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This page contains details of walks in Kent and beyond that may be enjoyed at times other than the walking festival. They are freely available to be printed off from this site. They are not for resale and the copyright remains with the author.
THE DOVER TO DORKING RAIL TRAIL A ROBUST RAMBLE THROUGH KENT, SUSSEX AND SURREY by Colin Bridge
This may be walked as a long distance trail by following the ‘out’ sections, or taken as circular day sections. By following the ‘return’ sections a completely different walk may be had from Dorking to Dover.
SECTION 1 DOVER TO WEST HOUGHAM (OUT) 4.5 MILES (2.5 HOURS WALKING) MAP ORDNANCE SURVEY EXPLORER 138 DOVER, FOLKESTONE & HYTHE Start: Dover Priory Railway Station (cars may be parked further out of the town centre thus avoiding the roadwalking at the beginning and end of the walk) Description: This walk begins near the busy heart of Dover along a main road. It soon swings up and away from the town into quiet, secluded countryside and villages a world away from urban rush. The return is almost straight back along an extended ridge with fine views of Dover Castle directly ahead.
From the main entrance to Dover Priory Station turn right up the approach road. Soon take a flight of steps up on the right to reach the main Folkestone Road (B2011). Keep along here for half a mile to reach a distinctive Y-fork. Bear right here onto Hougham Road. In a short distance look for a narrow, rather rough, road forking left up behing shops and houses. This is Cow Lane although there may not be a name sign. At the top, at a T-junction, cross to a patch of open ground. There are two rough paths. Take the righthand one which rises steeply away from houses on the left alongside some old fence posts. Soon a chalky cross path is reached. Turn right along this. In a few metres reach another path. Turn left on this path and climb steadily with houses down below on the right.
Keep uphill on this path past a wartime concrete pillbox. Ignore paths going off downhill and cross tracks. Sometimes the path is indistinct but it leads up to a section completely enclosed within thorn bushes where walking is actually easier. Eventually emerge onto the top of Coney Hill. Keep forward towards a distant transmitter mast. Walk along an open, grassy ridge for over a mile.
On reaching a junction with a broad cross track on the outskirts of Church Hougham, turn left. Follow the track downhill for a short distance. Immediately after the second of two fieldgates on the right, cross a stile on the right. Follow along the field edge with a hedge on the right. Look for a stile in an angle of the hedge and cross into a rough pasture. Head diagonally left across the centre of the field towards buildings behind a stand of evergreen trees. At the far side of the field reach a stile by a fieldgate and cross onto a roadway. Bear left up the road to a junction. Turn left and keep forward along the road into the village.
(TO REACH AN INN AND TRAVEL LODGE STAY ON THE ROAD. TAKE THE FIRST LEFT TURNING STEEPLY DOWNHILL FOR 200 METRES. RETURN TO THE CHURCH TO CONTINUE THE WALK)
Soon turn right along a no through road towards the Church of St. Lawrence. Go through the church gate then immediately turn right along the edge of the churchyard. Leave the churchyard through a gap in the hedge and reach the edge of a large field. Walk straight into the field away from the churchyard, bearing slightly diagonally left towards a tall tree in the distant hedge just left of centre. Cross a stile in the far hedge and turn left on an enclosed path between the hedge and a tall wire fence. Pass animal enclosures on the right to emerge onto an entrance drive.
Cross this drive to a stile and go ahead along the foot of a garden to cross another stile onto a road. The huge transmitter mast now stands away on the left. Cross the road with care and keep ahead along the field edge on an unmarked bridle path, with power lines overhead and a hedge on the left. Where the hedge finishes keep straight on following the ridge right across to the far side of the field with a main road ahead. Bear right to a fieldgate and join an enclosed path which goes even closer to the main road.
Do not cross the road but bear right to follow a path steeply downhill with a fence on the left. At the bottom of the slope, just before a fence on the right begins, turn right into a field. Turn immediately left to follow the fence on the left for a short distance then follow the field edge as it turns right with a high bank on the left. Soon reach a dip in the bank and turn left up into a higher field on the left. In this field bear right and walk diagonally uphill. On reaching the brow of the hill aim for a white house on the edge of the village ahead. At the far corner of the field emerge onto a road.
Turn right along the road ignoring a road on the right and bear left to the village centre at a junction of roads. There is a village hall and telephone box on the right.
THIS IS THE END OF SECTION 1 (CURRENTLY THE PUBLIC HOUSE IN WEST HOUGHAM IS CLOSED)
SECTION 1 WEST HOUGHAM TO DOVER (RETURN) 4.5 MILES (2.5 HOURS WALKING) Pass the village hall and telephone box on the right and continue along the road past the site of the Chequers Inn, a large detached building laying back on the right. Soon pass a road going left into houses and reach the end of the village by a road on the left and the end of a wood by open fields on the right.
Here take the stony bridlepath going diagonally left down the rear of a house hung with wood panelling. Keep forward to pass Ledger Cottages. The track becomes grassy and heads for open fields. Keep on past isolated houses on the right and head for power lines. Ignore a path going off left. Keep on in the same direction past a pond on the right.
The bridlepath becomes a footpath but keep straight on now beneath the power lines towards trees ahead. Ignore a path going off right by a hedge. After a gentle curve around the woodland edge, the path enters the wood and keeps on by the forest edge for half a mile. Eventually the path emerges and continues on along the field edge above Whites Down with fine views of Dover Castle.
At a locked gate turn left and immediately right, keeping on in the same direction as before, along a rather overgrown path. Avoid the temptation of turning off through gates on the right. Eventually emerge onto the ridge top by a pylon.
Keep ahead under the power lines and, after a short distance, go right through a kissing gate onto the open down. Turn left, still heading towards Dover, and pass through a second swing gate to a grassy path.
After some distance the highest point is reached with more fine views of the town. A wooden gate leads to a gravel track. Do not go through this but keep ahead with the fence on the left until reaching another gate. This time go through to the gravel track and turn right down it. Pass a school entrance.
The track becomes Noah’s Ark Road. Follow this all the way down to a T-junction. Turn left along Tower Street to eventually reach the High Street. Turn right and follow signs back to Dover Priory Station and the start of the walk.
SECTION 2 WEST HOUGHAM TO HAWKINGE (OUT) 4.5 MILES (2.5 HOURS WALKING) EXPLORER MAP 138 DOVER, FOLKESTONE & HYTHE Starting with the village hall and telephone box on the right, bear left, up the narrow road called Broadsole Lane bending away north out of the village away from the main straight road going back in the Dover direction. Just past the wooden fencing, before the first house on the left, turn left down a narrow enclosed path. This soon reaches a stile into field. Cross the field to an obvious gap with a church in sight ahead. Bear slightly left across a second field to a stile into a hedge by a telegraph pole. Keep ahead across the next field by poles. At the corner of the field, by a churchyard, turn right and walk up to a large fieldgate. Go through onto the rough access road to the church.. Immediately turn left and cross a stile into a field. Two paths diverge from this point. Take the righthand one and bear off right towards the end of a row of tall trees. Cross a style in the hedge and go down steps to a road. Turn left on the road and almost immediately right over another stile into a field. Cross the field, heading just left of the buildings of Tumble Tye Farm, to a stile in a barbed wire fence. From this stile head forward, down the field, past a lone pylon, to a stile in the bottom corner. Over this cross a road to another stile and walk up the field with the hedge on the left. Keep going in the same direction, over several stiles, and eventually cross open ground to enter a wood (there are fine views of the Alkham Valley ahead). In the wood turn left over a stile and gently descend along the line of the fence. Where the fence turns away, go on, more steeply downhill, towards a house and road junction in the valley below. On reaching the road, turn left. In a short distance cross with great care to a path going leftwards uphill across a field. Pass through a hedge and keep on diagonally left uphill to where a hedge meets the lefthand edge of a wood. Go ahead along a clear woodland path. This becomes a track by Messina House. Go on upto a road and turn left. On reaching a T-junction, go left downhill. In a short distance take an asphalt path by a line of poles. This cuts away from the road to a church converted into a house. Walk along the side of the church, but then keep right, off the main path, on a feint path which keep to the high ground and enters woodland. The path is narrow and rises above a steep bank. Soon reach a stile into a field. Turn right along the line of the hedge (good distant views to Folkestone and Dungeness) and keep on to the top corner by a road. Here turn left along the field edge. At the end of the field the path runs on between fences. Keep forward ignoring a cross path marked by stiles in the fences. Continue across horse paddocks and on up a gravel road to reach a junction with the main road. Cross to the White Horse Inn in Hawkinge and the end of the section. SECTION 2 HAWKINGE TO WEST HOUGHAM (RETURN) 7 MILES (3.5 HOURS WALKING) EXPLORER MAP 138 (DOVER, FOLKESTONE & HYTHE) With the White Horse Inn on the left walk up the main road soon passing shops on the left. Look for a safe place to cross the main road and keep on for some way in the same direction out of the village. Eventually reach a new roundabout. Ignore a footpath into a steeply rising field and the right. Keep on past the roundabout and over a service road going off right. The road now begins to rise. Turn right, off the road, onto a bridleway going into Army Training Grounds. Follow the broad and sometimes muddy bridleway for nearly a mile (it is part of a nature trail called the Reidon Walk). At a junction of brideways, leave the Reidon Walk which goes off right, and keep straight on. At a second junction of paths, take the footpath which goes diagonally right, across a large open field,towards a distant house on the skyline. Cross a stile at the far side and descend steeply through woods. At the valley bottom is an open field. Climb the hill ahead to the top lefthand corner. At the top of the rise cross a stile into a field and keep ahead, bearing to the right of distant farm buildings. Cross a country road, and head on towards the righthand side of Great Everden Farm buildings.(This path is due to be slightly diverted. On nearing the farm it should follow the fence line until turning left to emerge onto the road. It is very close to the current route) Currently, cross a stile into horse paddocks and walk down by the righthand side fence, across several stiles. Finally enter a field. Bear left across the field to a fingerpost at a road junction. The path comes out just short of the road junction. Turn right for a few paces then follow the road around to the left on actually reaching the juction. Keep up the road until it turns sharply right. Here go straight ahead, across a field, to a road and a gap in a hedge. Through the gap, cross the left corner of a field to a stile leading into a row of trees. Cross a bridleway in the trees and enter a large field. Cross this field bearing diagonally right. In the centre of the field meet another path. Turn right on it to a gap in a hedge. Cross a smaller field to a stile in a hedge ahead. With the transmitter mast on the skyline to the right, bear left across the corner of a field to another hedge gap. Walk down to Alkham village on a long gentle slope crossing several stiles. Descend through the churchyard to the main road by the ‘Marquis of Granby’ public house. Turn right on the road and cross to a fingerposted asphalt path going in front of a house (no.5). The path crosses a footbridge and emerges into a close in a small housing estate. Turn right for a short distance and, where a road goes off on the right, look left for an enclosed path by a lampost. This soon enters a field and climbs steeply uphill across several stiles to enter a wood at the top over another stile. In a short distance cross a road and turn right. Look for a path on the left climbing a wooded bank to a stile into a field. Bear fairly sharply right and keep along by the hedgeline to climb to a stile in a wire fence. Cross and continue in the same direction with a transmitter mast away in the distance. Cross a farm road and keep forward across a field. In mid-field pass under powerlines to a gap in a hedge. Go through the gap and head on across the field to a stile onto a road. Turn right and follow the road along and downhill, past a byway and on past a bungalow high up on the left bank. Immediately past the bungalow, turn left up the vehicle access at the side and on up the garden to a stile at the top. This crosses into rough ground. Keep straight ahead bearing right of the transmitter mast towards a clump of the taller trees with a pylon behind. The path passes through the trees and over a stile beyond into a field. Cross the field to the right of the rusty pylon and keep on to the far righthand corner. Leave the field with care down a bank onto a road by the entrance to Copt Hill Farm. Turn left down the public road towards the transmitter mast again. At a T-junction take the path going straight ahead, uphill with a hedge on the right. Towards the top of the field the path bears away from the hedge leftwards across the corner of the field to a narrow enclosed way between bungalows. Continue out onto a quiet residential road. Go straight over to a further enclosed path which soon emerges onto the main village road opposite the site of the former Chequers Inn. Turn right to walk back to the village hall and the start of the section.
SECTION 3 HAWKINGE TO ETCHINGHILL (OUT) 5 MILES (2.5 HOURS WALKING) MAP OS EXPLORER 138 (DOVER, FOLKESTONE & HYTHE)
With the Chequers Inn on the left walk forward along into the village soon passing shops on the left. Cross Aerodrome Road going off left and soon reach a narrow road also going off to the left. There is a bungalow up on a bank (no. 145) and signs indicating ‘no through road’ and ‘cycle route’. Turn up this lane and keep on to the very top passing building work on the right. At the top emerge onto a road by a new roundabout.
Bear right around the roundabout ignoring the new road going off right to take the next road. Almost immediately reach the stone entrance pillars of Hawkinge Cemetery gates. Go through and pass a lodge on the left.The roadway swings left and soon reaches a junction of three ways. Keep to the extreme left turning by a lawn on the left. In about 30m take a very straight track on the right between grave stones. This heads away, slightly uphill, to the far side of the cemetery.
On reaching the very edge of the cemetery, go straight ahead into a rough pasture with a hedge on the right. This is a very feint path. Where the hedge stops, keep ahead, slightly left downhill, to a group of trees in the far bottom corner. Go through the trees and pass two broken stiles to enter a field. Keep in the same direction across the field passing another disused stile on the left to continue across a further field heading towards the roof of a house concealed in trees. In the far corner of the field there is another stile and a fieldgate. Go through this onto a farm track between hedges by Redsole Farm. Go forward to cross a metalled road to a stile ahead.
Cross and continue forward to a second stile. Keep on towards a painted house ahead. The path emerges onto a road in front of the painted house. Turn left and walk uphill. Ignore a bridlepath going off right and continue on up to a road junction (the Cat and Custard Pot pub is just down on the left). Here turn right on the road (signed Etchinghill) and follow the road with great care for some distance, downhill, to another T-junction.
Go straight ahead across a stile into a field (ignore a stile in fence on right). Climb the slope with a hedge on the right. Where the hedge ends keep on across a very large field towards a distant farm. Eventually cross a stile in a wire fence and keep forward, just right of farm buildings, to reach another stile under a tree. Go on up to a road. Cross the road to another footpath leading into a grassy paddock.
At the far side is a further stile (good distant views out to sea). Cross and turn right away from the sea across the corner of the field with a village in the valley below, to a stile leading into a thicket. Go through this to a wooden fence and look for a stile down on the left. Cross into the field and bear left downhill towards distant houses and a stile in the bottom corner.
Across this turn right on a grassy track which swings around the top edge of a steep grassy valley.At the far side, just before a fieldgate, turn left and walk along with the hedge on the right and a steep drop on the left.Look carefully for a stile in the hedge on the right. Cross into a field. Head straight across the field under power lines towards a large house part hidden behind a hedge. To the right of the house is a metal fieldgate and stile. Leave the field and emerge onto a road. Turn left down the road and follow it to a T-junction with a main road in Etchinghill. Turn right along the main road to soon reach the ‘New Inn’ and the end of the section.
SECTION 3 ETCHINGHILL TO HAWKINGE (RETURN) 6 MILES (3 HOURS WALKING) OS EXPLORER MAP 138
With the New Inn on the right, walk forward along the main road to soon reach a left bend by a golf club entrance. Go straight ahead off the road over grass to cross a stile and footbridge in the corner ahead. Join the entrance road to the golf club passing a lodge on the left. Just ahead is a car park. Swing left in front of the car park towards a gate into a cricket pitch. Do not go through but turn right by the gate to go along between fences soon emerging onto the golfing area.
Keep along towards the club house. Just short of the building bear left over grass to a path going slightly uphill along a line of trees. Head just to the left of a large Victorian house in the distance. At the top of the rise the path emerges onto a road. Cross with care to a stile the other side on the Elham Valley Way. Skirt the house on the right to a stile at the top of the small field. Cross into a large pasture on the right. Keep along the top edge of this field with a fence on the left towards a distant house. Emerge over a stile by a fieldgate onto a road. Go down to a T-junction with a main road.
Turn left along the road passing the old village pump in a recreation ground on the right. Soon pass the Coach & Horses pub on the right and keep on along the road looking for an asphalt footpath going off right opposite a church. Follow this footpath downhill past a school to reach a road. Cross with great care to a lane opposite sign posted ‘North Lyminge’. Walk along this lane. Just before the far end meet a Y-fork with several footpath signs. Turn right here on a bridleway towards Shuttlesfield. Follow the track uphaill past a house called ‘Beechings End’ on the line of the old railway. Where the track swings left to an isolated house, keep forward through a fieldgate and on uphill with a hedge on the right.
At the top of the rise go through a gate onto MOD land and keep ahead towards a deep wooded cleft in the hill ahead. The path descends to a gate by warning signs and then continues steeply uphill. At the top of the incline pass through a wooden fieldgate. Bear right along the edge of the buildings of Great Shuttleworth Farm through two double fieldgates towards a pylon. Pass to the right of the pylon and keep ahead on a sunken green way, gradually uphill to a double fieldgate. Pass through and continue, bearing slightly right, to the brow of the hill. Keep going to reach two swing gates set in a fence. Drop down, slightly left, to a house at the bottom corner of the field. This is Tan Barn.
Turn left on the road and follow it for some way, past Little Shuttlesfield Farm, to a bridleway on the right going down past Acrise Court and onto MOD property again. Keep ahead through gates and on by the hedge on the right for some way to reach wooden fieldgates by a sheep fold. Just beyond the hedge turns right. Walk ahead, uphill, towards the highest telegraph pole and distant aerial mast. Keep about 100m away from the fence over on the right. At the top of the hill pass to the right of the highest pole and soon begin to descend. Bear right to the far righthand bottom corner of the field and several fieldgates. Go through to gain an enclosed uphill gravel path. Follow this long incline and eventually reach a road at Paddlesworth.
Turn left here and go downhill, passing the painted house on the left, and keep on along the road for some way, ignoring a stile on the right, until approaching a wood on the right ahead. Immediately before the wood turn right onto a farm track. This follows along with the wood on the left and soon reaches a wooden fieldgate leading into a gravel car park. Go through gate and turn immediately left to cross a stile into an upwardly sloping pasture. Go uphill with a fence on the right for some distance to the top righthand corner of the field.
At the top cross a fence (no cross piece on the stile) into a wood and keep ahead ignoring cross tracks. The wood soon thins and the path emerges by fields to go over a double stile into an enclosed path. This soon emerges onto a road. Cross to another enclosed section which again soon reaches a road. Go a few paces left to cross the road to a stile into a field. Walk across the field passing a pond on the right near the far side, and keep on into another field. Go forward with a hedge on the left towards a distant house.
Eventually a stile meets a road. The next path is a little difficult to find. Opposite the stile just crossed is a new bungalow. turn left for a few paces and pass the front of the bungalow. Now turn right down the side of the bungalow to a stile into a horse paddock. Cross this to a wooden fieldgate and go on down to the bottom lefthand corner of the next paddock. Cross the stile hidden in the hedge (or turn left to go down to a road and turn right) and keep on downhill to a gate and broken stile in the bottom lefthand corner. Go forward to a main road.
Carefully cross the main road and turn right. Immediately cross a service road and in a short distance, go left over a stile into a steeply sloping field. Turn diagonally right uphill towards a wood with a new roundabout down on the right. At the corner of the wood go through a rustly fieldgate and keep forward with the wood on the right. At the far corner cross a stile into a bamboo plantation.Keep forward to a road. Turn left a few paces then right up a path through woods. Soon reach another road by a new housing estate. Turn right to follow the road all the way back into Hawkinge. On reaching the main road turn left and follow it along to the Chequers Inn and the start of the section.
SECTION 4 ETCHINGHILL TO STANFORD NORTH 3.5 MILES (1.5 HOURS WALKING) OS EXPLORER MAP 138 (DOVER, FOLKESTONE & HYTHE)
With the New Inn on the right, go forward along the road for a short distance looking for an enclosed path going off on the left (signed as an Elham Valley Way Link Route). Go up this narrow path between fences, cross a footbridge and continue between paddocks to eventually reach a stile. Cross this to continue diagonally uphill across a field to a stile in the top righthand corner.
Over the stile, bear right, to continue across a large field (ignore a cross path heading off left towards a transmitter mast). The path soon begins to drop down, still in midfield, towards distant Staple Farm. When a church spire appears aim straight for it. The path leads to a stile in the extreme corner of the field by a gate. Cross this stile down onto a road and look for a stile opposite.
Having crossed this, turn sharp left along the North Downs Way with the wire fence and road the other side on the left. After some distance reach a fence and double metal fieldgates. Here turn right uphill to a stile. Cross and bear left uphill by a telegraph pole and beyond to a stile at the highest point of the field. Cross this top stile and continue uphill along the hedgeline to a stile at an impressive viewpoint.
Again cross and go ahead winding steeply downhill. Soon reach a junction of paths just above the treeline. Here turn left(leave the North Downs Way which turns right to regain the ridge) to continue downhill towards the village of Postling. At the foot of the hill cross a stile and go left on a road with the church on the right. At a T-junction turn right for a short distance looking for a footpath going off left opposite Postling Court. Turn down this path to soon cross a footbridge(slippery when wet) into a field.
A few metres into the field reach a wooden fieldgate on the right. Go through and bear diagonally left across the field to a stile in the very far corner (ignore all gates on the other side of the field before the corner). Cross the stile into a further field and go forward with a hedge on the left. On reaching a fence at the end of the field turn left over a stile and cut the corner of a field to another stile. Over this continue towards a stile by a distant house.
Having reached a road, turn right along it. Where the road swings sharp right, go left over a stile and continue uphill with a hedge on the right. In a short distance cross a double stile on the right and continue diagonally up the centre of a field to the brow of the hill. Keep on in the same direction, now downhill, towards a metal fieldgate and stile in the bottom fence. Cross and turn right on a broad track reinstated after damage by off-road vehicles. Follow this track into a wood.
At the far end, as the wood begins to thin to a point some fifty metres before a telegraph pole, look carefully for a feint path going off left (hopefully marked by yellow tape on a tree branch). Turn onto this quickly crossing the narrow strip of wood to a pole by a gap into a large field. Go ahead, away from the wood towards another wooden pole and a distant road on an embankment. Follow along the line of poles on the right but don’t cross under the wires. At the top of the field in front of the road embankment, turn right into another side and soon reach a ladder stile by a metal fieldgate.
Cross with care onto the side of the busy road. Turn right with care and walk along verge until opposite another ladder stile on the other side of the road possible obscured by bushes. Cross the road and the stile. Keep on across the pasture ahead aiming to the righthand corner of the far fence. Go on down past the corner to a stile onto a road in front of The Drum inn at Stanford North and the end of the section.
SECTION 4 (RETURN) STANFORD NORTH TO ETCHINGHILL 5.5MILES (2.5 HOURS WALKING) MAP OS EXPLORER 138
With The Drum on the left walk straight up the old road soon reaching a junction with the new road. Keep ahead with care (best to cross to the verge the other side) ignoring a footpath on the left. Soon pass a bungalow on the right and an electricity substation. Look for a second footpath on the left. Turn off onto this footpath.
The path goes up the centre of a long upward sloping field. At the start is Hayton Wood on the left. Down on the right behind a tree line is the busy road just crossed. Climb gradually up the slope (if sheep are in the field there may be a low wire fence to cross) veering away from the wood on the left all the time. Eventually at the top of the rise and the top of the field is a wire fence. In the centre is a stile. Cross into the field ahead. Look for a fieldgate in the hedge on the far side. Cross over to this and emerge onto a road. Turn right on this road with care (called Blind House Lane) and walk down to a road junction. Cross from side to side to make sure of maximum visibility.
At the junction take a footpath up a slight bank on the left. New bushes have been planted on the corner but soon reach a stile behind into a field. Cross to a ladder stile, then on over a drive to a second ladder stile into a further field. At the moment the path goes over to a stile by houses, then turn right up to meet a road. The true route bears right to the far right corner of the field to a stile by a fieldgate and emerges straight onto the road. In any event turn right on the road and follow it upto a junction with a main road. Cross with great care to a minor road opposite.
In a few paces turn left up the entrance drive to a house called ‘The Outlook’. Just before the house bear right by a hedge to a stile. Cross this and climb steeply upto another stile in the top corner. Continue uphill , with excellent views, close to the hedge on the left. At the top of the rise reach a wire fence. Go right for a short distance to a corner and then left to still follow the fence on the left up to a kissing gate on the North Downs Way. Cross the NDW into a field and go diagonally right uphill across the field to a corner of a hedge. Keep on in the same direction across the field to reach a road.
Turn left on this busy road and walk some distance along. Eventually pass a nursery on the right. Then some houses. On passing Wychling Cottage turn right on a footpath and soon cross a stile into a field. Bear right slightly downhill, passing the end corners of two fences. Then keep on heading more steeply downhill towards a village in the valley below. (do not be tempted to follow the sheep tracks which keep to the high ground but aim for the far bottom corner of the field).
At the bottom of the hill is a stile into the corner of a field in the valley (currently being repaired). Cross the stile and turn left to follow the lefthand hedge uphill for some way. Near the top of the rise, veer right, away from the hedge on an obvious path. At the top of the rise look for a stile on the left by a double wooden fieldgate, and go over onto a road. Turn right and follow the road for 100 metres looking for a footpath on the right. Follow this downhill across a field to a stile at the bottom. Over the stile turn right on a lane and go almost immediately laft on a concealed narrow path to the left of a double garage. At the end cross a stile into an open field.
Go ahead, uphill, to a second stile or gate, and follow a green track winding leftwards upto a road. Cross the road, bearing slightly left, and climb the bank to a stile. Cross the stile into a field and bear diagonally left to a stile by metal fieldgates. Keep across the next field in the same direction with Lyminge clearly below. Cross a stile by horse paddocks into an enclosed path wich drops downhill, turning right to a double stile then left again downhill and out to a road down a steep bank.
Turn right on the road, still downhill. At a lefthand bend turn right up the access road to the village hall. Pass this and enter a sunken track going uphill by a hedge. At the top of the slope are fine views of the village. Keep on until a stile is visible up a bank on the right. Ignore this and veer over left onto a wider bridleway. This soon reaches a metal fieldgate. Go through and walk through woods to an open field. Follow the field edge for some distance to reach a fieldgate.
Pass through the gate into a paddock and cross to another gate giving onto a main road. Turn right on the road and left at the junction ahead (use the wide grassy verge). The next 200 metres along the road are extremely dangerous. Walk along facing the traffic. It would be sensible if a permissive path went along the edge of the field on the right. It appears that local people might actually be doing this. Eventually reach a stile on the right.
Cross and walk uphill along a field edge. Cross and continue up a second field to a fence with two stiles quite close to each other. Cross the first one then turn left along the fence to the second. Turn left over this and go down to Etchingfield. This is the path used on the outward route which soon becomes enclosed between horse paddocks. Continue out to the main road and turn right to reach the New Inn and the start of the section.
SECTION 5 STANFORD NORTH TO BRABOURNE OS EXPLORER MAP 138 (DOVER, FOLKESTONE & HYTHE) ALSO MAP (ASHFORD)
With The Drum inn on the right, walk down the road into the village. Ignore a path going right immediately past the pub car park. Pass houses on the right until opposite a close of houses on the left, just short of a turning off to the church. Stop by a yellowish gravel drive on the right. If the path has been waymarked follow the signs. The route of the path seems to be this. Do not go up the gravel track. Stand facing up the gravel track but look for a wooden gate into the garden on the left. Go through into the garden. Keep to the righthand side of the garden passing a shed on the right. At the top right corner of the garden the path becomes evident and goes up between a hedge on the left and a fence to a gate at the top and a waymark post. (If it is not possible to go through the garden, go up the gravel drive to a rustly fieldgate into a garden infront of a bungalow. Go straight up to a wooden gate at the top and emerge at the same waymark post). Go forward up the hedgeline to a stile into a field. Two paths start here. Ignore the one going sharply left and go forward straight across the field towards distant pylons. Go under wires to a stile and cross down onto a road.
Turn left for a short distance. Where the road swings sharp left, turn right down a farm track dropping gently downhill. Pass a small lake on the right and keep forward into a field. Go uphill towards a large pylon. Just before the pylon turn left down the field edge with a hedge on the right.
Descend gradually towards Brook Farm and some kennels. Follow the edge of the farm garden as it loops to the right. Pass a concrete marker post and go on to a corner where there is another concrete marker and a pylon straight ahead. Here turn left, downhill away from the farm, across the field towards the M20 Motorway. At the motorway fence turn right and follow it along to a fieldgate by a footbridge over a stream. Keep on in the same direction to eventually emerge onto the A20 main road by a motorway bridge. Turn right along the pavement and soon pass a village shop.
A little further on reach a side road on the right called Swan Lane. Opposite, across the main road, is the entrance to Somerfield Barn Court. On the right of this entrance is a stile into a field. Cross over to this and enter the field. Cross the field following a line of spaced out trees. Aim for a distant house in the far corner concealed by fir trees. Reach and cross a stile just before the house.
Keep ahead by a wire fence on the left to a further stile by a fieldgate. Over this bear sharp left across an entrance drive to a poor stile into a grassy paddock between conifer hedges. Cross to the far righthand corner and go over a quaint footbridge to skirt a pond and reach a rickety stile into an uneven field. Turn left to bear diagonally across the field passing a lone tree on the left marking a small pond. Keep on down a bank to the bottom righthand corner by the M20 again. Cross a very high stile into a field on the right.
Carry on along the M20 fence towards a distant white house. Just before the house turn right upto a stile and then left to pass the house and reach a further stile onto a road. Turn left a few paces and look for a fingerpost on the right pointing down through a thicket to a stile into a field. Cross (can be overgrown) into a field and bear diagonally right across the field towards the middle point of the hedge ahead. Search out a stile hidden in thorn bushes (again can be very overgrown; there are unofficial gaps in the hedge further along). Keep in the same direction across the next field towards a house on the left of Sellindge church.
Just short of the house is a very poor stile onto a grassy track. Turn right down this and the drive beyond to reach a main road. Cross to the pavement the other side and turn right along the road. Pass the church and reach a side road on the left called Stone Hill Road. Cross this to a concealed enclosed path opposite (there is a marker stone). Pass down between gardens to cross into a field. Here go diagonally left downhill to a fieldgate. Bear left on a private drive, over a stream, going towards the tall metal gates of Hoddiford Mill. Just before the gates turn sharp left by a stile and follow the path along by a stream on the left. Soon cross a second stile and bear right upto a stile into a pasture. Keep on in the same direction across a further paddock and emerge onto a private drive. Turn left down to gates onto a road.
Turn right, uphill, on the road. In a short distance pass a side road on the left and, a little further on opposite Southenay Lane, find a stile going left off the road into a field. Two paths begin here. Turn sharp right to go down the field towards power lines in the distance. Soon drop down a bank to a stile at the rear of garages. Cross an area which is currently a building site to a further stile by a bungalow. Go down through an area of bracken into a field.
Note the line set by the back of the bungalow on the right and use this to set the direction across the field under the power lines to a footbridge down a steep bank at the far side (keep over to the right as the field is crossed; it’s easy to wander off left towards the lowest part of the field). Cross the footbridge and a stile beyond into a rough field and go up to a stile by a wooden pole. Cross this to another footbridge and keep on up to an entrance drive.
Turn right on the entrance drive a short distance to reach an ols wooden gate on the left. Pass through this and bear diagonally left up the pasture to a stile in a wire fence. Cross this and turn right along the fence on the right and old tree stumps, to reach a stile by a bungalow on the right and cattle grid on the left. Cross to a roadway going uphill and walk up this. On reaching cottages on the right look for a metal fieldgate on the left. Go through this and cross the field diagonally upto another metal fieldgate bya railway sleeper marker post.
Go through the gate and turn left up by the fence to a stile into a sheepfold. Keep up to exit by a further stile and on upwards towards an Oast. Just before this cross into a narrow path bearing right along the edge of a garden and soon emerge onto a private drive. Cross straight over and go ahead with a tall conifer hedge on the left (do not go down the gap in the hedge) and soon pass tennis courts on the right. Drop down to a stile into a small field and keep on down to the bottom corner where there used to be a gate.
Turn right on a path along the edge of the field on the left and a fence on the right. Soon this goes uphill with a wood on the right. At the end of the field reach a stile onto a roadway with Bog Parm on the left. Go forward passing the farm on the left to reach a fieldgate on the left. Through this go down to a stream and on to a stile into a steep field. Go diagonally right up this field towards the top righthand corner keeping below the top fence. Reach a stile just below the far corner to the right of a cottage concealed behind fir trees. Cross into an enclosed path which soon becomes a driveway. Keep forward on this past new houses on the left and eventually reach a main road opposite a Baptist chapel. Turn left on this road and keep along bearing left at junctions to reach ‘The Woolpack Inn’ and the end of the section.
SECTION 5 BRABOURNE LEES TO STANFORD NORTH (RETURN) OS EXPLORER MAPS 137 (ASHFORD) 138 (DOVER, FOLKESTONE, & HYTHE)
With the public house on the right, walk back down the road but take the first road going off left. Walk along this to its end at a T-junction. Turn left here and in a short distance reach a row of shops. Look for an enclosed asphalt path opposite going right, off the road. Keep along here in a straight line for some way at the back of houses. Cross a residential road and soon reach another road. Turn left on this for a few paces then cross a stile on the right into a narrow path. Soon cross another and keep forward into a field. Walk on down the field looking for a wide gap in the hedge on the left. Go through here and go on downhill now with the hedge on the right. At the bottom cross a stile into a large rising pasture.
Bear right, uphill to the left of a metal fieldgate in the long hedge ahead. Look carefully for a stile through the hedge into the field beyond. Cross this second field bearing left to the far left corner by a painted bungalow. Cross a stile onto roads at a junction. Cross the junction to the entrance drive to Park Farm and walk along. Ignore the first footpath on the left and keep along the drive past a bungalow. The drive bends left and heads towards the distant farm.
Soon leave the drive and take a footpath heading across a large field towards a distant pylon to the right of the farm buildings. At the far side of the field drop down to a footbridge and then across a stile. Turn right to another stile and keep along by a stream, under power lines, to a double set of stiles.
Because of cross paths and fences the direction is a little confusing here. Cross into a large field and bear left steeply uphill towards the summit. On nearing the top of the hill, look for a distant pole at the highest point where hedges meet. Walk over to find a stile. Cross and continue downhill towards Water Farm.
Head for the righthandside of the buildings and find a stile going into a grassy paddock just short of an oast. Cross the paddock to a narrow country road. Turn left on the road and follow it up and around to the right. At a road junction, by the Black Horse public house, keep ahead, now downhill, for a short way passing a footpath on the left.
Just past the last house on the right (where a stream begins to to run alongside the road) find a stile. Cross into a field and go diagonally left downhill to a stream (aim for a distant house up on a hill). A bridge crosses the stream. Keep in the same direction to the far righthand corner of another field. Head towards a bank to the left of a clump of trees, still with that house up on the hill.
Climb the bank (ignore an old stile on the right), and head uphill to the left of the house at Cock Ash, to a stile onto a narrow road. Cross to a stile into a field on the other side. Here two paths are indicated. Keep straight ahead on the righthand path, going towards the centre of the field. Pass an isolated copse of trees on the left and keep on slightly downhill, past a small thicket hidiung a pond, and on up to the lefthand corner of a larger wood. Go through a gateway into a field and keep ahead with the wood edge on the right.
Where the wood ends, keep on across a large open field, bearing slightly right to a hedge. Keep on with the hedge on the right to a stile and cross to a road junction. A footpath is indicated here going down to Hope Farm. However this becomes lost in a complicated collection of buildings. Instead cross to the country road opposite (Hayton Road) and walk along looking for a broad drive on the right leading down to Hope Farm. Here is an unusual collection of workshops and vehicles in various stages of restoration.
Head towards the actual farmhouse at the bottom of the hill. Keep forward through derelict buildings on both sides until a newer workshop of concrete blocks juts out ahead. Here turn left and walk up to a metal fieldgate. Go through and continue up the side of a house to a field (if the way is blocked go the other side of the hedge on the right; the first route is the public right of way). Keep ahead with a hedge on the left.
Where the hedge finishes keep on downhill bearing slightly left to a rickety stile and footbridge in the corner of the field. Cross and keep on now uphill and eventually leave the field at a corner onto a road by Hayton Manor Farm. Cross over to a stile and enter a large field.
Two paths start here. Take the righthand one which goes straight on across the field. Soon go down a bank and keep on to a stile and an enclosed path which leads down to a road by the side of The Drum inn at Stanford North and the start of the section.
SECTION 6 (OUT) BRABOURNE LEES TO MERSHAM (THE FORSTAL) OS EXPLORER MAP 137 ASHFORD
With ‘The Woolpack Inn’ on the left, go forward along the road soon passing a school. Just after a road junction on the right, look for a footpath on the left. Pass through a metal swing gate into an enclosed path. Cross two stiles to a field. Keep on, uphill, to a stile by a wood. Do not enter the wood but turn right to follow the edge of the wood. Walk the length of the field, keeping on where the wood ends to a waymark post in the hedge at the far side of the field. Turn right along the hedgeline to a stile onto a road. Turn left along the road to reach Smeeth Church. Here cross the road to a stile opposite and cross into a field.Head down left to pass the end of a hedge and go on in the same direction, down the field to the far bottom corner. You may have to fight your way through bushes out onto a road. This is the old A20 but still busy so take care. Across the road is a fingerpost but the entrance to the path may be blocked with brambles. Go a few paces to the right to a metal fieldgate. Cross this into a rough field. Across this field is a row of conifer trees. Try and cross diagonally to the righthand end of this treeline. A broken stile shows where the path goes through the trees. Go ahead in the next field, with the hedge on the right, to a gap in a fence - there is no proper access to the path - and up onto a road where there is a fingerpost and marker stone. Turn right on the road and cross the M20. Immediately turn right over a stile by a mobile phone mast, and step over a wire fence. Keep along the field edge to a second phone mast then turn left to cross the field, aiming to the left of industrial buildings at Wembdon Farm. Emerge onto a road and turn right. After 100 metres, look for a footpath going left into a field. Cross straight across the field (do not drift to the right), aiming for low farm buildings behind a stone wall. Reach a stile by a fieldgate leading to a farm track. Turn left on this track, passing the buildings, and cross a cattle grid. Keep on the broad track, downhill by a hedge to a new railway bridge over the Channel Tunnel line. Bear right downhill to a metal fieldgate and go through into a large field. Bear diagonally right across the field, heading towards a distant church on a hill and find a stile in the hedge just before the railway. Cross a rough pasture to a lone tree and a further stile. The line of the path is currently very obscure. Head up, across the field, moving away from the stream on the left. Keep towards a copse of trees by the railway line with the distant church still ahead. On reaching the lefthand edge of the trees, go ahead with a stream on the right. Look ahead to the left end of houses searching for a grey, metal footbridge. Cross this bridge and immediately turn right on a path between two streams. This leads to a former mill. The path seems to come to an end but go through a wrought iron gate and on through a passageway to a roadway. Follow this up to the car park of the ‘Farriers Arms’ public house at The Forstal and the end of the section.
SECTION 6 (RETURN) THE FORSTAL TO BRABOURNE LEES OS MAP 137 ASHFORD
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