stout shoes; take special care over railway crossings, don’t cross if you see a train however far off, always step over rails and gaps and be prepared for stiles.

Stiles: 2

Parking: on street

Refreshment: The White Stag pub in Monkton (limited opening), full range of shops and pubs in Minster

Services: none in Monkton; toilets and shops in Minster

Public transport: Eastonways service to Monkton, Canterbury buses stop on main road 200 metres from church.

Ordnance Survey Map: Explorer 150

With ancient Monkton Parish Church, and set of stocks, on the right, walk down the road towards the village centre for some way. Look out for a red postbox set in a wall on the left.

Just past this a field meets the road on the right. Turn right here (there is a footpath sign on a lamp post), and follow the field edge away from the road.

Keep along the field edge for some way as it swings right, left, then right again and heads towards woods.

On reaching the woods, at a corner of the field, go through a gap onto a broad track in the trees. Turn left and go down a few paces to a Y-fork. Bear left here.

Soon reach a metal fieldgate. Pass around it and go ahead on a pleasant grassy path between hedges. This emerges at the top corner of a field. Bear right to a railway crossing. Go over and keep ahead on a broad gravel farm track for a mile.

At the end go up onto the Abbot’s Wall and turn right. Soon squeeze by a locked metal fieldgate and keep on by a hedge on the left. Where the hedge stops keep forward over an open field to a line of bushes ahead.

On reaching the bushes turn right on a green lane. This emerges into a field. Keep on along the field edge with young chestnut trees and a ditch on the right.

At a corner, bear right a few paces, to enter an enclosed path with an animal sanctuary on the left. This soon reaches a stile onto a railway crossing. Go over to a second stile and on down a narrow path to a field.

Turn right along the field edge at the far end turn left then soon right into a pleasant lane with a line of chestnut trees on the left and woods on the right.

At the far end turn left uphill, still on the broad track. Eventually pass cottages on the right and emerge onto the road in Monkton. Turn left to return to the church.