Book 1 Walk 53/SWC 138 Wye/Chilham Combo with early
start long option or a later start shorter option t=1.53
Distance: 14 miles/22.5 km for the longer route via Bodsham OR
11 Miles/17.7km for the classic combo
Difficulty: 6 out of 10
Train: For the longer route, take the 9:12
AM train from London St. Pancras (9:19
from Stratford International), changing at Ashford (arriving 9:50; departing
10:12) arriving at Wye at 10:18. For those planning to do the shorter version
of the walk, you can take the 10:12 AM train from London St. Pancras. It is
conceivable that the two groups could meet at/near the Compasses Inn. Return
trains from Chilham at 11 minutes past the hour. Buy a day return to Chilham.
This route is a classic combo of two walks,
creating a linear route from Wye to Chilham. It comes in a long or a short
version. Given it is a Sunday and the intriguing Timber Batts Pub and Forge in Bodsham,
a truly quirky experience and definitely worth at least a drinks stop, is open
for lunch, the longer route is recommended….
For both routes, you follow the instruction
from Book 1 Walk 53 from Wye up onto the dramatic North Downs escarpment with
fine views. The shorter route then crosses the downs to the Compasses Inn in Sole Street where you switch to the picturesque afternoon route from
SWC 138 to the charming village of Chilham; whereas the extended route diverts
from the classic one on the escarpment, continuing along the NDW for a spell
before turning off the escarpment towards Bodsham and eventually also passing by the Compasses
Inn where you can pick up the afternoon instruction for SWC 138. You can find
more information about the walk and download the walk instructions/route here and here.
On the longer route, we will plan to eat at the Timber
Batts and admire the interesting collection of curiosities. For those doing
the shorter version, the Compasses Inn has been the traditional lunch
stop, but it has become rather upmarket in recent years requiring carefully
timed bookings and proving difficult for walking groups…so a picnic lunch may
be required.
In Chilham, tea and other post walk afternoon refreshments
can be had at Shelly’s Tea Room or
the White Horse.
Enjoy the walk!
7 comments:
It is with great sadness that I have to report that Shelly's tearoom in Chilham, home of the best cream tea in Kent, closed at the end of December. The owners have emigrated to Massachusetts.
Nooooo!!!!
All is not entirely lost. The business will reopen, under new management and under the name of The Church Mouse Tearoom - on Monday 14th February.
Anyone getting the later train?
I plan to.
Not sure if it was the early start or appalling forecast, but just me, myself and I alighted from the designated train (not sure if anyone came on a later train), making for n=1 in w=breezy-and-varied-conditions. The climb to the escarpment never fails to get the blood flowing and the views from the top were fabulous -- amazingly far and clear not withstanding the high cloud....Likewise the Timber Batts never fails to amaze...surrounded by an intriguing collection of curiosities, lunch was an engaging affair (though not quite the same fine culinary experience as on Saturday's walk). After lunch, the skies actually cleared for a spell across the rolling down land to the Compasses Inn where I peeked in and found no familiar faces....The clouds then returned with some spitting rain and atmospheric wind gusts blowing through the trees...The route carries along the escarpment through some woods, then down across the valley to Godmersham Park where light rain finally set in requiring donning over trousers for just the final 2 miles into Chilham....In Chilham, tea shop fans will be pleased to know that there was plenty of activity in Shelley's -- getting ready for its reopening presumably (much more promising than any of the closed pubs from Saturday which were all quite desolate looking). Plenty of time for a post walk bevie in the White Horse before catching the 17:11 and swiftly home to wrap-up Sunday chores and have a relaxing hot bath to round out the day. A fine day in great company with varied and interesting conversation. Seen along the way: loads of snow drops, some daffs, a large herd of deer and a harris's hawk (resident at the Timber Batts). I have noted some "group cohesion" statistics in some walk reports -- a perfect 10/10 on this one.
Having read @Stargazer's post I was relieved to see that I was not the only walker on Sunday, so #2 on a day of #overcast-with-a-stiff-westerly-breeze. I was surprised not to see any other walkers alighting from the 11:18 train at Wye, but at least it had the benefits of cutting down on idle gossip and making the occasional comfort stop much simpler. I agree that the view from the Crown never fails to disappoint, with magnificent far-reaching vistas. On a good day you can see Winchelsea. On a bad day you can see Ashford sewage works. Emerging from Collyerhill Wood I spotted a small group of roe deer at the far edge of the field and then took the long bridle path between freshly-flailed hedgerows to St Mary the Blessed Virgin Church, Crundale. This part of the route is beautiful in spring and summer when the Hawthorn is out, although the absence of foliage did make for better views. Having lunched alone on the bench just outside Sole Street, I popped into the Compasses, but, like Stargazer, saw no familiar faces. Enquiries of the staff revealed that they were not expecting any group bookings. I carried on across the escarpment, a weak sun at one point providing a shadow, my only companion, and down to Godmersham Park, beloved of Jane Austen (I wonder if it is possible to see inside the house?) Passing an abandoned building in woodland, sitting forlornly in a sea of snowdrops, I arrived at Chilham along the curiously-named Mountain Street. (Chilham is 125 feet above sea level.) The White Horse was busy, warm and welcoming and there was time for a pint of Timothy Taylor's Landlord before a short walk to the station, now in drizzle, and the 16:11 train. So, no group cohesion, as it turned out, but an enjoyable walk anyway.
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