I‘m forging my way through thick vegetation atop a long-abandoned railway embankment outside Sevenoaks, using my bicycle to push through the brambles and nettles. My guide has ventured ahead into the dense underbrush. Although fields and distant landscapes surround us, they’re hidden from my view. I’m encouraged to envision what this path might become if given proper attention. I’m accompanying a man who has dreamt for two decades of redesigning the English leg of what he imagines could be a “yellow brick road” for cycling, connecting London and Paris.
The proposed Kent branch of the Avenue Verte is marked in grey. South of Neufchâtel-en-Bray, the AV splits into two branches, one via Giverny and one via Chantilly.
The existing route, known as the Avenue Verte (AV), was inaugurated ahead of the London 2012 Olympics, creating both a symbolic and physical link between the two capital cities. However, while the French segment received significant investments for new, smooth greenways, the English side has been hampered by limited funding and political will, leading to makeshift solutions until now. With Paris preparing to host the Olympics once more, attention has refocused on the incomplete route.
Cyclists who traverse the AV speak highly of the French side, so a friend and I decided to cycle the 150 miles from Dieppe to Paris ten days before the 2024 Games. The path, made up of smoothly paved former railway tracks, serene country lanes, occasional gravel fields, and manageable hills, guided us through charming French villages and a gently undulating rural setting adorned with châteaux.
Along this route, various cafés and restaurants have flourished, such as Café Vélo Jaune in Dampierre-en-Bray. Others, like Les Tables De La Gare in Neufchâtel-en-Bray, thrive in refurbished railway stations, famous for their excellent galettes. In fact, around 170 tourism-oriented services are designated as “Accueil vélo” (cyclists welcome) along the way.
The last 28 miles weave a broad S-shaped path into Paris, utilizing traffic-free wooded trails and dedicated bike lanes that follow the Seine and Canal Saint-Denis. This culminates in a perfect ending to a splendid three-day journey, although extending the trip to four days would allow riders to savor the sights, including the magnificent sculptures of the Vexin Français regional nature park, which is slightly off the main path.
The English section tells a different story. Kicking off at the London Eye, the current route trudges through miles of urban development, even passing through Gatwick Airport, with few pleasant off-road segments like the recently improved Wandle Trail by Morden Hall Park, before tackling the North Downs and High Weald. It includes some rather rugged forest trails, as well as some delightful off-road rail paths.
The greenway departing from Dieppe leads towards Forges-les-Eaux. Photograph: Laura Laker
Most of the English route was established when the National Cycle Network was set up for the millennium by my guide, John Grimshaw. However, unlike in France, UK government, local councils, and tourism organizations failed to collaborate on necessary upgrades. This responsibility has largely fallen on Sustrans, a cycling charity, which has maintained and gradually improved the route with determination and volunteer support. Many cyclists opt to avoid the English section altogether or create their own routes to reach the ferry at Newhaven.
John now works on developing greenways through his small charity, Greenways and Cycleroutes. He estimates that enhancing the Avenue Verte could be accomplished for around £25 million. In contrast, the upgrade of junction 10 of the M25, just a few miles west, is set to cost £317 million and is projected for completion in summer 2025.
John’s proposed route would start (or end) at Tower Bridge, following the traffic-free Thames Path and newly constructed protected bike lanes out of the city, mirroring its French counterpart. Dartford, where we began our ride, is currently being revitalized, showcasing attractive stone paving that reflects 1,000 years of architectural heritage, from the 11th-century Holy Trinity Church to the Tudor-era Wat Tyler pub.
We ride through a vibrant park filled with flowers, following the lush river Darent for miles. Although the initial stretch of the proposed route from London to Dartford is nearly ready, improvements are needed for the segment to Sevenoaks, including resurfacing, upgraded rights-of-way on footpaths and bridleways to allow cycling, and five new bridges over the Darent. This relatively modest enhancement would create a route linking six train stations to Sevenoaks (and further afield) via charming villages like Farningham, Eynsford, Shoreham, and Otford, along with several castles (such as Lullington and Eynsford), areas of stunning natural beauty (like the Greensand Ridge and the High Weald), and plenty of refreshment stops. It could serve as a local resource for everyday cycling and walking trips while also attracting tourists. There is local demand: between Horton Kirby and South Darenth, the community has already come together to surface a path that used to turn boggy in winter.
This densely wooded region, with rolling hills that we could skirt rather than climb, beautifully showcases England’s charm. We ride along the riverbank, well beneath the imposing A2 and M25 bridges, hardly encountering any vehicles. At Farningham, we break free from the wilderness beside the riverside tables of the elegant Lion Hotel, across from an 18th-century cattle screen—a bridge-like edifice built of flint and brick used to corral cows crossing the Darent. A nearby sign boasts that this river was once regarded as one of England’s finest trout streams, and legend has it that Charles Dickens fished here.
Laura Laker cycling along a greenway in Kent. Photograph: Laura Laker
We continue onward, passing the National Trust’s Emmetts Garden café, which offers expansive views from atop the Greensand Ridge, before stopping at the Tulip Tree café in Chiddingstone, proudly claiming to house the oldest working shop in the country, established in 1453. We spot 30 bicycles parked beneath the old coach arch and along a historic walkway leading to the converted coach house.
According to Visit Britain, around 57,000 tourist visits include cycling in some form, generating about £63 million each year—a figure I consider an understatement (the Trans Pennine Trail in the Peak District alone brings in a third of that, largely from local visitors). Indeed, other sources estimate the economic contribution of cycling tourism to be much higher, at around £389 million a year.
Revamped railway paths, peaceful roads, and bridleways would guide us through the Eden Valley, only a short detour from Hever Castle. Instead, we head east past Tonbridge Castle and onward to Tunbridge Wells, fulfilling local council plans for long-term active travel to connect communities with routes suitable for daily commutes (an area currently sees some of the lowest levels of everyday cycling in England). Subsequently, it would involve reclaiming former railways to create a flatter path across the High Weald AONB, connecting to the end of the existing route at Heathfield through the captivating Cuckoo Trail—a smooth, off-road path that shadows the A22—leading to Lewes and finally reaching the Egrets Way along the Ouse to complete the journey to Newhaven.
With increased interest surrounding the 2024 Games, Sustrans is engaging stakeholders to discuss potential route enhancements. However, securing funding poses a significant challenge—unlike motorways and trunk roads, there is no long-term financial backing for active travel initiatives. Consequently, Sustrans indicates that no tangible progress will be made in the next five years. Chris Boardman of Active Travel England recently cycled a portion of the Avenue Verte and commended its importance for local communities as an effective mode of transport and its allure as an adventurous cycling route. If the government were to endorse this project, the return on investment could be substantial: for a fraction of the cost of upgrading a single motorway junction, we could create a resource of genuine value for the nation and local communities.
Laura Laker’s trip was organized by Normandy Tourism, DFDS ferries, and LeShuttle. She stayed at Hôtel Mercure La Présidence in Dunkirk, Hôtel de Normandie in Gournay-en-Bray, and Campanile Conflans-Sainte-Honorine.
