Can you ride the Pilgrims’ Way on a motorbike?
Partly.
- 12 km of the Pilgrims’ Way is a byway or unclassified road open to motorcycles all year.
- 0.3 km is a restricted byway, bridleway or footpath, with no right to ride a motorbike.
The Pilgrims’ Way, end to end
The whole route straightened out, from west Kent (top left) to Canterbury, coloured by what you can legally ride.
- Open to motorcycles 12 km
- Restricted byway, no motors 0.3 km
- No path today, or line not mapped 53 km
This route is built from the stretches our data names as the Pilgrims’ Way. Between them, the old way runs on roads, tracks and paths, shown pale grey.
On the map
A is the start, B the end. The same colours as the strip above.
See every lane’s name, surface and current status.
Open the live map →Section by section
Every stretch of byway along the route, in order. Distances are from west Kent.
-
0.0to 2.4 km
Pilgrims Way2.4 km
From near Kemsing to near Wrotham
-
4.5to 5.7 km
Pilgrims Way1.2 km
From near Trottiscliffe to near Culverstone Green
-
11.2to 11.4 km
Pilgrims Way0.3 km
From near Birling to near Wouldham
-
18.5to 20.5 km
Pilgrims Way2.0 km
From near Aylesford to near Detling
-
36.8to 39.3 km
Pilgrims Way2.5 km
Near Lenham
-
40.0to 41.9 km
Pilgrims Way1.9 km
Near Charing
-
43.3to 45.1 km
From near Charing to near Westwell
-
65.0to 65.4 km
Pilgrims Way0.4 km
Near Canterbury
What riding it is like
Holloway Premium
Ride the Pilgrims’ Way as one route
- Link its open lanes with real road connections between them
- Export GPX for your GPS unit or phone app
- Live navigation on a bar-mounted phone
- Seasonal closures shown on the dates they apply
£1 from every membership goes toward keeping lanes open.
About the Pilgrims’ Way
- The historic route from Winchester to Canterbury, named for medieval pilgrims travelling to the shrine of Thomas Becket.
- Most of it today is lanes, roads and the North Downs Way. In Kent, several stretches are byways open to motorcycles.
Ride it well
- Walkers, horse riders and cyclists use it too. Slow right down and stop the engine for horses.
- Ride in small groups, stay on the line of the lane, and don’t ride a soft surface that you’d rut.
- Seasonal orders exist to stop winter damage, and lanes stay open when riders respect them.
Ready-made GPX routes nearby
Holloway loops that use lanes on or close to the Pilgrims’ Way.
Questions riders ask
Can you ride the Pilgrims’ Way on a motorbike?
Partly. 12 km of the Pilgrims’ Way is a byway or unclassified road open to motorcycles all year. 0.3 km is a restricted byway, bridleway or footpath, with no right to ride a motorbike. Legal status changes, so check each lane’s current status before you ride.
How long is the Pilgrims’ Way?
The Pilgrims’ Way runs about 65 km between the first and last stretches carrying its name in our data.
Is there a GPX route for the Pilgrims’ Way?
One ready-made Holloway GPX route uses lanes on or near it, linked on this page. Downloading them, or building your own along the Pilgrims’ Way, is part of Holloway Premium.
Ride the Pilgrims’ Way with Holloway
Every lane along it, with its legal status and hazards, is on the Holloway map, free with a quick email sign-in.
Open the map, free Or plan a route along it with PremiumRoute lines and lane data from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and council rights of way records via rowmaps.com. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database rights 2026. Reference only: legal status changes, check signage and current Traffic Regulation Orders before riding. How we check this data.