16km 9.9 miles Difficulty 7/10
This walk goes out across a succession of sunken lanes and hollows in the hillside, climbs to medieval castle ruins, and returns via parkland, field edges and paddocks. The shorter version missing out Leeds Castle, is proposed.Lunch:
The Black Horse Thurnham.
Mr Tiger has fond memories of this characterful pub - and of a particularly strong cider. They do food too.
Tea
Two pubs in Eyhorne Street, about ten minutes before the station. The upmarket Windmill (01622-889000), and the more traditional Sugar Loaves (01622-880220).
Trains
The 9:55 from Victoria arriving 11:09. Trains return to Victoria at xx:17. t=swc.253
Directions: here. (Extended Walk 1, via Thurnham, omitting Leeds castle).
1 comment:
No sign of Mr Tiger on the Kent walk either. One driver met two regulars and two youngish first-timers (university astrophysicists, no less) off the train, so n=5 of us on a w=cool-dry-day-with-a-bit-of-sun. [Another 8 or 9 walkers set off in the opposite direction but then circled back and followed us for a couple of miles before we managed to shake them off. When we all met up again to catch the 17:17 train it turned out they were a group of friends who'd done the 'standard' version of the walk, with the Leeds Castle loop.]
It was only 6km to the lunch pub but it took almost two hours as we had to cope with some very slithery descents on the North Downs Way. Walking sticks or poles would have been a big help but fortunately no-one came a cropper. Four ate at the Black Horse and all were well pleased with the pub. No doubt the management were disappointed at the hit to their cider sales due to Mr Tiger's absence, but they hid it well.
Our two first-timers flirted with the idea of doing the Leeds Castle loop but decided it was getting too late. I might also have put them off by mentioning that previous groups had made discouraging noises about the link routes to and from the castle, but today's independent group reported that they weren't all that bad.
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