Medway Marvellous 200

203km cycling event starting from Higham Memorial Hall,ME3 7JL. Controls at Speedgate Cafe, Forest Row, Staplehurst and Memorial Hall, Higham., plus 2 information controls.

The Third running of this event which follows the River Medway from sea to source and riding through some of the finest scenery in Kent. Catering at the start and finish.

The event will start at Higham Memorial Hall This is about 30 miles East of London and is very close to the A2. The nearest train station is Higham. The organiser will let you start the event late if public transport is running late, provided you finish within the official end time. The Ride starts in the village of Higham and heads out on the Hoo Peninsular following the popular Heron Trail cycle route and passing the historic St James Church made famous in the opening scene of Great Expectations. it is worth stopping briefly to view the Graveyard: '....five little stone lozenges each about a foot and a half long which were arranged in a neat row ... and were sacred to the memory of five little brothers of mine....' The North Kent Marshes are one of the most important natural wetlands in Europe and riders are likely to see a variety of different birdlife whilst enjoying stunning panoramic views of the Thames and Medway estuaries. After heading back into Higham the ride enters the North Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and gets a lot hillier, but also much more wooded. A control at the popular Speedgate Riding Cafe provides ample opportunity for refreshments. Riders then drop down to the beautiful Darenth Valley passing through the villages of Eynsford and Shoreham before following the foot of the North Downs along the Pilgrims Way to Titsey. The next section goes over the Weald through small lanes crossing the Medway near its source at Forest Row, which offers ample opportunities for refreshments and then Eastwards to the South of Tunbridge Wells to the penultimate control in Staplehurst. This section is nicely varied, with lots of short climbs and descents, traditional villages and forests. Heading back towards the finish the section the next section is flat as it follows the River Beult a tributary of the Medway to Wateringbury. After climbing Red Hill riders reach the North Pole (A pub, not the Arctic) and are rewarded with a long downhill stretch to Aylesford where the River Medway is crossed again. The final section follows the Medway through the villages of Eccles and Burham before crossing the river again next to the M2. In the distance riders can see Rochester Castle and Cathedral and the Isle of Grain.