Orchards and Elephants: YHA Canterbury, Kent . 10 mile circular walk.

A wild circular wellbeing and storytelling walk through woodlands, open fields, and orchards to the south of the City of Canterbury. Join Michael, a North Downs Way and GeoPark Ambassador for this beautiful walk as part of the YHA festival of walking. More details of the festival can be found here. https://www.yha.org.uk/experience/social-walk-yha-canterbury This family friendly and leisurely paced walk, will start and end at Canterbury Youth Hostel, where refreshments will be available before and on our return. It’s free to sign up for this event, however we are encouraging participants to make a voluntary donation to support our Breaks Programme, helping groups of young people and families facing challenging circumstances to access life-changing adventures in our hostels. The walk will meander its way through woodlands, orchards, and wild and beautiful Kent countryside, walking via a footpath that intersects a zoo, where it's very common to be able to view African Elephants and other animals before returning via a section of the North Downs Way. This walk will feature: Information about the North Downs Way, the Kent Downs and its Ambassadors. Folklore, legends and myths, of trees, flora and fauna. Stories about the horrible and not so horrible histories of the countryside. Walk distance: 10 miles, with regular stops. Parking: Very limited parking is available at the hostel and cannot be guaranteed. Free Parking is available in nearby streets. Closest railway stations: Canterbury East (0.9 miles), Canterbury West. (1.3 miles) Buses: Canterbury Bus Station (0.7 miles) Bus services on Saturday can be infrequent or not run at all from some areas of Kent. Grazing animals are unlikely to be found on route, however this cannot be guaranteed. Please bring refreshments and food / packed lunch suitable for a 10 mile walk. Please send a message if you have any questions. Website: https:www.walkwild.net Walk Q and As: What age range is the walk suitable for? All ages welcome. All children under 18 to be accompanied by an adult. Stiles on route? Yes Dogs on leads welcome, however they are not allowed (unless an assistance dog) into internal buildings. Suitable for pushchairs - No Suitable for mobility scooters - No Refreshments available – At YHA - none on route. Please bring at least 5 litres of water. Toilets along route – No (Available at Canterbury Youth Hostel at beginning and end of walk) Take a packed lunch - Yes Linear walk - No Circular walk - Yes Family friendly - Yes Takes in scenery - Yes Takes in woodland - Yes There are stiles on the route – Yes There are steps on route - Yes Clothing: Please wear suitable clothing for the weather on the day, we will be walking through fields. Sturdy boots or walking shoes are recommended as it could be slippery in places underfoot. Photography: Photographs will be taken and may be used within a follow up report or future marketing. If you do not want to be part of these please state this before the walk departs. Medication: Please let a leader know if you need to take any medications during the walk. There will be regular stops but if you require to take these at a particular time we can make a stop to do so. Religious Breaks: If you need to stop for a prayer or other religious practice break, please let a leader know and we will respect your needs for these. Other challenging medical conditions including mental health: Please let me know if you might need a time out, or prefer to walk apart, or need to stay close to myself or a support walker. I have worked in mental health for over 10 years and understand how participation in an activity like this can cause anxiety and overwhelm. All information will be kept in strict confidence, and if you need a conversation prior to and following this event, this can be arranged. This walk is covered by comprehensive liability insurance, supplied by RIPE Insurance. A trained first aider with full first aid kit will be present throughout. This is a small group walk, however if you would like a one to one or smaller group walk and talk session, either at this location or somewhere more convenient to you, I currently have 3 spaces available at 25% off for enquiries made through Eventbrite. Refunds: As this is a walk raising funds for charity, no refunds will be given. Any further questions, please contact me via the contact form on my website www.walkwild.net or send a question from this page. I look forward to walking with you. Michael WalkWild Wellbeing - Wellbeing Without Walls