"This walk provides a link from a major town with a frequent rail service to the rolling countryside around the villages of Penshurst and Chiddingstone. You are soon out of Tonbridge town centre and heading for Haysden Country Park , a popular recreational area of lakes and water meadows alongside the River Medway . The area's industrial past can be glimpsed in the many abandoned waterways and reclaimed gravel pits, while the modern Leigh Flood Relief Barrier is a reminder that this low-lying area is prone to flooding.
The remainder of the morning section follows the Eden Valley Walk , reversing part of the Hever to Leigh walk (1–19) to a choice of lunch places in Penshurst . This attractive village is dominated by Penshurst Place , a well-preserved medieval manor house with an attractive formal garden, the home of the Sidney family since the 16 th C. It is open, admission is £15, or £13 for the gardens only (2024).
The Circular Walk back to Tonbridge, initially on a familiar path through Penshurst Park which reverses the start of the Leigh to Tunbridge Wells walk (1–15) and continues with a new route back to the town via the playing fields of Tonbridge School."
Trains: Get the 1004 Dover Priory train from Charing Cross (London Bridge 1013), arriving 1046. Frequent return trains. Buy a return to Tonbridge (or Penshurst if planning to end there).
Lunch: The suggested lunch place (after 8¼ km) is the refurbished Leicester Arms Hotel ( 01892-356141 ) in Penshurst . This up-market establishment has a large garden and serves good food until around 3pm. There is a churchyard nearby. On the way into the village the Porcupine Pantry ( 01892-871277 ) is just outside the main entrance to Penshurst Place. It serves light lunches but might struggle to cope with a large group.
Tea: the Fleur De Lis in Leigh is a possible mid-afternoon stop. T he suggested tea place, serving good home-made cakes – the Finch House Café & Bakery ( 01732-771775 ; open to 5pm at the front of the Pavilion Shopping Centre. Also The Humphrey Bean a Weatherspoons, which means walking down the High Street.
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A select five at the start of this walk. It could have been a slightly less select nine, but four friends on the train, including at least two SWC walkers, turned out to be a private party. They had not mentioned this fact during the journey but faded away like morning mist once the train arrived at Tonbridge. They therefore play no more part in this story.
So five of us. We set forth with gusto - perhaps a bit too much gusto, as we covered the five miles to Penshurst in an hour and three quarters. The ease of the terrain may have helped - flat paths and tracks with few stiles or gates.
In Penshurst only one (me!) expressed an interest in a pub lunch. I was ready to sacrifice my hopes and go to the Penshurst Place cafe but no one else was much interested in that either. So to the pub I went and was joined by the others for coffee, soup and drinks. The place was far from busy and we had a nice terrace table under the w=brightish-cloud. My mushroom burger with blue cheese was delicious. The soup - a mushroom velouté - was also highly praised.
Some debate about what to do after lunch. One went to visit Penshurst Place, but a late starter caught us up, so we remained five but with n=6 as the total for the day. After some dithering over the options, we all headed for Leigh. There rebellious talk about ending in Hildenborough was firmly quashed and we continued to Tonbridge.
The section from Leigh onwards was nice, crossing fields and passing through a few woods, but I am not sure I would prefer it to the standard afternoon route to Penshurst station. As we crossed under the railway line a steam train pulling Pullman coaches passed overhead. Sadly I was under the bridge and did not see the engine, but I saw the smoke.
Approaching Tonbridge we passed playing fields where armies of young lads were playing rugger. Nice to know today’s youth don’t spend all their time on social media. Two of our party dashed for a train, three went to the Finch House Cafe for tea (or coffee), cakes and a good old chinwag. We got the 16.50 train which had twelve carriages, but still somehow managed to get on the one with the Penshurst Place visitor on, giving the day a pleasing symmetry.
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