SWC Walk 150: Greensand Way – Yalding to Sutton Valence, Harriethsam or Pluckley along the Greensand Way ***Updated train time***t=swc.150
Distance: Something for everyone:
To Sutton Valence: 9.5 miles or 15.3 km for those more metrically minded, with bus to Headcorn
To Harrietsham: 15.1 miles or 24.3 km for those more metrically minded
To Pluckley: 20.5 miles or 33 km for those more metrically minded
Difficulty: 3 out of 10
Train: Take the 9:10 AM Ramsgate train from London Charing Cross (stopping at Waterloo East at 9:13 and London Bridge at 9:19), arriving at Yalding at 10:18 (with a change at Paddock Wood – arriving 9:58 and departing 10:11). If you just miss this train -- the 9:15 AM Hastings train will also work with a tight change at Tonbridge (arriving 10:00; departing 10:04). For those only planning to walk to Sutton Valence, you could start from the 10:10 AM train…It would also be possible to start the walk in Sutton Valence in the afternoon, by taking a train to Headcorn and bus number 12 (towards Maidstone) to Sutton Valence. I would guess people starting from Yalding would arrive in Sutton Valence around 2:30 or 3:00pm.
Return trains from Headcorn are at 15 and 45 past the hour; return trains from Harrietsham are at 38 (direct to Victoria) and 51 (via Ashford to St. P) past the hour; and from Pluckley are at 08 and 38 (to Charing Cross) and 20 and 50 (to St P) past the hour.
If planning on the shorter version to Sutton Valence, you will need to take an Arriva bus 12 towards Tenterden (9 minutes) from Sutton Valence to Headcorn (buses seem to be roughly hourly around 45 minutes past the hour – though sometimes earlier or later – so check the time when you know your timing). Buy a day return to Yalding if walking to Harrietsham (you should then buy a single from Harrietsham to Maidstone), a day return to Headcorn if walking to Sutton Valence or a day return to Pluckley if doing the long-haul.
This walk largely follows the Greensand Ridge with fine views to the south. Additionally, the route passes through many orchards, so, with any luck, the warmer weather this past weekend and week will draw out some of the blossom (but it may still be a bit early)……You can find more information about the walk and the instructions here and for those continuing onto Pluckley here.
It might be possible to eat on the terrace of The Bull in Linton (01622 743 612) about 5.5 miles into the walk. However, people doing one of the longer versions may wish to eat later.
Sutton Valence has some pubs with gardens from which to choose for afternoon or post walk refreshies (depending on your choice of walk length). In Headcorn, the George and Dragon is always a pleasant place for a drink and/or a bite to eat before the train. Not sure about pub status in Harrietsham. There is a pub next to Pluckley Station (which is a bit upmarket) and another just off route outside of Pluckely (the Rose and Crown in Mundy Bois).
It is expected to walk in groups of no more than six and provide contact details. To facilitate the collection of contact details, please pre-register for this walk on the "events" page at https://www.lwug.co.uk/. You will need to first sign-on and possibly register if you have not previously registered on the site.
If you test positive for COVID within a week of attending this walk, please contact me by emailing {remove the AAA} AAAcovid@lwug.co.uk, a private dedicated COVID reporting email address.
Enjoy the walk!
13 comments:
Great walking options. Cheers. Only one pub (at best) will be open in SV, with basic food. Last time I was there dogs had left deposits in the small garden some time before. No pub these days in Harrietsham.
The Pepper Box, it seems, will be open, but shuts between 3 and 6. Good food.
The Pepper Box is indeed a lovely pub, and it has a generous amount of outside tables. But starting from Yalding it is 12.8 miles into the walk... However, if you started from Harrietsham (for which directions/GPX are provided in the Sutton Valence to Pluckley walk document), you could maybe have a late lunch there and then join the others for the second half of the walk.
I concur that there is nothing to be hoped for on the refreshment front if finishing in Harrietsham. Definitely a member of the "Aylesbury Club" of places with pretty names which are actually more than a bit disappointing... Time your arrival there carefully so as not to be waiting around a long time for the hourly train.
Those for whom "stepping lively" is a bit of a strain early in the morning, might care to get the 9.10 train from Charing Cross (9.13 Waterloo East, 9.19 London Bridge) to Paddock Wood, arriving 9.58, where you have a languid 13 minutes to wait on the same platform for the Yalding train, which departs at 10.11. In fact, I personally see no reason to get the 9.15 (etc) train at all, unless you arrive at the station at the very last minute...
Plenty of good places in Aylesbury...
As the weather should be good and the Harrietsham walk was recently offered I assume most will be doing the full 20 miles?
I have to travel into London to catch trains. I should like to catch the 10.15 Hastings train boarding at 10.18 at Waterloo East changing quickly at Tonbridge to Platform 1 which was the listed train last week for the Yalding to Borough green and allows plenty of time. Would anyone like to join me on the short walk? Am happy to read the instructions but anyone with a good battery for GPS would be most welcome.
I have deviated from the recommendation of National Rail and updated the train times to allow for a longer connection time at Paddock Wood....but if you miss the 9:10 -- the 9:15 should also work, if you move quickly....
Sorry can’t make any trains this weekend due to engineering works
N=9 assembled on the platform in Yalding from the specified train under w=beautiful-clear-blue-skies. The day could not have been better for a long walk. The apple blossom was just starting to come out - some trees had a few flowers others were covered with red buds and some further behind....After an initial climb the route spends the day high on a ridge with fine views....For a first, no one ate at lovely Bull Inn....but picnicked instead at various places en route. Two of us felt duty bound to sample the offerings at a new microbrewery a very short distance from the route....Everyone reconnected in the lovely garden of the Queens Head in Sutton Valence for a drink after which 3 caught the bus to Headcorn and six set off onwards...Given the perfect conditions 2 opted for the long haul to Pluckley, arriving at 8pm with time for a drink at the Derring Arms where we met one of the Harrietsham finishers before catching the 8:38. A mighty fine day out!
Nine....of which one was left behind by the others, greyhounds all, who sped off into the distance (To be fair, one later waited for me, but I had stopped to buy an extra sandwich in Yalding, which held me up a bit...)....
Sigh... I had looked forward to happy chat in glorious scenery at a wonderful time of year, but I suppose two out of three ain't bad. As it was, I reflected that no lover of nature is alone in the countryside in April. I enjoyed the company of butterflies and stitchwort and dandelions. I listened to the birdsong. I looked at the different ways the leaves come out on every tree. I found a quite rare little parasitic plant called toothwort. I discovered some nice bluebell woods just off the route that I did not know existed (and I wrote the walk): some good showings of the flowers in these. Only a very chilly Easterly breeze dampened my spirits, though out of it, it was as warm as toast.
The painful part of the walk was passing the Bull in Linton. Reader (does anyone in fact read these things?), never was there such a day for having lunch at the Bull!! It has a huge outside terrace with a mouthwatering view and was sheltered from the wind. I had anticipated a lingering lunch there, putting the world to rights with a group of eclectic SWC-ers under the implacable sun. But there was no great attraction in sitting there alone, and possibly having to wait a while for meal. So I grudgingly, regretfully, trudged on.
On this next section, two of the fast walkers overtook me. I still have not worked out the logistics of this. We talked for a while, but I had an appointment with the rather dry cheese sandwich I had bought in Yalding, and I stopped at Boughton Monchelsea churchyard (where an SWC walk poster's ancestors are buried) to eat it.
Later, in Sutton Valence, I caught up with the group in the much improved garden of the Queen's Head. They were just setting off for their various adventures, however, so I was again alone for the extension to Harrietsham. I had a second tea in the churchyard with the immense carpet of primroses (fading now, but still good) and a little later am 90% sure I heard a bullfinch (it was singing for quite a long time).
Enticing cooking smells were wafting out of the Pepper Pot, one of my favourite pubs as I passed it, but the sun was by now getting a bit low and the temperature dropping. I crossed the coppiced woodland, which looked as if a meteor had hit it due to recent logging, but which had a good display of wooden M's. In Harrietsham, I had to chose between a lovely oilseed rape field, fully out, in the contemplation of which I could have happily whiled away the 50 minutes to the next train very happily, or popping into Ashford on the train and out again to Pluckley hook up with the long walkers. I did the latter. We had wine on the train.
Hi. Where is the microbrewery, and the mystery bluebell wood? Great reports - thank you.
Many thanks Walker for the walk report feedback. I will be doing this walk independently on Friday and will try the outside space at the recommended pub for lunch.
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