T=1.36
Length: 9.3 miles/15 km 4 out of 10
The walk start in Borough Green, and goes south through woods and along streams to the old village of Plaxtol with its Cromwellian church. Then through the park of Fairlawne House to Ightham Mote, a beautiful moated medieval manor, and lunch in its National Trust restaurant. The house is also open & is decorated for Christmas. It should be light enough to walk until 4.30pm & the last 20 minutes are on lit streets.
The route onwards is through orchards and along shaded woodland paths leading to the 1,000-acre Knole Park, then up by footpaths to tea in Sevenoaks, with the station some way downhill from the centre.
Lunch: is the cafe at Igtham Mote & being National Trust, there will be a queue & picnic tables.
Tea: Knole Park or in Sevenoaks
2 comments:
Thanks for scheduling, Pete.
A lucky number for some - and for all us with the weather today - as n=13 gathered on the platform of Borough Green Station to set out on today's walk in lovely Kentish countryside on a w=mild-sunny-winters-day, ideal for walking - and walking off the excess turkey and Xmas pud.
Paths and bridleways were muddy all day but I hope this did not spoil the walk for the participants. It just made a Toughness 4 rated walk a 6 on the day.
In the grounds of the Fairlawne Estate 4 of us broke away from the group to head for the Chaser Inn for lunch, leaving 9 on the main route to head for Ightham Mote. We never saw the main cohort again - I hope they enjoyed the remainder of their walk. Please add a brief report to mine.
The Chaser Inn was fully booked but the management took pity on 4 mud-splattered walkers and found a table for us, which we much appreciated. The staff were all friendly despite being busy and they served us very acceptable meals without any long wait for the food to arrive. We left in good time for the table to be reset for the reservation to be honoured for others.
Post prandial we encountered the worst of the slippery mud on bridleways and paths leading to Ightham Mote, slip sliding all the way through sloppy, slubberdbub mud.
On reaching the Mote one of us opted to take the Sevenoaks Circular walk route back to Sevenoaks via One Tree Hill, leaving 3 of us to continue on the Book 1 route. We thought we might catch the main group at the cafe in Knole Park, but they were gone by the time we got there, if indeed they had stopped for a cuppa.
Deer were everywhere in the Park - I do not believe I have seen so many before - with coats in so many different colours. A lovely sight in the setting sun for us Chaser Inners.
Onwards through the Park and straight down Sevenoaks High Street to the railway station, where we picked up teas and coffees from the franchises before catching fast trains to Charing Cross around 4-28 pm.
A lovely day's winter walking, mud notwithstanding, in the best of SWC company.
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