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Troy Mariyanayagam went for a hike
May 28, 2026 at 09:49
Rye to Lydd-on-Sea via. Dungeness
05:34
27.4km
4.9km/h
110m
110m
Garmin instinct 2S
Today’s hike finally closed one of the biggest remaining gaps in my England Coast Path journey. Previously, I had reached as far as Camber from one direction and Folkestone from the other, but I had never managed to reach the far edge of Dungeness itself due to just how remote and exposed it is. Tomorrow brings the even longer challenge from Lydd-on-Sea to Folkestone Harbour, but first came this unforgettable journey from Rye to the edge of England.
The day began quietly in Rye with a short wander through Mermaid Street and up to Rye Castle, better known as Ypres Tower, before heading out towards the coast. The route to Camber Sands was not quite straightforward, with an unexpected diversion away from the beach and onto a shared walking and cycling path, but eventually the dunes and endless sand appeared ahead.
Camber Sands was overflowing with holidaymakers enjoying the heat while I pushed through in full hiking gear, eager to leave the crowds behind and reach the emptier coastline ahead. Once beyond the beach, the landscape completely changed. Huge skies, open sea views, and distant horizons gave the hike a wild, isolated feeling.
That isolation only grew stronger near the Lydd Ranges, where the red flags were flying, forcing the route inland away from the coast. After hours of steady walking, the enormous shape of Dungeness Power Station suddenly emerged through the haze like something from another world, easily one of the most dramatic moments of the day.
The final stretch across the shingle was brutal and slow-going, but eventually Dungeness appeared with its strange architecture, lonely atmosphere, and iconic old and new lighthouses. Seeing the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway rolling through the barren landscape somehow made the place feel even more surreal.
I finished the hike at The Pilot Inn with a well-deserved pint and dinner after one of the most physically and mentally demanding hikes I have done in a long time. Quiet, eerie, beautiful and unforgettable.
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