St Mary’s Island
The walk around St Mary’s Island is one of the most popular in Medway. The walk follows shared pathways and is one of the best for those avoiding getting muddy or dusty! There are plenty of stunning views along the route, including River Medway, Upnor Castle and the Sam Holland sculpture.
Be sure to add this route to your bucket list of sunset walks this summer!
Upnor to Hoo
Make sure to check the tide times for this one, because the Saxon Shore walk is one you won’t want to miss.
The pathway is easy to access, but before it’s too late, make sure you’re wearing some clothes and shoes that you don’t mind getting muddy! Beginning with a shingle beach, adults will love the views of St Marys Island whilst children have a chance to skim stones across the River Medway.
After a muddy transition, you’ll find yourself in farmlands beaming with the sunflowers of the season before entering some woodlands to finish your journey. This walk, whilst longer than some of the others, is one of the most naturally diverse in the area and a real treat to have on our doorsteps.
Capstone Country Park
Covering 114 hectares of former farmland, Capstone Country Park holds a variety of wonderful wildlife and natural habitats including woodlands, meadows, orchards and a lake.
This walk is also one that won’t become stale too quickly, as the landscape of the area changes throughout the seasons meaning there is always something new for walkers, runners and cyclists alike.
However, if you aren’t interested in traversing the landscape of one of the larger walks that the park offers, there is a much shorter walk one the level pathways around the fishing lake.
There is also a visitor centre with disabled access, changing facilities and a café. This sits next to the children’s play areas and picnic zone, so families can make an entire day out of what would usually be a simple walk.
Riverside Country Park
Another one of Medway’s most scenic country parks, Riverside is the perfect location for walkers, runners and cyclists alike.
Covering 100 hectares along Medway estuary, lovers of nature are treated to habitats of all kinds, including mudflats, salt marshes, ponds, grasslands and plenty of wildlife.
Bird-watchers should also be on the lookout for the wintering birds that thrive on the mudlands! (Just remember to bring some wellies!)
Isle of Grain walk
At the tip of the Hoo Peninsula, this trek is part of a new section of the England Coast path, a 2,800-mile national trail.
With shingle beaches, saltmarshes, mudflats and coastal pathways, this walk is a diverse stretch along the south-coast. Furthermore, for the keen birdwatchers out there, the area surrounding the trail is important for winter birdlife and there are even signs telling walkers what to look out for.
Bredhurst walk
This walk last approximately an hour, starting and ending at The Bell pub, Bredhurst. It’s perfect for couples, as the walk takes you through the kissing gate into a number of woodland walkways.
After this relaxing wonder, what better way to finish the walk with a drink and bite to eat at the local pub.
Darland Banks
This 45min walk through Darland banks contains some of the best views that a Medway Walk has to offer.
This trek also overlooks the nature reserve, home to plenty of wildlife. We recommend this walk during the Summer months, to be sure you catch the wildflowers in full bloom, as well as the butterflies that usually accompany them.
Darland banks is also home to some extremely rare species, including the small blue butterfly, Yellowhammer and Roman snail and the Straw belle moth.
Three Villages walk
A relaxing, self-guided walk, the Three Villages route takes around an hour to complete and goes through Lower, Middle and Upper Stoke.
With mud trails, pathways and a small bit of road walking, this trail provides great views of the Medway marshes whilst also passing by a couple of local pubs in case you need a break.
Ranscombe Farm Nature Reserve
The reserve is Plantlife’s largest in England, occupying 560 acres of the North Downs in Kent and provides a peaceful walk amongst a plethora of interesting flowers. Again, this site includes multiple habitats including extensive woodlands and chalk grassland.
There are marked footpaths for walkers and is usually open 365 days a year.
