Eynsford Circular via Otford t=swc.59
Distance: 21.5km (13.4 miles) for the whole walk: options from 14km (8.7 miles) to 18.8km (11.7 miles)
A charming walk exploring the hidden valleys of the North Downs and Darent Valley through three interesting villages. This walk covers ground familiar with a few SWC outings and should include some fine views. The walk notes include various options to shorten the route by ending in either Shoreham or Otford or by taking shorter alternative routes. For more information on the walk and its instructions and map, click here.
Lunch: Unless you shortcut to Shoreham, which has other options, lunch will probably be at the Bull in Otford - though the Hospices of Hope tea room might provide an alternative for lighter meals.
Tea: is one of the pubs in Eynsford, unless you tweak the walk (ie divert off the stated route a bit) to descend to the nice cafe at the Lullingstone Visitor Centre, open until 5pm.
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Was it the w=misty-grey weather? The late posting of this walk? The fact that 26 people did it as recently as late October? Whatever, a select N=9 on this walk. As usual with such a large unwieldy group we quickly got a bit split up. Two did a side trip to see a monument (but caught us up later). One took a shortcut to Shoreham. Others evaporated into thin air or were abducted by aliens.
By lunch there were only four of us remaining. Three of us had a very pleasant lunch in the attentive Bull Inn. One joined us for drinks. A fifth arrived unfortunately just as we were getting up to leave, but as he planned to skip the rest of the walk we left him to his pint. (Sorry about that…)
Amidst the mizzle (mist on the “tops”, giving the landscape a Scottish air at times) there were lots of signs of spring. Primroses, some very early wood anemones (closed up, sadly), many and varied birdsong (I ticked off nearly everything on my March birds hitlist….). The big celandine wood just after Magpie Bottom was sadly not yet out, but up on the downs above Otford there was a gorgeous herd of fearsome-looking but very dopey highland cattle. Leaves were starting on hawthorn and hazel.
One of the lunchers left us in Otford to go to an evening event, so (if you are keeping up with the maths here….) there were just the three of us in the afternoon. We diligently did the whole route, deciding against a descent to the Lullingstone Visitor Centre for tea because it was too late in the day. There was some gloopy mud in the woods by the golf course, but mostly today it was only of the slippy surface kind. A couple of minor descents needed care as a result.
In Eynsford we cleaned our boots in the ford and received a friendly welcome in the Malt Shovel for tea. We got the 18.35 train, two of us changing at Swanley for a fast train to London Bridge.
A rather gloomy day out compared to the lovely sunshine earlier in the week - but full of the promise of spring!
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