Deal

13/7/15

The route out of Whitstable on the Viking Coast route (NCN 15) was excellent and took us all the way on promenade under the Tankerton Slopes to Herne Bay.

Herne Bay, like so many of the coastal resorts we have seen, has had a lot of money spent on improving the front.

The enclosed bandstand still holds it's charm so we stopped for tea!

A fantastic sea defence wall enclosing inland marsh then took us on to Reculver and it was Sue's turn for reminiscence. While I was running around Whitstable in the 70's Sue was similarly roaming free from her home in Birchington along the coast- we visited her old house.

The Turner gallery in Margate is a striking building and matches the angular white cliffs which are starting to appear on our horizon.

A replica Viking ship which sailed from Denmark to Thanet in 1949 for a 1500th anniversary explains the name of our coastal trail.

Deal has a very different appearance to many of the Victorian fronts, it is like a cross between Blackpool and Tobermory. The concrete 1950's pier looked drab and damaged but closer inspection revealed a stylish restaurant at the end with a concave roof and great views back to the town.

Our Seaview fish and chips back on the front were excellent.

Figures:

Distance:- 69.2 km

Cycle Time:- 5 hours 0 minutes

Average speed:- 13.8 kph

Total Distance:- 5084 km