Wednesday 7 December 2016
Wednesday Walk - Otford, Shoreham and the Darent Valley
Book 1, Walk 43 - Otford Circular
Length: 12 km (7.5 miles)
Toughness: 5 out of 10 (one steep climb at the start)
London Victoria: 10-22 hrs (Canterbury West train), Bromley South 10-39 hrs
Arrive Otford: 10-56 hrs
Return: direct trains at 00 and 32 mins past the hour
and at 07 and 37 mins past the hour, changing at Bromley South,
A short winter's outing today, to enable you to return home early after your walk before attending the SWC Christmas party in the evening, or, should you prefer, to linger for a while in an Otford cafe or pub before heading into London for the party. The quickest way back into Town is to take the short journey to Victoria then 18 mins on the underground to London Bridge (District Line to Westminster, changing to the Jubilee Line to London Bridge).
As for the walk, it's a Christmas cracker, with a lot packed in to its short length. You start with a very steep ascent up into woods, then its plain sailing, so to speak, through woodland, farmland and the Darent Valley.
The original lunch pub for this walk - the Fox and Hounds in Romney Street - closed down two years ago. A shame - I have happy memories sitting outside with Sunday walkers, including the late Richard Harrod on his 12th Leap Year Birthday in February 2004, eating Sunday lunch with snow falling on us.!
For lunch today I suggest you visit one of the three pubs in Shoreham (two thirds way into the walk). The Kings Head is as good as any. The walk comments mention detouring to the Rising Sun in Cotman's Ash, which does not serve food but the landlady permits walkers to eat their own sandwiches on the premises if they buy a drink or two, But a Shoreham pub seems more sensible.
Sections of today's walk can be muddy in winter, but even though we have had some rain recently, conditions under foot should be passable today - and should not spoil your enjoyment of this short, lovely walk.
Enjoy the walk - and the SWC party in the evening.
T=1.43
Walk Directions L=1.43
Next Week, Wednesday 14 December: SWC Walk 231a - Flitwick Circular (shorter version) 10.8 miles, Toughness 2 out of 10
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7 comments:
who is going tomorrow ?
Was hoping go but due to SWT train delays have had to abort my journey as wont get there in time
Grr!!!
N=7 plus one dog on this walk. Weather a tad disappointing give a cheery BBC forecast (which I confess was a factor on tempting your correspondent out), w=sunny-to-start-but-soon-clouding-up, with bluer skies hovering tantalisingly to the north after lunch: but v mild at least. A pleasant walk with some dribs of autumn colour still (oaks, field maple, hazel) and almost no mud (I have a feeling that is not going to last). Fascinating to see the golf course in the valley after the former lunch pub in Romney Street now completely returned to nature: you would never know it had ever been there.
Only two of us stopped at The George Inn, whose turkey dinner portion was so huge it could have fed a homeless hostel all by itself (as it is, the dog benefited). The sandwich-eaters left before I had ploughed through it and the other luncher opted for an early train from Shoreham. So I trudged on alone to Otford, enjoying the book route (a bit different to the direct route I normally walk). I can only assume the sandwich-eaters skipped tea as none were in either tea room. I went to the Hospices of Hope and enjoyed a nice slab of Christmas cake, just like my mother used to make, and tea in "a proper China cup"
I am reading Alan Bennett's latest published diaries and Walker you are starting to sound like him! Great stuff... try and mix in some reminiscences of Winchester as well (:>).
I am NOT reading Alan Bennett's latest published diaries so don't know if this is a compliment or otherwise.
Of course its a compliment.
Thank you, then
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