Wayside Rides
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Canterbury Cathedral in early light, seen across the rooftops and trees
JAUNT · ONE DAY IN KENT

The Pilgrims’ Road

From the Roman shore to the pilgrims’ shrine

LENGTH
1 day
DISTANCE
24 miles
TERRAIN
Mostly flat
ROUTE
Whitstable to Canterbury
GROUP
Up to 12
PRICE
£95
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THE DAY

Two thousand years of England, coast to cathedral.

In 1170, Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered in his own cathedral. Within three years he was a saint and Canterbury had become one of the great pilgrim destinations of the medieval world. Today you ride the last miles of their road. Your guide brings the stories. You just ride.

“And from every shire’s end of England, to Canterbury they go.”Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT
  • Finish at Canterbury Cathedral, with time to stay for evensong
  • Stand inside a Roman fort on the cliffs at Reculver
  • Ride through England’s smallest town
  • Fast trains from St Pancras and home again, no car needed
THE ROUTE · 24 MILES
Sketch map, not for navigation
The Thames Estuary River Stour 123456 Canterbury Westfinish, by the Westgate Cathedral St Martin’s Fordwich Herne Windmill Reculver Towers Herne Bay Whitstablestart N
THE DAY

Sea air to evensong.

The twin towers of Reculver on the clifftop above the sea
MORNING

Salt air and a Roman fort

Start with oyster boats in the harbour, then follow the seafront east to two towers that sailors steered by long after the sea swallowed the village around them.

Whitstable · Herne Bay · Reculver
A brick bridge over the River Stour framed by weeping willows
AFTERNOON

England before England

Turn inland past a windmill on the ridge to a town of a few hundred people that still has its own mayor, then a little church that was already old when England was young.

Herne · Fordwich · St Martin’s
Canterbury Cathedral’s great tower rising above the city
EVENING

Journey’s end

Roll up to the cathedral where four knights cut down an archbishop, at the shrine the pilgrims came for. Stay for evensong if you like.

Fast trains home from Canterbury
YOUR GUIDE

A storyteller on a bike

Every Wayside ride is led by an experienced cycling guide, trained in ride leadership and first aid, who has ridden every mile of the route before you arrive.

They set an easy pace, sort out the train times and know which pub does the best lunch. Most of all, they know the stories: who built it, who fought over it and why it matters.

THE PACE

Unhurried, with plenty of stops

About 24 miles over a full day, mostly flat, on quiet lanes and seafront paths. We ride together at a sociable pace, with time to look around at every stop.

Bring yours, or borrow ours

Bring your bike on the train, or collect one in Whitstable and leave it in Canterbury. Everyone rides together.

The ride, with your own bike£95 per person
Bike or e-bike hireAvailable, prices on request

Hire includes a helmet and lock. No need to bring it back to the start.

INCLUDED
  • A guide and storyteller with you all day
  • A hand-picked route on the quietest lanes, ridden and checked before you arrive
  • A small group at a sociable pace, with nobody left behind
  • Coffee and snacks at our stops
  • Everything sorted, from the best train to catch to where to stop for lunch
NOT INCLUDED
  • Train fare
  • Lunch, so eat where you like or bring your own
  • Drinks with lunch
  • Cathedral entry (evensong is free)
GETTING THERE
Morning

High-speed train from London St Pancras to Whitstable, about an hour and a quarter.

Evening

Fast trains from Canterbury back to London, in about 55 minutes.

Dates and booking. Bookings open 1st January.

Rides run from March 2027, on regular dates through the year or as a private ride for your own group. Leave your details and we’ll remind you when bookings open.