Length: 14.1 km (8.8 miles)
Toughness: 5 plus out of 10 One steep ascent before lunch, then several ups and downs to keep you awake
London Victoria: 10-25 hrs Southeastern service to Ramsgate Bromley South: 10-42 hrs
Arrive Otford: 11-01 hrs
Return
Thameslink services from Sevenoaks to Welwyn Garden City via London Blackfriars
Eynsford: 05 & 35 mins past the hour Change at Bromley South for return to Victoria
Rail ticket: buy a day return to Otford
This is a delightful little walk which packs a punch much greater than its distance suggests, being full of variety with interesting sights.
Setting out from Otford station you walk down through the town before crossing a number of fields and through a farm before you have a steep - but short - climb up to woodland above Shoreham. You then drop down to this village for lunch at one of its pubs (at last count three are open and one is permanently closed ). The popular Kings Arms pub in the heart of the village has now reopened after a major fire earlier in the year. Picnickers usually find a spot on the banks of the River Darent.
After lunch you have the first of two pleasant walks today bedside the river before you head for a wood which comes out on to a golf course. Up, over, down, up again then down through the golf course and you arrive at Lullingstone Park Visitor Centre. Another pleasant leg beside the river takes you to Lullingstone Castle. From here the route is along an access road to Lullingstone Roman Villa then on under a famous viaduct and into Eynsford. For tea option in this village please refer to the directions.
This walk seldom disappoints.
T=1.23
Walk Directions are here: L=1.23
1 comment:
13 of us on the posted train, plus 3 later arrivals on a different train, makes n=16 for today's outing in Kent. As for the weather, it was w=overcast-and-dreary-in-the-morning-with-the-sun-coming-out-mid-afternoon, which was nice. No rain today. The temperature was between 8 and 10 degrees C all day, which was fine - and comfortable - for a late autumn walk.
We were blessed with some fabulous (very) late leaf colour - the beech tress working overtime just for us.
Paths were beginning to become muddy, and slippery in places, but were manageable today.
Four of us had lunch at the Crown pub in Shoreham, which was fine - and very busy. One of the sandwichers joined us for a coffee. Most of the other picnickers had their lunches down by the river Darent in lower Shoreham.
The afternoon was enjoyable, and colourful, and delightful when the sun came out. A few of us took the shortcut just before Eynsford in order to return to London for evening engagements. We met up with seven of the sandwich brigade on Eynsford station for our journey back to London on the 16-05 hrs service.
Another enjoyable Wednesday walk.
Post a Comment