Discover the Pleasures of Horse Riding in Kent

The Wye and Crundale Rides will enable you to explore on horseback, the downland and woodland on the North Downs to the east of the Stour Valley. The circular rides lie to the east of the A28 between Canterbury and Ashford. The riding routes comprise two short and four long loops which can be combined in any way to provide a long distance ride of up to 17 miles of approximately 4 and a quarter hours duration and within the capabilities of any horse which is ridden regularly. The routes utilise bridleways, byways and sections of quiet minor roads. We urge you to take special care on the narrow, twisting lanes.

Kent Downs - Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

The riding routes are wholly within the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which forms part of a great arc of designated landscape stretching through East Hampshire, Surrey and Kent to the White Cliffs at Dover. The chalk grasslands of the Wye and Crundale Downs, which comprise a ridge and characteristic dip slope and dry valleys, are of high ecological value.

North Downs Way

Designated as a National Trail, the North Downs Way runs for 140 miles from Farnham in Surrey to Dover in Kent. The route along the escarpment avoids exposed ridges but at the same time offers good views of the patchwork of fields and villages of the Weald. The Way passes through large expanses of deciduous woodland. A section of the Wye and Crundale Rides coincides with the North Downs Way along the top of Wye Downs. Unlike the South Downs Way, the North Downs Way, as a whole, only has short sections suitable for bridleway use. The Way runs parallel or concurrent with the Pilgrims’ Way, an ancient trackway.

Bridleways are a valuable recreational resource and a part of Kent's countryside heritage. They are public rights of way but KCC reinforces the need for responsible use and consideration and respect for neighbours and landowners.

Acknowledgements

The Wye and Crundale Rides have been developed by Kent County Council with the support, co-operation and assistance of District and Parish Councils, the British Horse Society, landowners and farmers, Kent Trust for Nature Conservation and local riders.

Extract from: Horse Riding in Kent - Wye & Crundale Rides