Hundreds of people have been putting their best feet forward at Deal Walking Festival.

There were a total of 23 walks on the week-long programme, ranging from a 1.5-mile walk visiting the various haunts in Deal associated with smuggling and led by historian and author Gregory Holyoake, to the 18-mile Three Pits Walking which visited the sites of the former Kent coal mines of Tilmanstone, Snowdown and Betteshanger.

Other walks included a history and wildlife walk, a sunset photography walk, the Blue Plaque Trail visiting the plaques of prominent people associated with Deal, and an evening walk to Dover.

On Sunday Dover and Deal Charlie Elphicke went on a five-mile coastal and countryside walk, which started from Walmer seafront. He met with members of the White Cliffs Ramblers, including chairman Margaret Lubbock, and told the Mercury afterwards: “The walk was a fantastic experience, and a real reminder of just how beautiful the countryside we have here is.

“Walking is a healthy exercise which gets people into the open air."

On Saturday Clair Hawkins, Labour parliamentary candidate for Dover and Deal, went on the Three Pits Walk. She said afterwards: “I’d like to congratulate White Cliffs Ramblers for putting on yet another successful Deal Walking Festival. I hope it continues to grow.”

The festival was launched by the Mayor of Deal, Cllr Marlene Burnham, on Thursday at the start of the three-mile Three Castles Walk, which visited Deal, Sandown and Walmer castles.

It is estimated that more than 600 people went on the various walks during the festival, which is due to end tomorrow (Wednesday).