GPS Cycle and Walking Routes

Clowes Wood

3.42 miles (5.5 km)

Enjoy miles of cycling and walking trails in this area of woodland near Whitstable. The site is also a nature reserve and includes attractive mixed woodland, heathland and wet meadow. Look out for wildlife which includes woodpeckers, Woodcock and if you're lucky an owl.
Part of National Cycle Route 1, known as the Crab and Winkle Way, passes through the woods. You could follow this lovely traffic free path from nearby Whitstable to reach the woods.
The walk can be extended by heading east through Thornden Wood and West Blean Wood to the splendid Wildwood Forest Park. Here you will find a wonderful collection of animals including badgers, foxes, otters, pine marten and red squirrels. Also in Thornden Wood you can climb Knockhimdown Hill for nice views over the area.
To extend your walking in the area you can head to Whitstable harbour and try the Whitstable to Herne Bay Walk along the coast.

Postcode

B94 5JP - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locations

Clowes Wood OS Map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Clowes Wood Open Street Map - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

Just to the south east there's the neighbouring village of Tanworth-in-Arden. Here you can enjoy a circular walk around the grounds of the 17th century Umberslade Hall. The village itself is also worth exploring with its picturesque village green and 14th century church

Photos

Clowes Wood - geograph.org.uk - 371844

The Canterbury and Whitstable Railway was closed in 1953. Stretches of the track bed now form part of the ‘Crab and Winkle’ cycle path which connects Canterbury with the sea. Taken near the summit of the line looking down towards Whitstable.

Clowes Wood - geograph.org.uk - 437981

Clowes Wood Part of the Blean, and a very lovely wood it is too. The final part of the circular walk is very steep, and quite a strenuous walk, so beware! There are, however, many less energetic paths through the wood, including the one pictured above.

Footpath in Clowes Wood - geograph.org.uk - 1520933

Footpath in Clowes Wood. This path leads from Walnut Tree Farm towards the Crab and Winkle Way cycle path in Clowes Wood. The path leads past a gasline marker (painted blue).

Winding Pond, Clowes Wood - geograph.org.uk - 371873

Winding Pond, Clowes Wood. The C&WR was built in the 1830s and was one of the earliest railways in the world. The locomotives of the time couldn’t cope with the steep gradients on the line, so two steam powered winding engines were built which pulled the trains up the hills with a cable. One was at Tyler Hill and the other was here at Clowes Wood. This pond provided it with water.

A footpath in Clowes Wood - geograph.org.uk - 1520893

A footpath in Clowes Wood. This path heads south, parallel to a cycle path in the wood.

Car park in Clowes Wood - geograph.org.uk - 480030

Car park in Clowes Wood

GPS Files

GPX File

Clowes Wood.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)

Memory Map Route

Clowes Wood.mmo (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold >Download Linked File)