SWC Walk 113: Tenterden to Rye – Varied Landscape between
Two Cinque Port Towns ending in Picturesque Rye t=swc.113
Distance: 13.4 Miles or 21.5 km for those more
metrically minded
Difficulty: 5 out of 10
Train: Take the 9:40
AM Southeastern Folkestone bound train from London Charing Cross (9:43 Waterloo East; 9:49 London Bridge) to
Headcorn, arriving 10:46; then take bus
route number 12, leaving from the forecourt at Headcorn Station at 10:53,
arriving at Tenterden at 11:18. Return
trains from Rye are at 48 minutes past the hour (changing at Ashford for either
slow or highspeed train). Buy a day return to Rye.
This walk covers varied ground from the low hills
in the eastern High Weald to almost the sea, largely following the High Weald
Landscape Trail. Starting in Tenterden, known as the “Jewel of
the Weald”, the walk heads through a wooded valley with loads of wood anemones
and then passes Chapel Down Winery (which offers tastings in its shop)
on its way to the Isle of Oxney, an area of high ground which was once
surrounded by the sea and rivers, before heading on into Rye perched up on a
hill. On the way, you pass by Smallhythe Place, originally the
harbormaster’s house when Small Hythe was a major port town before the River
Rother changed course. You can find more
information about the walk and download the walk instructions here.
Unfortunately, the only lunch pub closed a few
years back – so bring a picnic….. I will mention that the Chapel Down Winery
does have a shop where one can purchase picnic supplies….Tea and other
late afternoon refreshments can be had at the Cock Inn in Peasmarsh. Rye
also offers a variety of refreshment spots.
1 comment:
A select n=4 on this fine outing in w=mostly-bright-sunshine-with-a-few-spots-of-rain-in-the-afternoon. As advertised the w=wood-anemones were out in full force cheerfully widely open for most of the day welcoming the warming sun...towards the end of the walk, though, we noticed some small patches had started tucking in for bed...letting us know it was growing late into the afternoon....Also, as advertised, we had a good long stop at Chapel Down where 3 indulged in the wine tasting -- you now need to pay 5 pounds and are then entitled to three samples -- but also get a 5 pound credit if you buy a bottle of wine.....(our tasting host gave us a few extra tastes -- including some vodka made using the grape residue after pressing the wine...our vodka expert -- declared it a fine, smooth product...) We decided to buy a bottle of rose wine to accompany our picnics and inquired if we could have our lunches on the tables outside which was fine -- so we had a lovely and very stylish picnic in the sun on the outdoor tables at the vineyard accompanied with our dry rose in proper glasses...truly delightful! Later we passed the rather sad still closed pub...but...we peeked in the windows and it does look like some refurbishment is ongoing....so perhaps one day it will reopen....Since it had a been a long stretch since our lunch, we opted for a short break and late afternoon drinks (some hot and some cold) in the garden at the Cock Inn before the final push into Rye where we had just enough time to get some fish and chips before catching the 18:48.....on the way home one graciously shared a still chilled bottle of Flint Dry acquired from Chapel Down which washed the fish and chips down quite nicely...the long train journey was over before we knew it.....a fine day out in good company! Group cohesion factor 100%!
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