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Cooling Castle Gatehouse – Rochester Cathedral loop from Maidstone East

Cooling Castle Gatehouse – Rochester Cathedral loop from Maidstone East

Moderate

riders

Cooling Castle Gatehouse – Rochester Cathedral loop from Maidstone East

03:30

77.3km

660m

Road cycling

Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Some segments of this route may be unpaved and difficult to ride. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: August 23, 2026

Tips

The surface for a segment of your route may not be suitable

Some segments of your route comprise a surface that may not be suitable for your chosen sport.

After 61.4 km for 236 m

Waypoints

Start point

Train Station

Get Directions

18.3 km

Rochester Bridge and Castle

Highlight • Historical Site

Full gas

Tip by

30.3 km

Rye Street and Common Lane

Highlight (Segment) • Trail

A quiet road round the back of Cliffe. Might have to share it with a horse occasionally but I've only ever seen one car on this road.

Tip by

33.1 km

Cooling Castle Gatehouse

Highlight • Monument

Cooling castle is a 14th century quadrangle castle, built to defend french raids on the Thames estuary.

Tip by

35.5 km

Buckholt Lane Climb

Highlight • Climb

Nice climb and nice views of the river Thames

Tip by

60.5 km

Black Widow Submarine (U-475) on the River Medway

Highlight • Monument

The "Black Widow" is ex Russian Foxtrot B-39 (U 475) Hunter Killer Class Submarine, which is moored on the River Medway, close to the Rochester Bridge. It was built in 1967 and was in commission until 1994. When fully armed it could hold 22 Torpedo's including 2 with low yield nuclear warheads.
medwaylines.com/blackwidowsubmarine.html

Tip by

61.4 km

View of Rochester Castle and Cathedral from Castle Hill

Highlight • Historical Site

Rochester is a great town for sightseeing and cafe stops, a must visit on a ride from London to Kent (or back). Castle Hill is one of the highlights, with a great view of the castle and the cathedral.

Tip by

61.5 km

Rochester Cathedral

Highlight • Monument

Rochester Cathedral was founded in 604 AD and is the second oldest cathedral in England, after Canterbury Cathedral. The building you see today broadly dates from the 11th century. Inside, you can see a fine collection of medieval wall paintings and the Textus Roffensis, the only existing written copy of the first code of English law and one of the most important books in England.

Tip by

64.6 km

Burham Road Climb

Highlight (Segment) • Viewpoint

Great climb, normally quite Lane and great views of the river Medway at the top.

Tip by

77.3 km

End point

Train Station

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

55.0 km

11.2 km

6.98 km

3.83 km

285 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

64.0 km

12.9 km

292 m

187 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (80 m)

Lowest point (0 m)

Weather

Friday 28 August

21°C

16°C

98 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 29.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

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Cooling Castle Gatehouse – Rochester Cathedral loop from Maidstone East

Rochester Bridge and Castle

Rye Street and Common Lane

Cooling Castle Gatehouse

Buckholt Lane Climb

Black Widow Submarine (U-475) on the River Medway

View of Rochester Castle and Cathedral from Castle Hill

Rochester Cathedral

Burham Road Climb

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