Length: 15½ km (9.6 miles). Toughness: 3 out of 10
Trains: Charing Cross 10.04, London Bridge 10.13, to Tonbridge (10.46) where you change to catch the 11.01 from platform 1 to Penshurst, arriving 11.09.
Trains back from Penshurst run hourly at 15.02, 15.22, 15.55, 16.02, 16.32, 16.55, 17.22, 17.25, 17.55 - with some going via Redhill and some via Tonbridge. Buy a return that is valid via all routes.
Lunch: The suggested place on the Main Walk (after 9½ km, or 6 km with the short cut) is the Wheatsheaf (01732-700100) pub/restaurant in Bough Beech village.
Tea: In Chiddingstone, the Tulip Tree (01892-870326) is open daily to 5pm. Chiddingstone Castle has an equally good Tea Room (01892-870347) with a good range of cakes. It is in a courtyard around the back of the castle through the shop.
At the end of the walk, the Little Brown Jug ( 01892-870318 ) in Chiddingstone Causeway is just across the road from Penshurst station; it is usually open all day and serves tea and coffee as well as normal pub fare.
For more details about the walk, click L=swc.300
2 comments:
n=20 were drawn out by the sun on this beautiful spring day. The fields were still a bit soggy from the winter's rain but the sunny, breezy weather of the past week had made them walkable and the muddy patches around gates and stiles were manageable. Lots of celandines, daffodils and primroses were seen and in a couple of large fields near the end of the walk there were sheep with lambs. The group strung out but reconvened at the Wheatsheaf where 2 had a pub lunch while the rest picnicked outside. It was a short walk from there to Chiddingstone where 11 visited the Tulip Tree tea room. Others carried on to Penshurst station with some visiting the Little Brown Jug for refreshments. They had left by the time the tea drinkers got there. Three stopped for further refreshments there, the remainder caught the 16.35 train via Redhill. w=sunny and warm
A few of us popped into the bird hide at Bough Beech and were rewarded with a sighting of a kingfisher perched on the opposite bank. Signs of spring included flowering bluebells, butterflies and chiffchafss. Thanks to Wanderer for a lovely walk.
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