Difficulty 1 out of 10 (3 for the longer versions)
Length 7.2, 9.2 or 11.2 miles (11.5, 14.7, or 18 km)
Pluckley, in Kent, claims to be the UK’s most haunted village. Until recently, the local area was owned by the Dering family who got given it by William the Conqueror. Distinctive Dering windows and their black horse symbol can still be seen on many of the buildings. It also formed the backdrop to the “Darling Buds of May” book and TV series.
The basic walk is 7.2 miles but can be lengthened. On Sundays, the Rose and Crown, visited on the extended walks, is a more reliable tea stop.
Trains
Get the 09:45 Dover Priory train from Victoria arriving Pluckley 10:56.Return trains at xx:39 to Victoria. Get a return to Pluckley.
Lunch The Swan Inn in Little Chart (01233 840 702) is recommended . A bit later, in Pluckley, there's the Black Horse (01233 841 948).
Tea For the short walk you have the fore-mentioned Black Horse, which is fine, unless you’ve just had lunch there.
The Dering Arms, 01233 840 371, opposite the station, closes early on a Sunday, most likely at 4:00.
Both extensions take you past the Rose and Crown at Mundy Bois 01233 840 048. From there, allow 45-50 minutes to the station.
The longest also passes the The Barrow House in Egerton 01233 756 599.
Directions All three options are available online.
(Any of William the Conqueror's pals still using our Book 2 should note that, despite being 'inscrybed of the fynest vellome', it only offers the shortest walk).
If anyone is interested in a tour round the local ghosty hot spots, try adding in this offering. It’s not one of our walks. It starts in Pluckley and ends, 4 miles later, back in Pluckley at the Black Horse. From there, you can resume our original basic walk back to the station, a total 11.2 miles.
T=2.21
2 comments:
N=5w
= cloudy-morning,-warm-and-sunny-mid--afternoon
A pleasant walk with fields of barley, oast houses, orchards and blackberries starting to ripen. Four did the 11.2 miles version the fifth took a shortcut after losing sight of them. All stopped for lunch in Little Chart, three eating sandwiches on the concrete steps of the red brick church whose congregation welcomed us warmly when we looked inside. Two ate at the Swan Inn but wished the menu had some lighter options. Subsequent pubs looked more inviting but we didn't stop again until we reached the Dering Arms at the end. Four went in for refreshment and after admiring the pub's Dering windows we all caught the 4.38 to London.
w=cloudy-morning-warm-and-sunny-mid-afternoon
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