Length: 16 km 9.9 miles (or if finishing in Meopham 18¼ km 11.3 miles) Toughness ~4/10
9:48 Gillingham service from London Victoria, arriving Sole Street 10.32
Buy a return to Sole Street.
Return trains are xx.32 from Sole Street. Or continue to Meopham for 2 trains an hour at xx.16 and xx.35 (add 30 minutes walking)
After an opening stretch across chalk grassland the walk continues through Jeskyns Community Woodland and Ashenbank Wood with its fine collection of veteran trees, before leading to the attractive village of Cobham for lunch. After lunch the walk goes through the landscaped parkland of Cobham Park with its restored neo-classical monument, the Darnley Mausoleum.
If you're intending to have lunch at one of the 3 pubs on Cobham's main street, please check if they are open and if you need to book: the Leather Bottle (01474-814327), the Darnley Arms (01474-814218) and the Ship Inn (01474-814326).
On the Meopham ending the suggested tea place is the café in Camer Park (no fixed hours). At the point where the two Circular Walk endings split in Henley Street there is the Cock Inn (01474-814208. The alternatives are the Railway Tavern (01474-813211) near Meopham station and the Railway Inn (01474-814375) at Sole Street.
For full details and to download your copy of the directions see the L=swc.173.b page.
1 comment:
N=10 on a w=cloudy day. On leaving the station, we noticed a “path closed” sign across the return route. It wasn’t long before poor Mr Tiger fell behind with nothing but the directions and satellite technology to help him. But he put on a brave face, put his best foot forward and, passing some impressive old chestnut trees, pressed on to the Leather Bottle. There, he sat down and waited for the others to catch up (which they did, eventually). Two, however, had gone to the Ship and weren’t seen again.
After lunch we paid a visit to the church to see the le Cobham tomb and brasses. Quite good. Later, the Darnley Mausoleum was screened off.
There had been some concern in the morning that the path back to Sole St was closed. This made the Meopham ending more likely. But Mr Tiger sent some of the younger ones ahead to check this out. Turns out there had been some resurfacing work but the path was open, so we finished the day in the Railway at Sole Street after all.
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