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4 Upnor Walks & Scenic Routes

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Upnor is a beautiful, small village with ample walking routes within the village and beyond.

Here are some of our favourite Upnor walks, their distances and difficulty, along with walking route maps and extra details to make the most of your time out in Upnor.

1. Saxon Shore Way Walk – A small section of a big classic

At a glance

Directions

Start your walk just outside the doors to Upnor Castle (well worth a visit) and walk the length of the High Street in Upper Upnor. Turning right at Upchat Road, follow this all the way to Upnor Road and continue through the village.

You’ll pass The Pier (the final pub in Upnor) and the once thriving Aretheusa Venture Centre (now closed). Eventually you’ll join onto Upnor Beach and walk pass the clubhouse and launch points for the Upnor Sailing Club.

When on the beach, keep an eye out for Upnor jellyfish! While they aren’t typically dangerous, it’s helpful to avoid stepping on them when they wash up on the beach.

Continue on the beach and eventually you’ll follow the footpath through Hoo Ness Boat Yard, then the signs for the Saxon Shore Way.

This area is full of history but could be easy to miss! Once you arrive at the last of the warehouses, you’ll find a graveyard for Thames barges. If you look to the right across the water, you’ll see the ruins of Hoo Fort.

When you find that the path begins to split, head inland and you’ll reach the southern edge of Hoo St. Werburgh. Joining up the Saxon Shore Way again, you’ll walk through open fields before a steep descent through woodland. Eventually, you’ll return to Upnor Road in Lower Upnor. You can then retrace your steps back to Upper Upnor and finally finishing at Upnor Castle.

Special thanks to Countryfile for their inspiration on this walk!

2. Upnor Loop – A short stroll

At a glance

  • Distance: 2.6 km
  • Time: About 30 minutes
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Recommend parking at the free car park at the end of Lower Upnor

The Upnor Loop is great when you want to get out of the house but don’t want an extensive walk. This loop is ideal for those who live in Upnor as well, as it can be started from your home and looped back in the end.

If your visiting Upnor, it’s best to park at the free car par at the bottom of Lower Upnor, near the Upnor Sailing Club.

Directions

When leaving the car park in Lower Upnor, turn right and join up on Upnor Road. You’ll pass Upnor’s post box on your left, just across the street from The Pier. Follow this all the way through Lower Upnor, past both pubs.

As the road begins to curve, there is a secret pathway on your left with stairs. Following this shaded path gets you into Upper Upnor without having to walk on the road.

When this pathway ends cross the road back onto Upnor Road. You’ll walk past the free car park in Upper Upnor on your left. Keep right while you follow Upnor Road back into the village.

You’ll pass Upnor Church on your left and then retrace your steps back through Lower Upnor to the car park at the end of the village.

upnor walks 1
There’s beautiful scenery on Upnor walks!

3. The Kings Arms Circuit – Great views

At a glance

  • Distance: 4 km
  • Time: About 50 minutes
  • Difficulty: Moderate, steep ascent and descent but great views
  • Recommend parking at the free car park in Upper Upnor, right beside your starting point

Directions

Starting from the Kings Arms pub in Upper Upnor, walk away from the pub on Upchat Road. You’ll soon see a dirt footpath on your right that you’ll take through a wooded area.

Staying on this path will take you down some steps onto Upnor Road in Lower Upnor. Continue walking down Upnor Road until you reach a stone pillar. Turning left will take you past the Arethusa Venture Centre and when that turns to the left, take the tarmac footpath ahead which goes uphill.

You’ll then take the right hand path at the three-way fork and follow the path until you reach the road.

Next, go through the gateway on your lefthand side and into a parking area. Follow the top of the field and at the end you’ll want to turn right. You’ll find a gap in the hedge to get through and then walk past the play area. 

When you get to the main road, walk for about 200 yards before turning left for 100 yards onto a smaller road.

At the end of the road, go through the wooden gate on the right and follow the path as it goes down the hill.

At the T-junction with another path, turn left and follow this path for 400 yards parallel to the road. When it reaches the road turn left for 100 yards. Walking right, up the step at the footpath sign just past Normandie House on the right, follow the path back up to Upper Upnor.

You’ll end up back at the Kings Arms and perhaps grab a pint to celebrate such a great walk!

4. Frindsbury Extra Walk – A local circular

At a glance

  • Distance: 6.8 km
  • Time: About 2.5 hours
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Recommend parking depends on where you wish to start this loop

This walk is circular and can be started and finished at any point, depending on where you live or park. For something different, try starting this walk in Frindsbury on Cooling Road at the junction with Hilltop Road.

Walk down Cooling Road to the junction with Hollywood Lane where you’ll turn left and immediately right onto Lower Rochester Road. Continue over the by-pass flyover and take footpath No. 118 on the right. When the footpath widens follow the paved path to Higham Road.

Cross the road and continue straight ahead to another road and turn right. After you come across the pond, turn left onto the military road. After about 50 yards cross the wooden footbridge on the right and go over the stile.

Follow the left hand side of the field until you reach another stile. Go over the stile and turn right then follow the edge of the field to Four Elms Hill. Carefully cross Four Elms Hill, turn left and shortly take the footpath on the right.

Follow the footpath across the field exiting onto Upchat Road which you’ll cross and follow the footpath through woods, running parallel with the road. On reaching the road, turn left.

Go up the steps and follow path into Upper Upnor passing Upper Castle House gates. Continue straight on then turn left at The Kings Arms and the beginning of the High St. Go down the cobbled street and at the bottom admire the views of the River Medway.

Turn right and take the path along the river edge, it then bears right and follows a high fence. Eventually, cross Anthony’s Way at the crossing and follow the footpath. At the next road turn left and take the footpath next to the Tithe Barn entrance. At the end turn right and follow the fence around two sides of the quarry.

When the quarry fence bears left by a way marker go straight ahead onto Frindsbury Hill. Cross the road and take the footpath opposite, cross another road and continue straight ahead into Hilltop Road. Turn left and follow the road back to Cooling Road to complete the loop.

Special thanks to Robert Taylor for this wonderful walk suggestion!

Upnor walks near Upnor Castle

Upnor is a small village, so nearly all Upnor walks are technically also walks near Upnor Castle.

Still not sure which walk to try? The best thing is head out to Upnor and start walking!

Still looking for more in Upnor?

Have you done some Upnor walks but want more? If you’re looking for something else to do in Upnor (or near Upnor) make sure to check out our article: What to do in Upnor (as told by locals)! We’ve compiled our favourite things to do in our village, plus some activities nearby that we would recommend.

Upnor Sailing Club & why you should join

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For a quiet and quant area, the Upnor Sailing Club is a bustling part of this village. Here’s what you need to know about the Upnor Sailing Club and why you should check it out.

Sailing from Upnor

At the end of Lower Upnor, you’ll find the Upnor Sailing Club tucked away along the banks of the Medway River. First started in the 1960’s, this friendly club has developed into an active part of the community.

If you’ve ever wandered through Upnor, or visited Upnor Beach on a sunny day, you would have seen numerous boats along the Medway River. Upnor is a great launching spot and is easily a favourite summertime hobby in the area.

The club organises a cruising programme each year for any members who want to sail with others along the east coast. Some trips even go across the channel for more experienced sailors. The trips are organised by volunteers in the club that work to include boats of all sizes and members of all skill levels.

Upnor Sailing Club facilities

Currently there are 86 sheltered moorings on the Medway close to Chatham Historic Dockyard.

The club website adds that: “We access these from our private pontoon from which we launch dinghies and bring our yachts alongside for loading and unloading. This facility also incorporates a dinghy and tender storage area and two scrubbing docks.”

The sailing clubhouse also has a welcoming clubroom, bar, balcony toilets, showers and a secure car park with storage and workshops.

​While many people don’t know about Upnor or its sailing club, it’s situated in a perfect spot to launch along the River Medway.

Getting to the Upnor Sailing Club

When using a Sat Nav, plug in the post code “ME2 4UY” to find the club. It’s located at the very end of Lower Upnor and can be tricky to find the first time.

A good indicator that you’re going in the right direction is going past the Pier pub and the closed down Arethusea Venture Centre in Lower Upnor. There is also a free car park in Lower Upnor, directly in front of the club.

​Upnor Sailing Club membership prices

Intersted in trying out the club? Below are the sailing club membership prices and fees listed currently on their website.

​Joining Fee£140
Joining Fee – Junior£44
Subs – Full Member£173
Subs – Family Member£259
Subs – Crewing Member£35
Subs – Veteran Member of 20 yrs£87
Subs – Veteran Member of 10 yrs£155
Subs Veteran Family Members of 20 yrs£130
Subs Veteran Family Members of 10 yrs£233
Subs – Junior Member£45
Subs – Cadet Member£18

Additional fees include:

Dinghy Park Storage £25.00
Outboard Storage £25.00

Mooring Costs

For up-to-date mooring costs, make sure to check with the club first. Mooring Costs from 2019 were £340 to £380 depending on mooring length (35 to 55 feet). Cost includes maintenance and rental of mooring.

To join the Upnor Sailing Club, just input your details through their website and a member of the club will get in touch with you.

Why is the sailing club important to Upnor?

Not only does the sailing club offer the obvious possibility to sailing from Upnor, it’s also has a huge social element.

Throughout the year the club hosts a variety and range of events which are organised and planned by the social committee. These club-wide events include activities like parties, barbecues and even formal dinners. Club events are usually held in the off-season during the winter months when most members are not on cruises. So while you might be busy sailing throughout the summer, the Club still has activities and events throughout the winter to keep you busy.

Recent events included: a new members buffet, a summer BBQ, First Aid Training and an upcoming Christmas dinner party.

To keep in touch with the club, you can follow their social media updates on the Upnor Sailing Club Facebook page. Have questions? You can reach the club by calling 0800 8321317.

The history behind Upnor Church & its future

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While often referred to as Upnor Church, the church of St. Philip & St. James is a hidden gem found in Upnor village.

But what is actually available at this church? And what about its history? Here’s everything you need to know about the quiet and beautiful Upnor Church.

Upnor Church - St Philip and St James

All Saints & Upnor

St. Philip & St. James falls under the All Saints Frindsbury banner. The parish itself is actually on the outskirts of Strood, with the main church of All Saints looking over the Medway River.

All Saints Frindsbury draws its congregation primarily from Frindsbury and Wainscott while St. Philip and St James is in Upnor village and Bishop Gundulph church is at Chattenden. While technically there are three individual and unique churches, they are all organised and run by All Saints.

About the church

The ecclesiastical parish of Upnor split from Frindsbury in 1884 but was later reabsorbed in 1955. The parish church of St. Philip and St. James (1884) was designed by Ewan Christian and it is virtually unaltered today.

In 2020, the church has an electronic organ and PA system, along with toilet facilities and a moveable tea/coffee bar. Out front of the church is a small graveyard with a few car park spaces.

The current reverend at the church is Nicholas Cooper, who moves between all three churches.

Upnor Church events

The church has a handful of regularly scheduled events that anyone in the area can drop in on, depending on your needs and interest. All of these particular events and meetings take place at the church in Upnor. However, you could also check out additional events at All Saints Frindsbury.

Morning Worship

Morning Worship happens every first, third and fifth Sunday at 9 a.m. for about one hour.

Holy Communion

Holy Communion takes place every second and fourth Sunday at 9 a.m. for roughly one hour.

Up4It

Looking for something a bit different? Up4It happens at the church every second Saturday at 4 p.m. for one hour. This family-friendly worship experience is open to all and includes various crafts, music, activities and refreshments.

It’s a really great opportunity to meet others in the village, all while being creative and having fun.

UpChat Coffee Morning

Every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. the church hosts UpChat Coffee Morning. Each meeting lasts for about one hour and 30 mins and is a great place for parents with toddlers to get together for a chat and a coffee.

For such a small village, there are numerous weekly events and meetings at the church.

Visiting Upnor Church

The church has a few car parking space in front of the building, but these are often all in use during Sunday services. There is a free car park in Upper Upnor that can be used if necessary (and takes about a 8 minute walk from the car park to the church).

When driving, enter postcode ME2 4UX into your Sat Nav. St. Philip and St. James Church is often easily missed as it’s tucked behind some trees.

The church has wheelchair and pushchair access via a disabled ramp from the pavement at the front of the building.

Looking for a bite to eat afterwards? There are four beautiful and historic pubs in Upnor that are all open on Sundays. All four pubs are within reasonable walking distance from the church as well.

You can also visit Upnor Beach in Lower Upnor after your time at the church, which is about a 10 minute walk. While it’s not ideal for sun-bathing, it does offer wonderful views of the River Medway.

Want to give back to Upnor?

Just outside the free car park in Upper Upnor, there is the village notice board which holds details about upcoming events, meetings, litter-picking and groups in the area. If you’re looking to become more involved in the village, or back to help give back, the community notice board is a great place to check every once in awhile.

Covid-19 Update

Currently St. Philip & St. James is unable to hold in-person service, but have been posting resources for church members online. All Saints have been posting prayers every week along with order of services and notice sheets online to easily download.

What Happened to Arethusa Venture Centre?

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When we first moved to Upnor, we’d see kids from the Venture Centre out on the water in their kayaks almost every day, but recently we wondered why that’s no longer the case.

According to the charity that owns the centre, Shaftesbury Young People, Arethusa Venture Centre closed down in 2019 due to lower demand and decreasing margins for the services offered.

We spoke with a representative from Shaftesbury Young People who gave us some insight into why it was closed and we did some digging to find out more information about the closure and what’s planned to take its place.

Arethusa Venture Centre from the outside
Arethusa Venture Centre in Upnor

Arethusa Venture Centre’s Closure

Built in 1935, the Arethusa Venture Centre closed its doors for good in 2019, apparently without much warning, but after many slow months of bookings. The charity behind the centre called it quits with a public statement put out on their website which can be viewed here.

Frustratingly (at least for many residents and visitors to Upnor) the public toilets near Upnor Beach were owned by Arethusa and thus are no longer open or accessible which has led to a rash of public fouling.

With that said, some residents welcome the closure as it will bring new development to the area, and for the time-being has reduced traffic and noise.

Auction

There was an auction held by Frederick Andrews Ltd to sell all assets, fixtures and fittings the Arethusa centre owned to raise funds before the sale. 625 lots were listed by Frederick Andrews on easyliveauction.com with the majority sold. For those curious, you can view the items that were up for auction here.

Activities

Popular with schools and local thrill-seekers, the site offered kayaking, sailing, paddle boarding and plenty more both with equipment available for rent and with instruction or group classes for institutions like local schools and colleges.

The activity centre had grass pitches, an indoor activity hall, plenty of storage and a jetty to launch small and personal water-craft from, but all are now going unused.

Alternatives to Arethusa

For all of those left high and dry by Arethusa Venture Centre’s closing, we’ve collected the opinions from our more active friends to give you the best options for the water sports and activities that were previously offered by Arethusa.

Kayaking / Canoeing

Rock Climbing Walls

Swimming Pools

Orienteering Options

All the above have maps available for download from the British Orienteering website here.

What’s planned for the site

The site has been sold for development to an unnamed buyer, but we don’t anticipate much happening for several years. Planning permission on River Medway’s waterfront is notoriously hard to come by, and the listed status of the HMS Arethusa’s figurehead must be taken into account. If the Esquire development in Upper Upnor is any indication, any development plans that disrupt the local residents will be met with strong and vociferous opposition.

We’ll be contacting the previous owners, and looking at the land registry to find more information – if you want to know what we find, join our mailing list here!

HMS Arethusa Figurehead in Lower Upnor
HMS Arethusa Figurehead at Upnor

Arethusa Figurehead

In January of 2019, the figurehead from the ship Arethusa (from which the activity centre gets its name and stands outside of the centre’s main building) was designated as a Grade II listed structure and as such is guaranteed protection by the government and council. This means that while Arethusa’s buildings and land may change hands, the figurehead (and thus likely the cannons too) will stay put and protected.

Upnor Beach | Medway’s Secret Gem

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The village of Upnor lies on the banks of the river Medway and at low tide you’re able to walk along the shore all the way to Hoo Marina. While we suppose Upnor Beach technically is a beach we wouldn’t like to sunbathe there or try to build a sandcastle!

The views are pretty spectacular, but the river banks at Upnor are very muddy and stony which don’t make for a very fun time if you’re looking to do much else but enjoy the scenery.

Upnor beach at sunrise
Photograph by @rowesk

Read on to find our top tips for visiting the beach and what to do when you’re here!

The beach is accessible from Lower Upnor and is part of the Saxon Shore Way walking path that runs much of Kent’s coastline. Due to the tide times, however, the full path towards Hoo isn’t accessible for much of the day and requires good timing should you plan on walking to Hoo and back without getting some wet socks!

Upnor beach is 1.6km long before crossing its narrowest point at Cockham Wood Fort – a point which takes roughly 40 minutes to stroll to and back from the start of the path in Lower Upnor.

The only public toilets for miles have been shuttered with the recent closure of the Arethusa Adventure Centre, which owned the land and the toilets which were primarily used by those at the club who were kayaking on the water along Upnor Beach.

If you continue along the road in Lower Upnor, you’ll eventually come across the Upnor Sailing Club. These boats launch from Upnor Beach and sail along the River Medway and beyond.

There are several interesting spots along Upnor Beach which you should keep an eye out for should you walk along our little portion of Saxon Shore Way, including a military pillbox built in 1940 which sadly has slipped from it’s standing on the shoreline to the beach (but makes for an interesting photo). It’s a FW3/22 class box, built to protect the UK from a potential enemy invasion during World War II.

Pillbox at Upnor Beach, Saxon Shore Way
Photograph courtesy of Edenbridge Fragrances

Is Upnor Beach dog friendly?

Absolutely! The local pubs may not be (check our updated guide to Upnor’s pubs for the latest information there) but our dogs always have a great time dashing into the water and digging in the silt. We must warn you though that the beach is always muddy, so remember to bring towels for your four legged companions!

Is it recommended for families?

It’s a short walk from the car park, so while we would recommend it for families, it really is a walking beach rather than a pleasure beach. If you’re expecting to make sand castles and get the beach chairs out, you may be sorely disappointed.

Jellyfish in Upnor

You may spot a few jellyfish washed up on Upnor’s beach, especially if we have had a hot summer. These jellyfish are usually the size of a small plate with four rings inside their translucent body and sometimes can blend into the rocks on the beach.

If you want to learn more about Upnor’s jellyfish, make sure to read our article: Should I be worried about Jellyfish in Upnor?

Nearby Attractions

Close to the beach are two pubs, The Pier and The Ship — both serve food, along with Upnor Castle a further 10 minute walk away. The Elizabethan military castle is a fascinating piece of history and highly recommended to visit if you’re in the area. You can find more out about the castle and its history here.

Upnor Beach Parking

There is parking available at a public car park close to Medway Yacht Club, but it is only open for limited periods throughout the day and year for safety and to prevent anti-social behaviour. With the sale of the Arethusa Adventure Centre however, this may change in the future, we’ll keep this page updated with any changes.

Otherwise, there is a free car park in Upper Upnor with limited spaces. However, this means you’ll need to walk to Upnor Beach (about 15 minutes). In addition, there are occasionally spots on the street around Lower Upnor, especially during the day when most people have left the village for work.

When’s the best time to go?

That really depends on the tide, but with a little planning you can walk all the way to Hoo from Upnor with some great views of the Medway river and even the boat graveyard in Hoo.

Check the tide table below to learn more.

51.5, 0.6667

Upnor Esquire Development | The Good & the Bad

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Almost two years ago, when we were looking for a place to move to, my partner and I had in mind areas that were quiet and small with an old-school village vibe: a small community in a semi-rural area (ideally with a nice view). We found it in Upnor, but with news of the Esquire Developments in Upper Upnor we decided to take a look into the matter to see what would change about the village we love.

The planned Esquire Developments in Upnor
The planned Esquire Developments in Upnor

Esquire Developments is planning to build more than 70 new houses in Upper Upnor, with at least 19 ‘affordable’ housing for those with lower incomes. The development site will be behind Castle Street close to the Frog Island Pond and the Tennis Club.

With Upnor Road already busy and rather narrow (not to mention prone to flooding), it seems to us like there may not be adequate infrastructure to build, but plans are going ahead. Medway Council asked for objections to the site and received over 200 complaints from residents with (mostly) valid criticisms, which we’ve tallied up and detailed below.

Upnor Esquire Development complaints

To further understand the concerns we took to Facebook where there are numerous groups either dedicated to ‘Keeping Upnor Green’ or where the development is being discussed, and we scoured the Council’s complaints submissions to detail the most common (legitimate) negative feedback here:

  1. Unsustainable infrastructure: the roads are in poor condition as it is, and traffic around the roundabouts near Medway City Estate and Medway tunnel is often crippling (this is one we can agree with and attest to, the traffic here anywhere near rush hour or when there are car boot fairs is beyond horrific).
  2. The destruction of green field sites: while the land is not protected, resident’s feel part of Upnor’s charm is having the tiny village insulated from Medway City Estate and the busy A-roads by the small amounts of fields and meadows present.
  3. Negative impact on village life: Upnor’s ‘beach’ does get a fair number of tourists every weekend, there are boot fairs throughout the year that clog the roads, and huge littering issues already in Lower Upnor. What was originally a small sailing village is slowly becoming a destination for a day out and with it all of the negative aspects you’d expect: noise, littering, anti-social behaviour — all exceptionally egregious because there is no infrastructure to support it and very little help from the council with such matters. We do feel for those longer term Upnor residents who are seeing this change play out over years, and who may not have decided to move to the village if they knew about the growth of these issues.
  4. Change is bad: while we admit not all change is bad, a lot of the complaints we saw were from those who felt like they secured a special plot of land in an area that was very unlikely to change. Having it almost double the number of residents of Upper Upnor would no doubt change living in Upnor in several ways. We’re sure these complains were just worded poorly, or didn’t define the situation better, but we do acknowledge this is a popular opinion.
  5. A Medway Councillor that approved the development has a financial position in the company Esquire Developments: this does seem unusual, but we couldn’t find more information on what the financial interest was. Does his council pension fund have stock in Esquire or a local real estate index for example, or does he personally own shares? We’ve seen this repeated a lot but not much to substantiate it (if you do have more we’d love to update this, please use the contact form, or email us at hello@upnor.co.uk ).

With that said other residents are welcoming the development which especially thanks to the current health crisis has seen local businesses decimated. Even before the outbreak, local restaurant Powder and Magazine closed down from lack of trade due to the village being far enough out of the way and somewhat expensive for residents of Upnor. As part of the build, the Upper Upnor Esquire Development will increase the number of footpaths and public transport options will increase, and likely so too will the house prices in the area.

Upper Upnor Esquire Development Map with path routes and public transport

The whole area behind Castle street is currently fields, and while there are many more green and wooded areas surrounding and insulating Upnor, a number of more luxury-focused housing will certainly bring more attention and visitors to the small village. Upnor High St, for example, is a quaint historic road and hotspot for photographers and Instagrammers, and along with the castle and pubs, brings enough visitors to fit the car parks in the village every day.

We’re still collecting more information and will keep this post updated as we learn more. If you wanted to sign up to stay on top of the latest Upnor news including the Upnor Esquire Development do sign up to our mailing list — we email no more than once a month!

If you’re still wanting to move to the village, make sure to check out our article on finding Upnor houses for sale.