Cobbled climbs in Kent?

Smirf

Hi, as part of an upcoming work charity ride to Luxembourg, for the London to Dover leg I am trying to find a couple of Flanders-Esque cobbled climbs that we can go via - could be on the way out of London too

Route would be more like the northern side of Kent, maybe Rochester way?

Random question I know, but if anyone knows of any then I would be grateful!!

term1te

I don't know of any cobbled climbs, but the roads in Kent are so bad they may as well be cobbled. I went up York Hill last year, famous for the Catford CC hill climb, the road was so rough it made Belgian pavé look like finest velodrome pine.

Smirf

Ha. Yes I know those roads well as part of my usual weekend rides. And they can be patchy at best!!

ugo.santalucia

Rye has a pretty vicious cobbled climb... technically it is East Sussex, but close enough to Kent. It's steep and very bumpy... it's more round stones than belgian cobbles

Mr _Tibbs

Smirf wrote:

Hi, as part of an upcoming work charity ride to Luxembourg, for the London to Dover leg I am trying to find a couple of Flanders-Esque cobbled climbs that we can go via - could be on the way out of London too

Route would be more like the northern side of Kent, maybe Rochester way?

Random question I know, but if anyone knows of any then I would be grateful!!

I am imagining the route you will take will run along the river to Gravesend, which is flat as a pancake as rivers don't do hills, naturally anyway. If you lean right at Greenwich you can climb crooms hill at the side of Greenwich park. It's not quite a berg but it's fairly steep with speed humps...sort of. Further along on the road out of Rochester to sittingbourne there is a long climb up to the old A2 but it's neither cobbled nor berg steep either. The route from london to Dover is fairly lumpy but not Flanders style of short sharp, cobbled lumps. Yorks hill is a great idea but is likely to be way off route.

Sorry, I know the area and your route pretty well and I'm drawing a blank.

meanredspider

I can't think of anything. Canterbury, itself, doesn't have any hills in the old bit. Anything at Dover Castle? Rochester keep?

Personally I'd get through Kent ASAP though I have some fond memories of camping at places like Chilham and Ealham on a bike as a kid

bungle73

meanredspider wrote:

I can't think of anything. Canterbury, itself, doesn't have any hills in the old bit. Anything at Dover Castle? Rochester keep?

Personally I'd get through Kent ASAP though I have some fond memories of camping at places like Chilham and Ealham on a bike as a kid

Whats wrong with Kent? There's some lovely cycling to be had. I know of a few steep climbs up the North Downs too, but sadly none of them are cobbled.

BTW hell would freeze over before I would spend on length of time on my bike on the A2.

meanredspider

Nothing wrong with Kent: born there, spent a lot of my childhood there, worked there and cycled a lot there. Just, if I was looking for Flanders-style riding, I wouldn't hang around in Kent.

motogull

Smirf, meanredspider might have been right to call Rochester. If you look for Boley Hill on strava you will find what might be the closest thing to what you are looking for. I've not been there myself but might pay a visit. Possibly block paved though and neither very steep nor long so might not be worth diverting there. Rochester/Strood etc are a pretty terrible place to ride through unless you get there early or late.

meanredspider

Yes - the area around the castle is cobbles though quite smooth judging by Google Streetview

motogull

I would recommend the Pilgrims Way to anyone doing London to Dover with a warning to plan. Some sections are not for road bikes.

Smirf

Yep. Was hoping there was something in Rochester or Canterbury. Will check that bit out

Ugh: great find but probably a bit out of the way as we have to get a ferry that afternoon as we are doing another 30km to St Omer that evening. Maybe there are some bergs between Calais and there!!

Smirf

Just checked out Boley Hill. It's bang on the route so has to be done! Good call. Agree it looks a bit smooth to be called cobbles, but seeing day 2 goes via 15 Roubaix sectors we can be allowed some grace

motogull

Right ho Smirf, I had a recce this morning. Despite looking smooth it is a bit of a bone shaker, but it is pretty/very shallow and short. Historic Rochester is lovely though.

Smirf

Motogull wrote:

Right ho Smirf, I had a recce this morning. Despite looking smooth it is a bit of a bone shaker, but it is pretty/very shallow and short. Historic Rochester is lovely though.

Sounds perfect :twisted:

rolf_f

Just get some cyclocross tyres and cut alternate knobbles off. Every hill you go up will feel like it's cobbled then!

Mallinov3

You can't get more flanders like than east Kent! Especially round folkestone...largely flat then hit the north downs/cliffs...the old high street in folkestone is pretty much as close to the koppenberg as you can get...just watch out for pedestrians!