Sheerness Way
The Sheerness Way, launched in 2011 is a 5.6 mile, 9km flat
route suitable for families.
Enjoy a day away from it all with the breeze
in your hair and the wind at your heels. The Isle of Sheppey has
some exciting new, mainly traffic-free, cycle routes that offer
fun, low cost family days out. The Isle of Harty Trail and the
Sheerness Way are flat, circular and perfect for families. They are
mainly traffic free but with some sections on road. At a moderate
speed they can be completed comfortably in under an hour, depending
on your fitness, but with young children it will take longer. Why
not stop along the way to enjoy the local attractions or spend a
whole day exploring the area?
Close to Barton’s Point Country Park, discover the Queenborough
Lines or ‘canal bank’ as it is known locally. It is a mid 19th
century ditch and mound fortification built to protect Sheerness
Naval Dockyard from attack from inland. More recent concrete gun
footings from both world wars can still be seen. From the Lines
cycle towards the town. In the town centre stands the clock tower
built in 1902 to commemorate King Edward VII’s coronation. This 11m
(36ft) high iconic feature is one of the oldest and largest
surviving cast iron clock towers in Kent. On to the sea wall, the
dockyard is visible to the west.
Due to its unrivalled location in protecting the River Medway,
Sheerness began as a fort. This was tested in the Anglo-Dutch wars
in the 1600’s, during which Sheerness fell. The potential as a
naval dockyard site was originally identified by Samuel Pepys.
Looking out to sea you may glimpse the masts of a sunken World War
II vessel, the SS Richard Montgomery. It is loaded with explosives
but because of its proximity to Sheerness it was deemed too
dangerous to blow up! For more family fun, enjoy a paddle in the
sea or relax on the shingle beach with a picnic.
Sheerness Way: At Neptune
Terrace please dismount and use the ramp to wheel your bike down a
small flight of steps. Please also take care when crossing Marine
Parade back to Barton’s Point. The nearest Station is
Sheerness-on-Sea; from here you are signposted onto the route.