The Military Road - Seabrook Westwards!

The Royal Military Canal was built between 1804 and 1809. The fear of invasion from France was very real at this time as Napoléon Bonaparte was conquering his way across mainland Europe.

At this time thinking was that any invasion would take place along the flat lands of the coast and the adjoining Romney Marsh. So the canal was built and runs for 28 miles from Seabrook, where there is a battery and Cliffs End in Sussex. 

On the north bank there a large earthworks created from the spoil of the canal itself.  Foe much of the way between Seabrook and West Hythe Dam, this is still there to be seen. Along with zigzags in the canal this gave the defending army higher ground and a chance to open up targets on the southern bank.

Taken today on a sunny lunchtime walk - near the Palmarsh Bridge.

Where I live we are around 500 metres from the open sea of Hythe Bay and around 100 metres south of the canal.

The Military Road runs parallel with the canal on the north bank. Troop movements at the time would have been covered by the earthwork from possible fire from the enemy across the canal. 

The Military Road is now called the Royal Military Canal Path. 

All is not as rosy as the link might suggest. The path between the battery point at Seabrook as far as Twiss Road in Hythe is made of graded gravel and well maintained.  It follows the pattern all along the north bank. A well maintained "path" and at the top of the earthworks a natural grass (and mud in winter!) path.

As the Path is a "multi-use multi-activity path", it is open to walkers (with or without dogs), horses and cycles. The upper natural path is open to walkers only. 

From Twiss Road as far as the "no motor vehicles" post on Green Lanes it is fully paved. There are no-cycling restrictions between Twiss Road and Stade Street on the north bank.  

Oddly, despite numerous signs this is widely (and dangerously) ignored. I jest. Cyclists don't believe that they should obey any law or restrictions. What maybe considered odd as well, is that despite the upper path being walkers-only are the number of occasions a ton of horseflesh has left hoof prints. Maybe horse riders also can't read?

From the "no motor vehicles" posts on Green lanes it is back to the graded gravel. It is generally in good condition, but the further you progress along the path past the Palmarsh Footbridge, the condition deteriorates badly in places. From Autumn to Spring many parts of it are flooded and muddy. It is not good for cyclists or walkers.  

Some of the flooded areas have been like this for years and despite contact with the local council, nothing gets done.  The problems aren't purely naturally occurring. It rains. Yes.  Water collects, and that is the problem.  When the makeover was done they didn't build in any run offs into the ditch that runs parallel to the path the entire way along this section.

As for the lack of forethought at the north end of the "new" Palmarsh Bridge.  Installing rubber matting on a slope was never going to work. Rather than spend a few extra pounds and make the path the same material as the main path really paid off.  Now we can get from the bridge to the main path down a dangerous and slippery path usually after negotiating the deep rubber lined puddle of water.

On the subject of multi-use multi-activity. Generally everyone gets on okay, but there are times when it seems that anyone on the path has strayed onto the Tour de France route.... Cycles at 20+mph and walkers/dogs/small children at 2mph don't go together very well. Slow down and we can all enjoy a walk or cycle along here. 

And there I will leave it!