Length: 21km (13m)
Toughness: 5/10
Transport: Take the 9:40 train from London Charing Cross to Headcorn, then Arriva bus 12, leaving at 10:54, to Tenterden. Return from Rye at xx:47 to Ashford where there are many trains to St Pancras, Victoria and Charing Cross.
This walk is a nice stroll through Kentish countryside promising blue bells along the way and a superb ending in the old Cinque Ports town of Rye.
3 comments:
Is there a llama farm on the walk? I see some in the pictures!
There were some camelids (alpacas I think) in a field opposite Smallhythe Place in 2011. Things change, though. Some splendid apple orchards in Wittersham had all gone a few years later. Do let us know if the alpacas are still there!
After an ominous start with the bus engine overheating and the bus driver having had to stop the bus repeatedly to allow the engine to cool down 4 walkers arrived in Tenterden when one of them decided that this wasn't the type of group he wanted to walk with and stayed in Tenterden while the other n=3 set off after having stocked up on "provisions" in a tempting bakery. Not long into the walk a longish delay was caused by Chapel Down vinery where several local wines were sampled. Fortunately, the knowledgable presenter told us that the burger bar in Wittersham has closed so we had lunch in the garden of the tea shop at Smallhythe Place. Later intelligence revealed that the community is exploring ways to reopen the burger bar as a community pub. Onwards we walked staying on the High Weald Lanscape Trail, bypassing Wttersham, through the varied landscape of the isle of Oxney through drained marshes, copses on elevated grounds passing bluebell and wood anemone woods, apple orchards in bloom and several fascinating churches (a round sandstone arch with leopard carvings separating chancel and nave ? Why ? The leaflet in the church did not explain.) Some places required careful navigation. But our eagle-eyed spotter saw the distant trail markers long before the man with the map could figure out where north is. After a quick drink in the Cock Inn in Peasmarsh we descended into Rye, enjoying fish & chips at the harbour before taking the 19:47 back to Ashford. Since the 18:47 had been canceled and it having been a w=warm_and_sunny Easter Saturday the platform was packed with visitors to Rye who barely squeezed into the small two carriage train. With only one passenger fainting we all made it to Ashford for the onwards journey to London. A great day out in great company.
Post a Comment