When a group of beer-loving ramblers mapped out a series of walks from one side of Kent to the other they made sure to pencil in visits to 12 Wetherspoon pubs along the way.
But after reading how a KentOnline reporter had used public transport to conquer all 23 in the county in a single weekend, they made it their mission to take in the remaining 11 on foot.
The Robert Pocock in Gravesend marked the start of the journey
The result was 19 separate walks totalling 230 miles, soaking up the the best and worst of Kent’s scenery – and a fair few gallons of ale.
Friends Chris Strachan, Keith Benham, Nick France and Andy James were there every step of the way, and were even joined on some legs by fellow ale fans as news of their quest spread.
Explaining how the challenge materialised, Chris said: “I joined a group of retired friends for a few sections of their challenge to walk around the Kent coast on the England coast path.
“While walking with them, enjoying the fresh air and gentle exercise, my mind turned to creating a challenge of my own.
“After five minutes of research, I realised it was possible to walk from Gravesend to Folkestone in 12 stages. I mentioned the idea to a few ale-drinking friends, and then our mission began.
A view over the cliffs as the group made their way from Dover to Folkestone
“About a month after completing the first leg, I saw [a KentOnline reporter] was sent to all the Wetherspoons in Kent and said to the guys ‘well, look, it’s a challenge, but we’ve done more than half of them already’.
“We are mostly of working age, which meant weekends were best for mutually convenient dates, and we use trains most of the time because, as you know, if there’s a Wetherspoons, there’s not usually a train station too far from it.
“We just decided everyone enjoyed the first leg, and there’s no reason we can’t do them all.”
So how did they get on during their quest, and which pubs – and walks – would they most recommend?
Walk 1: January 15, 2022, The Robert Pocock (Gravesend) to The Golden Lion (Rochester) 11.5 miles.
The group started strong, with seven members taking on the first leg of the journey.
Although the weather was on their side, a trek through muddy fields at the start of the new year certainly set the tone for the challenge ahead.
Walk 2: February 21, 2022, The Golden Lion (Rochester) to The Railway (Rainham) 8.4 miles.
Despite being a local trip for the group, the weather certainly made the second leg more of a challenge, even causing them to miss out on The Thomas Waghorn in Chatham as they escaped the elements.
“We looked at the weather and thought, should we cancel it? But quite a few came along for that one,” said Chris.
The Golden Hope in Sittingbourne marked the start of longer walks for the group, with the trek to Faversham clocking in at 14.5 miles
“We got proper wet, but we didn’t get wet once for all of the other walks.”
Walk 3: March 5, 2022, The Railway (Rainham) to The Golden Hope (Sittingbourne) 9.3 miles.
Thankfully, the weather brightened up for the third leg of the challenge.
With word of the quest getting around, the group gained numbers, including one walker in his mid-70s.
The team followed parts of the Saxon Shore Way before traversing several footpaths through fields in Sittingbourne.
Walk 4: March 20, 2022, The Golden Hope (Sittingbourne) to The Leading Light (Faversham) 14.1 miles.
Despite this being the longest walk so far, there was still time for a quick detour to a non-Spoons pub in Oare, Faversham.
“Tempting as it may be, this wasn’t a pub crawl. It was a walking challenge, but we would still visit other micropubs and ale houses along the way,” Chris said.
“One that stands out, which was a bit out of the way, is the Shipwright’s Arms in Oare. It’s a 300-year-old pub stuck out in the middle of nowhere, so we had to give that a visit.
The Peter Cushing Wetherspoon in Whitstable is inside a converted theatre
“People moan about Wetherspoons, but without them, we wouldn’t have gone to all these places.”
Walk 5: May 1, 2022, The Leading Light (Faversham) to The Peter Cushing (Whitstable) and The Saxon Shore (Herne Bay) 15.1 miles.
Originally, the plan was to travel to Whitstable, but now, with daylight hours on their side, Chris said the decision was made to travel the extra few miles along the coast to Herne Bay.
They even had time to sample a few micropubs along the way.
Walk 6: May 21, 2022, The Saxon Shore (Herne Bay) to The Mechanical Elephant (Margate) 13.6 miles.
Again, the weather was on their side with “near perfect conditions” on this spring Saturday walk, which ended with a pint overlooking the sea.
Walk 7: June 10, 2022, The Mechanical Elephant (Margate) to Royal Victoria Pavilion (Ramsgate) 10.3 miles.
Despite longer train journeys, 10 made the trip to Kent’s coastline, but they didn’t have to battle the clock. They arrived at the UK’s biggest Wetherspoon at 9pm, still surrounded by brilliant sunshine.
“There are worse ways to spend a summer’s evening than strolling along the coast with a bunch of beer-drinking buddies, passing through Broadstairs to finish at one of the most iconic Wetherspoons in the county,” said Chris.
“It’s a really spectacular building in Ramsgate.”
The group stop to see the sites, including Reculver Towers near Herne Bay
Walk 8: July 11, 2022, Royal Victoria Pavilion (Ramsgate) to The Sir Norman Wisdom (Deal) 15.8 miles.
The group faced a rather long walk as they made their way around the coastline, but thankfully, Sandwich proved to be the perfect place for a pitstop.
Walk 9: August 27, 2022, The Sir Norman Wisdom (Deal) to The Eight Bells (Dover) 11.3 miles.
Being at its heart a walking challenge, it is only right that some time is spent taking in the views on what was Chris’s favourite trek of the whole challenge.
He said: “The train journeys were becoming more awkward, but it was well worth it.
“The coastal path between Deal and Dover has to be one of the most spectacular walks in Britain, with absolutely breathtaking views from the clifftops over Dover harbour.”
Walk 10: October 23, 2022, The Eight Bells (Dover) to The Samuel Peto (Folkestone) 11.5 miles.
After a two-month break, the moment was right to start what was the last leg of the group’s original plan to walk 120 miles from Gravesend to Folkestone.
But it was also a time to reflect on the journey. So far, the group had sampled some excellent local micropubs, and been joined by 16 different folks for various stretches of their trek.
Then, after reading about the valiant effort of our reporter, Rhys Griffiths, the decision was made to press on and conquer all 23 pubs in the county.
The walk from Dover to Deal was Chris’ favourite due to the “spectacular views” over Dover Harbour. The four that completed all the walks were, from left to right, Andy James, Keith Benham, Chris Strachan and Nick FranceFrom Left to right: Nick France, Andy James and Keith Benham were gifted certificates by Chris after completing the original 120-mile challenge to Folkestone
Walk 11: February 18, 2023, The Peter Cushing (Whitstable) to The West Gate Inn (Canterbury) to The Thomas Ingoldsby (Canterbury) 7 miles.
With most of the coastline establishments visited, it was time for Medway rambler Chris to break out the ordnance survey maps to chart the course.
Disused railway line Crab and Winkle Way provided a bonus of ticking two pubs off the list.
Walk 12: April 2, 2023, The Robert Pocock (Gravesend) to The Flying Boat (Dartford) 13.8 miles.
The next section took the gang back to Gravesend, where it all began. They followed the coast to Dartford, following the contours of the River Thames and the Darent Valley Path.
But it wasn’t a journey to look back on fondly.
“It was the worst walk, without a doubt,” said Chris.
“If you follow the river, first you walk underneath the Dartford Bridge, which was quite spectacular.
“But you think you’re nearly there, but the river spirals out before it then comes in and there’s nowhere to stop.
“I mean, that one just got tedious.”
A quick stop off for refreshments in DealThe gang walked along the cliffs in the section from Dover to Folkestone
Walk 13: May 13, 2023, The Railway (Rainham) to The Society Rooms (Maidstone) to The Muggleton Inn (Maidstone) 10.9 miles.
After a longer-than-expected journey last time out, the next section thankfully brought the group back to familiar territory.
From their home town of Rainham, they followed a network of footpaths and crossed the North Down Way, soon descending to the county town to tick off two more Wetherspoons.
Walk 14: July 7, 2023, The West Gate Inn (Canterbury) to The County Hotel (Ashford) 19.5 miles.
This – the longest walk of the challenge – required a stop in Wye.
“Navigating the Stour Valley Path seemed like a good idea, especially as it passes the quaint village of Wye, six miles from the destination and perfect for a well-earned break,” Chris said.
“Luckily for the other customers at The County Hotel, we were able to sit outside, because we needed a shower and a change of clothes!”
Walk 15: August 12, 2023, The Golden Hope (Sittingbourne) to The Belle and Lion (Sheerness) 12.2 miles.
By this stage of the challenge, the group found the distance to be a stroll in the park as they made their way from Saxon Shore Way to the Kingsferry Bridge.
After passing under the Sheppey Crossing, they walked via Queenborough to Sheerness, where they quenched their thirst.
Walking under the Dartford Crossing was an ‘unusual experience’ for the group
Walk 16: February 12, 2024, The Muggleton Inn (Maidstone) to The Humphrey Bean (Tonbridge) 16.6 miles.
Two new members joined for this stretch, following the Medway Valley Walk to Tonbridge.
“This one certainly stood out for me as the trip coincided with a beer festival at the local rugby club, which led to a long train journey home,” Chris said.
“A pub called the Nelson Arms is also worth mentioning because we’re all real ale drinkers, which was fantastic.”
Walk 17: April 13, 2024, The Flying Boat (Dartford) to The Sennockian (Sevenoaks) 17.9 miles.
A return to Dartford was on the cards for the next leg as the crew navigated the Darenth Valley Path to their destination.
The station in Sevenoaks was, thankfully, downhill as it was the furthest away from a Wetherspoons in the challenge.
Walk 18: June 8, 2024, The Humphrey Bean (Tonbridge) to Opera House (Tunbridge Wells) 10.1 miles.
A train link from Rainham to Tonbridge wasn’t the easiest to navigate on this section of the voyage.
Although they were under five miles apart as the crow flies, the winding, hilly footpaths doubled the group’s journey.
Tonbridge to Tunbridge Wells proved to be a longer walk than the crew expectedThe ‘stunning’ Opera House Wetherspoon pub in Tunbridge Wells was a real highlight
“This section stands out to me because when you think of the driving route, it’s not actually that far,” said Chris.
“But where we followed footpaths, it takes you quite a roundabout way. Yet it was well worth the effort with some lovely views of the countryside en route.”
Walk 19: June 27, 2024, The Golden Lion (Rochester) to The Thomas Waghorn (Chatham) 1.1 miles
The final leg of the challenge took the team back to a pub they previously missed out on, The Thomas Waghorn.
Clocking in at just over a mile, it was the shortest walk of the entire trip and only the second to be done in the evening.
Still, they could finally say their mission had been accomplished on a jubilant Thursday night.
So after 23 Wetherspoons, 19 walks, and 230 miles, the challenge was completed, but which pub took the crown as the best in Kent?
“The Railway in Rainham is the best Wetherspoons in Kent,” said Chris.
“It’s our local and the real ale range and quality is possibly the best.
After missing out the first time around, The Thomas Waghorn was awarded the honour of ending the Wetherspoon walking challenge23 pubs were conquered in 19 walks totalling 230 miles
“Almost all walks started here, and it’s literally a stone’s throw from the station platform. We are very lucky.”
But what’s next for Chris after ticking off this Kent challenge?
“I’d like to carry on into London and do Dartford to Woolwich and then Woolwich to Greenwich,” he said.
“But I couldn’t do all the pubs in London. There are hundreds.”