Bike Tours to explore
the History of Capel
Get on your bike and follow our guide on a tour to see local sites and the scenes of tragedies and remarkable events
12th September 2026 starting at 10am from Five Oak Green village hall
Our parish has plenty of history but exploring this on foot is not so easy or practical given how spread out we are between Tonbridge to the north and Paddock Wood to the south. So bring along your bike and explore Capel as never before with our guide pedalling along with you.
The tour will take you to around 18 sites and explain the history, characters and importance to the local area of what you are looking at. Some of the stops will be at places you may already be familiar with such as St Thomas a Becket church, Five Oak Green recreation ground and the Hoppers Hospital. Other stops will reveal stories of unexpected aircraft landings, past buildings, criminal activity and tragic events.
The overall tour is approximately 8 miles (13 km) in length and will involve frequent stops to allow the guide to describe the history at each point. The route will be fairly flat but there will be inclines – both up and down – to negotiate. As far as possible, the route will avoid the main roads within Capel and is intended to allow the participants to explore more of Capel's history rather than take part in a 'Tour de Capel' bike race. All cycling abilities are therefore welcome and no one will be left behind!
We anticipate the tour will take around two hours.
The tours are priced at £5 per person. All money received will be donated equally between the Friends of Capel Church (who maintain the building of St Thomas a Becket church and its fantastic medieval wall paintings) and Capel History Group.
If you wish to come on the tour, please provide some contact details below. We will then be in touch to confirm your place and about payment.