Foraging and walking on the way to the Sportsman pub in Seasalter

Red and white valerian growing wild on the shingle beach at Seasalter on the north Kent coast near Whitstable, Kent. Photograph: Kentish Dweller/Alamy

It takes over an hour to walk from Whitstable to the Sportsman, our pub in Seasalter on the north Kent coast, but we always say to allow a bit longer. It’s possible in less time but you don’t want to be running at the end and turning up at the restaurant red-faced.

Taking a more leisurely approach means you can make a few stops along the way. From the station (an hour and 15 minutes by train from St Pancras), walk down Cromwell Road and turn right onto Oxford Street, where you’ll find Grain and Hearth. This bakery serves amazing croissants and really good coffee – fuel for the walk ahead.