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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.

Sunday 30 June 2019

Sunday Walk: Staplehurst to Headcorn ... or Sissinghurst .... or both

SWC Walk 80, Difficulty 2 out of 10
Staplehurst to Headcorn 12.8km (7.9 miles)
Staplehurst to Sissinghurst 12.6km (7.8 miles)
Staplehurst to Headcorn via Sissinghurst 19.8km (12.2 miles)
An easy walk in the Kentish Weald. The basic walk is Staplehurst to Headcorn but you can divert to Sissinghurst Castle, famous for the gardens designed by Vita Sackville-West. If you want to spend time in the gardens, there’s a bus back to Staplehurst every two hours - or - you can complete a longer walk to Headcorn.
Trains: Get the 9:40 Dover Priory train from Charing Cross  (London Bridge 9:49) arrives Staplehurst 10:44.
Return to Charing Cross from Headcorn at xx:14 and xx:44. Get a return to Headcorn.
Lunch:
The Camra-recognised Bell and Jorrocks, Frittenden (01580 852415) for the basic walk. The village once sought fame for its non-existent treacle mines.
Or,  the National Trust Restaurant at Sissinghurst Castle (The restaurant can be accessed without paying the entrance fee).
Tea: In Headcorn you have the George and Dragon and the Village Tea rooms (closes 4:30), both on the High Street.
Sissinghurst. Entry to Sissinghurst Castle's gardens costs £13.80 unless you're an NT member. If you want to get the bus back, it's a 30 minute walk to the stop, following paragraphs 86-97 in the directions. The two-hourly number 5 bus leaves for Staplehurst at 13 :12 15:12 and 17:12 (last one). These arrive at the station at xx:25 to meet trains at xx:48. You can also walk a further 1.6 miles from Sissinghurst to Cranbrook and catch the same bus at 13 :04, 15:04 and 17:04.
Walk Directions here
T=swc.80

1 comment:

Tony said...

With no visible group gathering on the platform at Staplehurst it was only a chance glimpse of a couple looking at walking notes that ensured a group of n=4 walkers set off. Much cooler than Saturday our group benefited from w=a-mix-of-bright-and-hazy-sunshine-with-the-occasional-cloud. We made good progress to the lunchtime pub where we were met with friendly service and good quality food (though a longish wait). Despite the best efforts of the whole group we just couldn't initially work out the later section of the walk from point 49 onwards and had to ask some locals who were kind enough to show us a map. Though we didn't add much distance to the walk we did lose a lot of time. Tested but not testy we eventually got back on track (with the help of a fancy phone) and made it to Headcorn just after 17:00 for a restorative drink (and cake) in the George and Dragon before just making the 17:44 train back. An enjoyable walk in good company. (Thanks due to the walk poster and all the public spirited volunteers that maintain the SWC.)