|
Post by curls on Jun 9, 2010 7:12:38 GMT
Hi, anyone know this evening's route pls?
|
|
|
Post by paulh66 on Jun 9, 2010 8:18:52 GMT
Here is tonight's route - maps will be available at the club.
Maidstone Harriers Summer Run – 9th June 2010 Loose and Coxheath
Main run: approximately 7.5 miles
Turn left out of the hockey club, then left at the roundabout onto Postley Road. Turn right onto Forest Hill. At the junction with Newchurch Road, continue ahead on the footpath (leaving gardens to the right, then through woodlands).
In the woods, turn left onto an unmarked footpath at the big oak (run past the fallen tree), and continue bearing left. Continue on the main footpath down the valley leaving the mill ruins and ponds on your right. At the road turn left.
At the first road junction turn right (Bockingford Lane), and after crossing the stream turn left onto the tarmac track (signposted Great Ivy). Continue on the way marked footpath bearing left. Keep ahead on footpath – in the open meadow keep to the right. At the end of the meadow continue ahead across the stile (following the right hand of the two paths). After crossing the next stile, bear left between the hedges/thickets. Continue ahead across the field towards the kissing gate, and turn left up the unmade track once through the gate.
At the junction with the footpath turn right onto the unmade track and then continue up Church Street. At the T-junction with High Banks continue ahead up the foot steps and along the footpath. At the farm building continue ahead on tarmac. Follow the fence on your right, and follow this across the grass, continuing ahead through the (small) gap in the hedge. Continue ahead along the edge of the orchard, leaving the hedge on your right. Continue ahead on the footpath through the trees. At the footpath crossroads continue ahead.
(START OF SHORT RUN – the short run cuts out the furthest loop of the run. At the footpath crossroads turn right. At the road turn left. At the T-junction turn right onto Stockett Lane, and continue on the main run, as indicated below.)
MAIN RUN. At Heath Road turn right. Turn left onto the footpath beyond Vanity Lane, and before the 40 mph sign. Continue ahead through the orchard, and at the hedge turn right. At the junction with an unmade track turn left onto the footpath through the trees. Continue ahead, leaving the “football pitch” and polytunnels on your right. At footpath crossroads turn right onto the Greensand Way. At road, turn right and continue to Heath Road. Cross Heath Road and continue up Stockett Lane.
SHORT RUN REJOINS MAIN RUN.
Continue up Stockett Lane. At the T-junction turn left onto Busbridge Road. Take the first road on the right (Bockingford Lane). Turn right at the T-junction and continue ahead until the memorial bench on the left. Turn left on to the footpath, continueing left at the top, and continue ahead along a tarmac track and then Postley Road Turn right at the roundabout onto Armstrong Road, and back to the hockey club.
|
|
|
Post by David H on Jun 9, 2010 13:25:11 GMT
Hi Paul,
Looking at the route, runners will have to be very careful coming down Stockett Lane as it is narrow, winding and cars use it as a rat run - main reason I never used that stretch in my routes. It's OK on weekends early in the morning as you can hear stuff coming.
Also remember there are no street lights down Stockett Lane so slower runners may wish to turn toward Linton Crossroads when they reach Heath Road either the 1st or 2nd opportunity
David
|
|
|
Post by Sir Cowarde de Custarde on Jun 9, 2010 18:35:22 GMT
Sounds like a nice route, although perhaps, bearing David's comment in mind, if you run it the other way round the members would be closer together at the start (with cars starting to realize there are runners around), and it should also be a bit lighter (though how you can not see a stream of runners in fluorescent yellow beats me).
|
|
|
Post by mrtivoliblue on Jun 10, 2010 18:26:39 GMT
Since the AGM i have noticed quit a change in the club particularly with the Wednesday routes. The new routes we are doing are getting far to complicated. Many are now having to take the maps and hope they don't get lost. i for one have lived around Maidstone all my life and even i and not sure where to go. the Club members who do not live around this part don't have a chance. It's getting more like an orienteering evening. We all like to have new routes to make a bit of a change but they must be simple and easy to remember particulary if we are going to go off road. There should only be about 10 to 20% off road in one route because of the lack of landmarks or way points. Some of the proposed routes have also used some dangerours country roads namely Dean Street and parts of Stockett lane. Prospective new members are not going to stay with us if they turn up for the first time and see the routes. The time of year and route underfoot should also be considered with many of the footpaths becoming overgrown and rough footpaths can lead to unwanted injury. I got badly stung and scratched last night. Route instructions must be simple but concise giving street names or good easy to see landmarks at all times I would also like to see the route published a day or two before so that i can decided whether to run to the club or drive. It also helps me to study a new route and memorise it so i don't have to drag a map round and keep stopping. Let make the running fun again.
|
|
|
Post by paulh66 on Jun 10, 2010 18:40:20 GMT
I don't know that they are necessarily more complicated, it's more a case of they're just new. I don't think they are any more complicated than the old routes, it's just we'd been running them for several years and knew them well. I'm sure once we've been through these a couple of times we'll be fine with them.
Personally I enjoy going off-road as much as possible in the summer. There's some lovely countryside around Maidstone and it's nice to see some if it. Good point about Dean Street/Stockett Lane though, I think we should look at tweaking the routes to cut down on those kind of lanes.
Be good to get some more feedback from other Harriers on this subject.
|
|
|
Post by mrtivoliblue on Jun 10, 2010 20:06:14 GMT
I don't think you ran last night. There were many people going the wrong way and having to wait for others. I do like to run off road too but some of the paths last night were either very overgrown or rough. i got stung and scratched.and almost twisted my ankle. I do agree that they can be learnt after running them a couple of times but the instructions must be concise and easy for the newcomers. Mistakes like turning left into Busbridge Road, running up Stockett Lane? which way is up? makes it all the more difficult for the newbys.
|
|
|
Post by paulh66 on Jun 10, 2010 21:45:41 GMT
I did run last night, and I've got the scratches and nettle stings to prove it ;D Actually I do agree that the written directions could be a bit clearer. I didn't go wrong last night, but I have done on a couple of the recent new routes
The two bits I recall as being a bit rough and overgrown were the stretch through the Loose Valley, and the last section back onto Postley Road, and I'm pretty sure they've featured in routes before this year, so they aren't new to everyone.
|
|
|
Post by mrtivoliblue on Jun 11, 2010 18:56:12 GMT
I do apologise, old age. Yes those bits have been run before but earlier in the summer season when they have not been so overgrown. when these perts of routes are merged with new sections that are off road and dificult to navigate through lack of landmarks is when the problem occurs. I didn't go wrong either ( i think ) but there were alot of people around me waiting at junctions for directions. So you have gone wrong on new routes. Point made Kiss and make up next week lol.xx
|
|
|
Post by Bony Peter on Jun 12, 2010 5:51:56 GMT
Hi Loose Valley, and Postley Road have been route we have used for many years in the summer time. But I agree the new routes discretion are more complicated and tended not to include road names that old one,s had, and the new map are not much help.
|
|
|
Post by paulh66 on Jun 12, 2010 13:39:48 GMT
. So you have gone wrong on new routes. Point made Kiss and make up next week lol.xx If you insist lol ;D Although I did get lost it probably wouldn't have happened if I'd paid a little bit attention to the map and the directions...was too busy talking at the time!
|
|
|
Post by paulh66 on Jun 16, 2010 8:35:06 GMT
Maidstone Harriers Summer Run – 17th June 2010
Langley and Sutton Road
Main run: approximately 7.4 miles
Turn right out of the hockey club. Turn right into South Park, and continue until Loose Road. At the Wheatsheaf take the left fork (Sutton Road), then the immediate right onto Pheasant Lane. Take the first footpath (way marked) on the left which follows the wall of the cemetery. Follow the footpath ahead past New Line Learning on footpath between trees and a hedge. At the footpath crossroads, continue ahead. At the kissing gate continue ahead over the stile and along the tarmac track.
At the junction with the roads, turn left along the lane. At the T junction turn right. At the junction of Old Tree Lane and The Quarries turn left onto the way marked bridleway. At the crossroads with a road continue ahead on the footpath. At the footpath junction continue ahead (leaving the polytunnels visible in the distance through the trees on your right).
Follow the path as it bears left immediately before the “dip” (under the telegraph line). At the tree in the middle of the path turn left and follow the footpath into the meadow. Turn right at the footpath junction in the meadow. At the junction with the road turn right. START OF SHORT RUN – SEE BELOW
Continue on this road past Mount Pleasant Farm. At the bottom of the hill turn left immediately before the bridge onto a footpath, bearing right at the fork. Turn left through a gap between two posts and continue along a narrow footpath leaving the fence on your left. Follow the footpath right over a bridge and go over the stile into the field. Turn left and follow the field boundary. Hop over the (brown) gate, and continue ahead on the footpath, leaving “Langley Loch” on your left. At the unmade track turn left. Then immediately right onto a footpath, leaving the pond on your left.
At the footpath junction turn left over the bridge, and continue ahead through the gap in the hedge to the right of the tree. Turn left and follow the field boundary. Continue on the footpath into the neighbouring field, and continue ahead, leaving the caravans and agricultural building on your left. Head for the white gates, and cross the stile. Turn left onto Sutton Road (there is a footpath on the other side of the road), and follow the road back to HQ.
SHORT RUN – the short run cuts out the furthest loop of the run. Turn left at the road onto Brishing Road. At the T – junction turn right (effectively continuing ahead). Continue to the roundabout, and take the right hand exit onto Brishing Lane. At the second roundabout take the first exit. Continue on Wallis Avenue to Sutton Road, then turn left and follow the road back to HQ. Approximately 4 miles.
|
|
|
Post by myjointshurt on Jun 16, 2010 11:56:36 GMT
If you get to Sutton Valence you have gone wrong!!Lol. Hope there is a map.
|
|
|
Post by jaffacake on Jun 16, 2010 14:42:58 GMT
Looking forward to the winter...back on the roads.
|
|
|
Post by myjointshurt on Jun 16, 2010 14:55:42 GMT
I do prefer off-road however you need to concentrate on these new summer routes.
|
|