Ascent/Descent:
approx. 360m; Net Walking Time: 5 hours
Toughness:
6 out of 10
Take the 10.00 Sevenoaks train
from St. Pancras I’nal (10.05 Farringdon, 10.12 Blackfriars, 10.16 Elephant
& Castle and all stations via
Bromley South), arrives Shoreham (Kent) 11.04.
From Victoria: take the 10.22
Canterbury West train and change at Bromley South (10.38/10.44).
Return trains are on xx.10 and on xx.40.
New
walk covering the familiar area of the Darent Valley between Eynsford and
Otford: two loops centred on Shoreham, with plenty of options to shorten the
walk, and even one to lengthen it (a wee bit).
“The
northern loop initially follows the route of Book 1 Walk 23 (Otford to
Eynsford) and takes a similar route through Lullingstone Park, an attractive
landscape of chalk grassland and ancient woodland with an internationally
important collection of veteran trees. It comes out by Lullingstone Castle, a historic manor
house with limited opening hours, but its grounds contain an unusual parish
church (open to the public at all times) and a World Garden. The route
back to Shoreham is along the Darent Valley Path and passes
extensive lavender fields at Castle Farm, while in Shoreham
itself The Mount Vineyard is sometimes open
for tastings.
The
southern loop goes through a couple of small nature reserves on the hillside to
the south-east of Shoreham and joins the route of Extra Walk 59 (Eynsford Circular)
into and through the village of Otford, passing its scale
model of the Solar System. The village has
many interesting old buildings and the full route takes you past the ruins of Otford
Palace, a rival to Hampton Court in Tudor times. The remainder of this loop
follows the ‘longer afternoon’ route of Walk 59 along the wooded hills on
the western side of the valley.”
Lunch: There are four pubs in Shoreham, passed after
9–10 km: the Crown and the Two
Brewers on the High Street, followed by the Kings Arms and
Ye Olde George Inn on Church Street.
Tea: Pubs as above plus
- en route back to Shoreham - the Otford Tea Rooms at the back of the Hospices
of Hope (open to 17.00) and the Pond View
Café (open to 16.30). There are
also two pubs on the High Street in Otford.
T=swc.289 Next Week: A Brockenhurst walk
4 comments:
Weather fore-cast doe not look promising tomorrow. Will anyone do the walk even it is raining?
Yes. People will turn up. There may well be some rain fir a while, which will make us appreciate the sun more when it emerges, and emerge it will. Often. Take a mack.
I ll be doing it
8 walkers off the train, and 1 other an hour behind due to some problems with a connecting train, i.e. n=9 in w=drizzle-to-lunch-then-overcast-and-gloomy conditions.
Nearly having struggled to get out of the station, never mind the proverbial car park, a good pace was had, spurred on by the annoying drizzle. This restricted views from the many ridges and viewpoints en route, but the morning loop through Shoreham and up through Lullingstone and Preston Hill Country Park was full of delights nevertheless: varied woods, large wildflower meadows throughout the Country Park, Lullingstone Castle and parish church, the Darent River Path, several lavender fields and a hop one as well.
The group somehow lost their leader early on, who in the drizzle wasn't in the mood for waiting, so arrived much earlier at lunch in Shoreham. The Crown provided steady quality (although we later thought that maybe the Two Brewers would've been the better choice).
The afternoon is somewhat less interesting, with Fackenham Down, Otford Palace and Polhill Bank the highlights. Drinks at The Kings Arms for some, 17.10 train for the majority (so they thought, but the train was cancelled).
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