Faversham Creek – Abbey Street, Faversham loop from Faversham
Faversham Creek – Abbey Street, Faversham loop from Faversham
3
hikers
Faversham Creek – Abbey Street, Faversham loop from Faversham
01:27
5.61km
30m
Hiking
Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.
Last updated: May 26, 2026
Waypoints
Start point
Bus stop
Get Directions
525 m
Faversham Market Square
Highlight • Settlement
Tip by
721 m
Great Wall Chinese Takeaway
Highlight • Restaurant
Tip by
3.89 km
Church of St Mary Magdalene and St Lawrence, Faversham
Highlight • Historical Site
Tip by
4.39 km
Faversham Creek
Highlight • Viewpoint
Tip by
4.44 km
Shepherd Neame Faversham Brewery
Highlight • Historical Site
Tip by
4.58 km
Market Place, Faversham
Highlight • Monument
Tip by
4.80 km
Abbey Street, Faversham
Highlight • Historical Site
Toward the end of the 19th century its middle-class residents started moving to new houses elsewhere in the town, and many of its properties became tenanted. The new occupiers were often much poorer than their predecessors. Landlords neglected the properties and so the street came to look 'down-at-heel'. Determination to build a 'brave new world' after the end of the Second World War encouraged local councils to sweep away houses that lacked modern amenities. Most of those in Abbey Street qualified, but they were also historic buildings of importance.
After intervention by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, an ingenious pioneering scheme launched by Faversham Borough Council in the late 1950s saved them from the fate that overtook many of their counterparts elsewhere. Apart from Arden's House (No 80), none of the properties is of outstanding national importance, and so they were not eligible for historic building repair grants. However, collectively they are of national importance, and so the first 'town scheme' was introduced to make them eligible. Most of them were bought by the council under slum-clearance powers, and their occupants re-housed elsewhere.
However, instead of being demolished the properties in Abbey Street were sold to sympathetic owners who covenanted with the council to restore them under the supervision of an architect with experience of historic building care. To cover its costs, the council made a slight profit on each - buying the smaller houses for about £250 each and then selling them for about £300.
In other historic towns, streets were being brutally widened, but in Abbey Street the carriageway was actually narrowed - the first in the UK - to reduce traffic nuisance. At the same time, the street was planted with trees.
Abbey Street is sometimes said to be the finest medieval street in southeast England. It is certainly a wonderful "gallery" of old buildings, mainly timber-framed. As already noted, the ace in the pack is Arden's House, one of the few surviving buildings of Faversham Abbey, and possibly its guesthouse. With 81 (Arden's Cottage), it originally formed a big "open courtyard" house. It dates from around 1450-1500, with remains of the Abbey outer gatehouse of c 1200, which spanned the street here.
Tip by
5.61 km
End point
Bus stop
Way Types & Surfaces
Way Types
3.03 km
1.31 km
996 m
267 m
Surfaces
2.85 km
2.60 km
157 m
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Elevation
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Weather
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Friday 3 July
28°C
13°C
0 %
Additional weather tips
Max wind speed: 19.0 km/h
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Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.
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