{"product_id":"london-to-faversham-gpx-route","title":"The Runaway King","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA gravel route from London to Faversham, along the foot of the North Downs.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 1688 a king fled London for Faversham and didn't get away with it. This ride takes the same line, over Crystal Palace, out through the woods and along the Pilgrims' Way to an old Kentish town on a creek, with a brewery at the bottom of the street.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou'll do better than he did. Download the GPX and ride it in a day, then take the train home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch4 class=\"product-single__accordion__title-text\"\u003eRide Details\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRide Level: Red - Challenging (for the distance, not the terrain)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDistance: 117 km \/ 72 miles\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTerrain: Gravel tracks, byways, country lanes and woodland paths (50% off-road)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBike: Gravel\/CX or mountain bike\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIncludes: GPX file and printable Ride Guide\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch4 class=\"product-single__accordion__title-text\"\u003eThe Route\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first 12km wriggle out of Victoria through South London and up to Crystal Palace. Then you drop into Shirley and the off-road starts: Spring Park and a string of woods, until the countryside opens out at Keston.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou join the Pilgrims' Way near Otford and follow it east along the bottom of the North Downs. It switches between quiet lanes and track, and the track is in better shape than you'd expect. At around 70km you cross the Medway on Peters Bridge, then follow the river down to Aylesford, the old crossing. Stop here for lunch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter Aylesford you're back on the Pilgrims' Way. There's more road than I'd like on the way to Hollingbourne. Then it turns into fast, rough track that keeps you moving. Just short of Charing you turn hard left, climb the Downs and cross the top, through woodland and down into a long, empty coombe. I couldn't find a name for it on any map. From there it's downhill into Faversham.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch4 class=\"product-single__accordion__title-text\"\u003eThe Runaway King\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the night of 11 December 1688, with William of Orange marching on London, James II slipped out of Whitehall in disguise and dropped the Great Seal in the Thames on his way out. He boarded a boat on the Swale, bound for France. Faversham fishermen stopped it, took him for a Jesuit priest on the run, went through his pockets and brought him ashore. The king of England was held in the town for several days before being taken back to London. He got away a fortnight later and made it to France that time. This ride leaves from about a mile from Whitehall and finishes where the fishermen caught him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch4 class=\"product-single__accordion__title-text\"\u003eAlong the Way\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e12 km: Crystal Palace\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e70 km: Peters Bridge over the Medway\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAylesford: The Chequers, a pub lunch overlooking the Medway beside the medieval bridge\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFaversham: Shepherd Neame, Britain's oldest brewer, in the middle of town\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch4 class=\"product-single__accordion__title-text\"\u003eFinish\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFaversham is one of the prettiest towns in Kent. Take ten minutes to ride round it: the creek, Abbey Street, the Guildhall on its pillars. Then have a pint where it's brewed. Trains run direct from Faversham back to Victoria and St Pancras.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/u\/0\/embed?mid=1eJTkIOHzaAMb_L2HxB0FAGwG88_stPI\u0026amp;ehbc=2E312F\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003eStart and End Points\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStart: London Victoria\u003cbr\u003eFinish: Faversham Station\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003eRide Details\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDistance: 117 km | 72 miles\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClimb: 1,350 m | 4,430 ft\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePercentage off-road: 50%\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTrail surface: Gravel | Byways | Country Lanes | Woodland Paths\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/hiddentrackscycling.co.uk\/pages\/ride-grades\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eTechnical Grade\u003c\/a\u003e: Red - long, but nothing technical\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMudometer - Good all year. Mostly well-drained gravel track, so a fair bet in winter as well as summer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003eIs this ride for me?\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0530\/3202\/6293\/files\/Challenging_Ride.png?v=1731689808\" alt=\"Icon of cycle riding up hill surrounded by red border, indicating a Hidden Tracks Cycling Challenging or red grade ride or Gravel GPX Route.\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGraded Red for the distance, not the terrain. Nothing on this route is technical and the tracks hold up in all weather, but 117km with 1,350m of climbing is a full day. Most riders will spend six to seven hours in the saddle, more with a proper lunch in Aylesford. If you've ridden 80km off-road and enjoyed the last 20, you're ready.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/hiddentrackscycling.co.uk\/pages\/ride-grades\"\u003eRead more about our grades here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003eIs my bike OK for this ride?\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe route is best ridden on a gravel\/CX bike or a mountain bike.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Hidden Tracks Cycle Tours","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58804390756733,"sku":null,"price":5.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0530\/3202\/6293\/files\/the-runaway-king-london-to-faversham-gpx-gravel-bike-route.jpg?v=1790968856","url":"https:\/\/hiddentrackscycling.co.uk\/products\/london-to-faversham-gpx-route","provider":"Hidden Tracks Cycling Ltd","version":"1.0","type":"link"}