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This Week's Walks - Archive

Please see the Saturday Walker's Club This Week's Walks page.

This is an archive of walks done by the Saturday Walker's Club. You should only need to use this page if the SWC website is down.

Wednesday 21 September 2016

Wednesday Walk: SWC 150 - Yalding to Sutton Vallance

An easy ridge walk in the Kent apple orchards, with fine views throughout

SWC 150: Yalding to Sutton Vallance

Length: 15.1 km (9,4 miles)
Toughness: 3 out of 10

London Charing Cross: 10-10 am (Ramsgate train). (Waterloo East 10-13; London Bridge 10-19)
Arrive Paddock Wood 11-00 am
Change to Strood train (same platform)
Leave Paddock Wood 11-11 am
Arrive Yalding: 11-19 am

OR  
Charing Cross: 10-00 am (Royal Tunbridge Wells service)  Change at Tonbridge, over bridge and onto Strood train. Plenty of connection time.

AVOID  
Charing Cross: 10-15 am (Hastings service) as the connection at Tonbridge is only 5 minutes.

Return 

No 12 Bus from Sutton Vallance to Headcorn:  16-16; 16-39; 17-16; 18-16. Journey time 10 to 11. mins.

OR 
Club together for a taxi to Headcorn (see Directions for cab number)

Headcorn railway station; to Charing Cross: 16-45; 17-18; 17-45; 18-16

Railway ticket: buy a day return to Yalding, plus a single from Headcorn to Paddock Wood.

This is one of the few walks in the SWC repertoir that I haven't tried yet, so I will keep this next bit to a minimum - as you can do what I'm currently doing - reading the Directions.

The walk is entirely on the Greensand Way as you pass through a number of apple orchards and up onto the Greensand Ridge.

Lunch pub, the Bull Inn, some 5.5 miles into the walk, in the village of Linton, is sited on the edge of an escarpment and has a garden and terrace with fine views.

Tea can be taken at one of three pubs in Sutton Vallance, including the Clothworkers Arms, or at a pub in Headcorn - all detailed in the Directions.

There's a bit of faffing about with buses (or taxis) at walk end to get to the return journey railway station, but I am assured it is worth it for what should be an enjoyable walk which is not too demanding. Let's hope for nice weather.

Walk Directions here
T=swc.150

Next Week: Wednesday 28 September: SWC 216: Kelvedon Circular. An adventure in Essex.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

On the walk comments page there's mention of an alternative to finish at Maidstone. You'll need a map though.

Anonymous said...

Would anyone be interested in finishing at Maidstone?

Mike A said...

n=10 on this w=classic_Indian_Summer_day. The walk is primarily along the Greensand (glauconite) Way just to the south of it's big brother the North Downs Way. Walkers were treated to great views of the Weald/Medway Valley to the south and endless orchards of ripened apples nestling on the southern slopes. A huge field of pumpkins provided an interlude, ripened and ready for Halloween I guess. Lunch was at the Bull at Linton with more stunning views from the rear garden and (I think) very reasonable food. Onward to Boughton Monchelsea church and Buttercups Goat Sanctuary after lunch, passing workers picking apples in the later orchards. Some ventured on to do the Harrietsham extension whilst the less intrepid caught buses to Headcorn Station. A great pre-equinox outing on a Golden (dare I say) Autumn day