for summer walking on most of these routes, do bear in mind that brambles and nettles often stray across infrequently used paths. Carry a pair of overtrousers (preferably with a generous zipped ankle-gusset to enable you to pull them on and off without first removing boots) to protect your legs from the discomfort of walking through high or wet vegetation. Whether trekking in the Alps, high Himalaya or the Kent countryside, I recommend a lightweight, collapsible umbrella for those times when you’re caught out by the rain. Not only will it keep you dry, it can help protect the top of your rucksack from getting wet, and will be indispensable for walkers who wear glasses.
It’s worth carrying a few plasters in case of blisters, or the odd scratch or two, and whether or not you plan to buy refreshment should a pub or café be on the route, I’d advise taking a flask of drink and a few nibbles in case your energy wanes.
An Ordnance Survey map will be needed in the unlikely event of your becoming lost, and it will also give a broader picture of the countryside you’re walking through than will be gained from the OS extracts provided within these pages. Details of specific 1:25,000 sheets which show more detail are given at the head of each walk description. A note of refreshment facilities to be found en route is also given. Most of these will be at country pubs, although I’m at pains to stress that I have no personal experience of any of those mentioned, so no endorsement of services provided is intended. (Truth is, I’d rather lounge beneath a tree with a view and chew on an apple, than sit in a pub with a pint and a snack.) But should you plan to call at a wayside pub or café, please be considerate if your footwear is wet or muddy, and either remove your boots or cover them with plastic bags.
One would assume that anyone choosing to go for a walk would be a lover of the countryside and treat it with respect. Sadly, litter can still be found in places where only the walker is likely to go. It is not only unsightly, but can cause injury to wildlife and farm animals. So please be scrupulous and leave no litter, but instead help make the countryside even more attractive by removing any rubbish you find. A plastic bag is useful for packing it away. Maybe then walkers will put to shame those few farmers who discard fertiliser bags that become snagged in hedgerow and ditch, or who leave items of once-expensive machinery to rust in a field.
Chilham is one of Kent’s most attractive villages (Walk 34)
Footpaths
Please remember that most footpaths cross private land – be that farmland or historic estate. But a public right of way is just that; it forms part of the Queen’s highway and is subject to the same protection in law as other highways. However, footpaths may not always be clearly evident on the ground, in which case I trust directions in this guidebook will enable you to follow the correct route without difficulty. Where paths lead through growing crops, please walk in single file to avoid damaging that crop or trespassing. Treat fields of grass as you would those of ripening wheat, and always use stiles or gates where provided to cross hedges, walls and fences, and after use refasten any gates found closed.
Take extra care when crossing or walking along country lanes. Keep to the right-hand side to face oncoming traffic, and walk in single file. Use a grass verge wherever possible.
Crops and animals are a farmer’s livelihood and should be left undisturbed. Sheep and cattle will be found grazing on a number of these walks, so please keep dogs under control at all times. Farmers have a right to shoot any dogs found worrying livestock.
Using this guide
For the purposes of this book, Kent has been divided into two sections – West Kent and the Weald, and North and East Kent – with the M20 corridor effectively carrying the line of division (see the Overview Map).
Maps
Within the main body of this guide, sections of the Ordnance Survey map relevant to each walk described are taken from the 1:50,000 series (1in = 1 mile), which should be adequate to provide an overview of the route. However, greater detail and a wider perspective may be gained from consultation with the Explorer series of maps published at a scale of 1:25,000 (2½in = 1 mile). The recommended sheet for each walk is noted in the panel at the head of that walk’s description.
Every season has its beauty, but there’s nothing to match a Kentish beechwood in the autumn (Photo: Linda Reynolds)
Times and distances
Distances quoted in the text, although taken directly from the OS map, are approximations only, but should be reasonably accurate. Please note that heights quoted on OS maps are given in metres, rather than in feet, and that grid lines are spaced 1km apart. The text in this book, however, gives both imperial and metric measurements.
Reckon on walking about 2–2½ miles/3–4km per hour, without prolonged stops, but bear in mind that your pace will be slower after wet weather when conditions may be heavy under foot. Allow extra time when accompanied by children or inexperienced walkers – or, indeed, when walking in a group.
You can find a range of walks, including those designated ‘easy access’, using the ‘Find a walk’ facility on the County Council’s website at www.explorekent.org/walking.
Public transport and car parking
It is not practical to give details of all bus and train services in Kent, since they may change within the period this guidebook is in print. However, an indication of some routes is provided in the information panel at the head of specific walk details.
For rail information, including times and fares, either enquire at your local railway station, telephone National Rail Enquiries on 08457 484950, or look on the internet – www.nationalrail.co.uk.
For bus services, call Travel-line 0870 608 2608.
If you must use your own transport and are in doubt how to find the start of a walk by road, head to www.google.co.uk/maps and enter your current location and the name of the town or village where the walk begins. A map and written instructions of your journey will appear, which can be printed off, or used as a satnav on the journey if you have a smartphone.
At the head of each walk description in this book, the location and grid reference of a parking facility (where known) is given. However, where there is no official parking area, please park sensibly and with consideration for local residents, and leave access for farm vehicles and so on. If parking near a church, please avoid service times. Do not leave any valuables in your vehicle, and be sure to lock your car before setting out on your walk.
On the lane to Crockham Hill the walk passes the lovely garden at Close Farm (Walk 4)
THE COUNTRY CODE
Respect other people:
consider the local community and other people enjoying the outdoors
leave gates and property as you find them and follow paths unless wider access is available
Protect the natural environment:
leave no trace of your visit and take your litter home
keep dogs under effective control
Enjoy the outdoors:
plan ahead and be prepared
follow advice and local signs
It was Octavia Hill, that indomitable Victorian champion of the countryside and co-founder of the National Trust, whose prescient words sum up the spirit of the Country Code:
Let the grass growing for hay be respected, let the primrose roots