Length: 18.1 km (11.2 miles) Option to shorten by 2 km, or extend by 4.7 km for additional lunch pub options
Toughness: 7 out of 10 Several good ups and downs to keep you honest
Either
London St Pancras: 10-12 hrs Southeastern High Speed service to Margate
Arrive Ashford International: 10-50 hrs Change trains
Leave Ashford International: 11-05 hrs on Southeastern stopping service from Victoria to Ramsgate
Arrive Wye: 11-11 hrs
Or
London Victoria: 09-25 hrs Southeastern stopping service to Ramsgate Bromley South 09-42, Ashford International 11-05 hrs
Arrive Wye: 11-11 hrs
Or (if you wish to risk a tight change at Ashford International)
London Charing Cross: 09-40 hrs Southeastern fast service to Ramsgate London Bridge 09-49
Arrive Ashford International: : 11-00 hrs Change trains
Leave Ashford International: 11-05 hrs on Southeastern stopping service from Victoria to Ramsgate
Arrive Wye: 11-11 hrs
Return: Wye to Victoria: 20 mins past the hour Change at Ashford International for St Pancras or Charing Cross
Rail ticket: if travelling from or back to St Pancras make sure your ticket includes the High Speed supplement
In the original TO Book walk 53 was added for use when engineering work prevented the posting of one of the 52 walks in the annual rota. But so popular became walk 53 that it enjoys far more outings than was originally intended - for emergencies only.
When the original lunch pub in Sole Street, the Compasses changed from being a good country pub to being a rather pretentious gastropub a few years ago, an optional loop was added to the original route to incorporate the villages of Hastingley and Bodsham, each with a pub. Then the afternoon leg of SWC 138 - Chilham Circular was added for a more scenic afternoon route - but today let's do the original route, plus the additional loop for those who have not yet experienced one of the most "unusual " pubs in southern England.
Leaving Wye we climb up onto the Crundale Downs, just above the Crown Memorial cut into the hillside, with a Millennium Stone added for the year 2000. On top of the Downs, with lovely views, it's decision time - to continue on the original route, or visit the quirky, oddball pub in Bodsham - The Timber Batts pub and forge. Just before you reach Bodsham you walk through the village of Hastingley where you find the Bowl Inn open for drinks and maybe sandwiches on a Saturday.
If you keep to the original route and drop down to the hamlet of Crundale, with its loveley church - St Mary's, then you head up a steep road to the village of Sole Street where you find the Compasses Inn - said pretentious gastropub. But in fairness, the food is good - but you need to book in advance - they don't accept off street walkers, even when empty.
After lunch we tackle the original Book route, which in places is likely to be overgrown in summer. But with perseverance - and a walking pole - we should get through !
Back in Wye there are several pubs and cafes in the village for post walk refreshments but the recommended pit stop is the Tickled Trout pub, next door to the railway station.
This walk seldom disappoints.
T=1.53
Walk Directions are here L=1.53
9 comments:
From Nick Ellison 20-08-21
The path at paras 36-38 are impenetrable so I would suggest the following.
36. In 70 metres you come out to a tarmac road where you turn LEFT. In 150 metres or so turn right down a stony earth track and in 60 metres go right over a stile.
37. Head slightly left down a faint grassy path aiming at the hedgerow where you will find an overgrown gap leading down through a metal gate. You may need to persevere to find this gap.
38. Having gone through the gate your way forward is across a field aiming for the left hand side of the industrial shed.
I am up for this. But I might take an earlier train. It'll be the HST.
Austen
I just tried calling the Bodsham pub to book for Saturday but no answer and the message said "we remain temporarily closed". Has anyone else tried? Peggy
Hi Peggy, the website says the pub is "temporarily closed" - but the pub's booking form for lunch remains operational for tomorrow. Perhaps try 'phoning again tomorrow from Wye.
The posting for this walk concludes with the observation that "This walk seldom disappoints". But today was one of the exceptions, at least for our fearless walk poster. He got as far as Ashford to realise that someone had shimmered off with his backpack, last seen resting in the rack above his seat. He felt the understandable need to turn back and go home. Our commiserations on this misfortune.
So it was that the 9 that gathered at Wye station did not include our selfless volunteer. Also there was one of our regulars leading his own independent group which was at least as large again.
Progress was uneventful to Sole Street, where five took a drink at the Compasses Inn, and the rest presumably had sandwiches nearby. The pub wasn't quite full, so it was willing to provide lunch to those without reservations, so long as it was inside, for no more than two people, and in an hour's time at 2:15. We confined ourselves to a drink in the very nice garden, where fancy and expensive umbrellas proved handy during a fleeting rain shower. That aside, weather was
w=some-sunny-intervals-with-a-cool-breeze. Towards the end of our stay there, an early starter appeared who had done a long version of the walk and joined us for the rest of the day, making a total of n=10,
After lunch we heeded the posting of Nick Ellison of 20 Aug which warned of impenetrable passages and found the suggested diversion also impenetrable. Perhaps we didn't follow it accurately. We wound up reverting to the stony earth track he describes and following it for a mile or more until it rejoined the published route.
Four had speedily served beer and tea in the Tickled Trout and took the 1720 train. The others were believed to have managed to get the 1620, at least some of them by taking a shortcut along the road.
To David Colver
I am sorry that you were unable to follow my suggested route. Did you find the small stile on the right? I can understand that you did not find the gate in the hedgerow- the gap is there but is considerably overgrown.
We found a gate in the hedgerow.
The thought that it was the one you suggested
- was reinforced by its position and consistency with your description
- was cast into doubt by it being very well defended by nettles, giving no impression that anyone had been through or over it in a long time, and offering no obvious path beyond it.
These things led us to turn back to the stile and continue on down the track until it converged with the route some distance later.
We did the same as David, as it was just easier to follow the BOAT to its junction with the suggested route. Without Nick's suggestion we would have been stumped, so thanks for that. I have reported the obstruction to KCC's Rights of Way officer.
The walk from Southbourne to Chichester on Wednesday 25th August was fabulous.My first walk with SWC but definitely not my last.
Such a lovely and friendly group. Perfect weather, great company.
I loved the non hieraechical feel of the group. Brilliant website. Thanks in particular to Marcus for being so welcoming.
The day was an absolute joy!
Hoping to do the Hitchin Circular on Bank. Holiday Monday.
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