3 men on a walk 2015: April 2015

Monday, 27 April 2015

Sevenoaks to Tonbridge

Sevenoaks to Tonbridge via Leigh

Whilst walking last week Ivan posed the question "do you think there is a trail from Sevenoaks to Tonbridge". Well of course there is, this is the UK and there are footpaths - mostly ancient rights of way and animal drover trails - everywhere. Its just a case of plotting a route on the OS map linking one footpath into another and gradually zig-zagging your way across the countryside.

So that's what we did. We soon had a short 8 mile option or a longer 11.5 mile option but the choice was made easy when we realised that the pub for lunch sat perfectly right on the course of the longer route.

We parked up at Trevor's house in Tonbridge and caught a bus across to Sevenoaks. The initial trail took us directly into Knole Park and we walked through the park in part on the route we took last week but this time in the opposite direction. Shortly after leaving Knole we turned south down the North Downs ridge to the village of Underriver. The name derives from the old English "Sub le Ryver" which translates into modern English as "Under the Hill".

From here we turned west towards the A21 road and soon arrived at our lunch stop, the Cock Horse which basically sits on the side of the B245 road in the middle of nowhere. However, we have stopped here before and knew it to be a good watering hole.

After lunch our trail took us west over the A21 and across the main London railway line where we then turned south again towards Leigh village. Onwards past the village we finally met the River Medway where we turned east and followed the River back to Tonbridge.

It was a beautiful spring day and the bluebells are terrific at the moment so I don't apologise for the multiple photos of them below.

Bluebells are out everywhere

The view across the weald

The dark blue of the bluebells shows up everywhere

Lunch stop

Man; Shorts; and Bluebells in perfect harmony !

Leigh Church

Stats for the day were ...

Finished Hike: 27 Apr 2015 15:27:58

Route: Sevenoaks to Tonbridge

Weather:

temperature	9°C
humidity	71%
wind	7 mph NE

Explorer Link: http://walkmeter.com/818ee85cf2cf57d1/Hike-20150427-1037

Import Link: Download Google Earth KML file

Hike Time: 3:48:34

Stopped Time: 1:02:03

Distance: 11.72 miles

Average: 3.1 mile per hour

Fastest Pace: 12:36 min/mile

Ascent: 484

Descent: 894

Calories: 1176

Monday, 20 April 2015

Ightham, Knole, Fairlawne loop

Ightham to Knole Park and back through Fairlawne

This was a lovely walk which we last did in the rain in September 2013. Not so today because it was a beautiful Spring day and we loved the sunshine. Trevor was allowed to slip off his nurses uniform for a few hours (we secretly think he still had on the stockings though !) and at 11 miles or so this looked like a good walk at short notice.

What a difference a week makes when the sun shines. Last week just one or two solitary Bluebells in the woods and this week the full carpet magically appears. One has to marvel at mother nature and how she can engineer such feats. It was great to see the Bluebells back once more and with the wild garlic mixed in too, For us this heralds the start of "Season Five" for our walks.

We parked up at Ightham Moat as this was about 8 miles walk to Ivy Hatch where we intended to lunch at "The Plough". The initial trail follows the Greensands Way which led us into Knole Park - another National Trust Property - and its very extensive Deer Park. Out the other side of Knole we walked through the very pretty village of Godden Green and along some rolling hills to Seal Chart before reaching our lunch stop at Ivy Hatch and The Plough. Sitting outside in the sunshine for lunch was delightful.

Getting the legs moving again after lunch is always a struggle but we had another 3 miles or so to go through the very pretty Fairlawne estate and Shipbourne village before completing the loop at Ightham.

The amazing Bluebell Carpet has magically arrived

Wild Garlic adds extra colour to the Bluebells

The trail through the Weald

Looking over the Medway Valley

Deer at Knole

More Deer

Knole - a 15th Century house: see Knole link

Lunch Stop

Ightham and two marauding walkers

Ightham Mote a 14th Century house- see Ightham Link

Stats for the day were ...

Route: Ightham Knole loop

Activity: Hike

Weather:

temperature	14°C
humidity	71%
wind	10 mph NE

Hike Link: http://walkmeter.com/818ee85cf2cf57d1/Hike-20150420-1001

Import KML : Google Earth Link

Started: 20 Apr 2015 10:01:45

Hike Time: 3:54:41

Stopped Time: 1:04:50

Distance: 11.46 miles

Average Pace: 2.93 mile per hour

Fastest Pace: 14:01 min/mile

Ascent: 1010 feet

Descent: 1035 feet

Calories: 1206

Monday, 13 April 2015

Walking to Tonbridge the long way!

Southborough, Bidborough and along the Medway to Tonbridge

With Ivan brushing up his tan in Italy and Trevor still having to wear his Nurses Uniform we again decided on a short sharp 6 mile walk just to keep the legs in trim. It was another glorious spring day and the choice of a route was to walk across to the Bidborough ridge then drop down to the Medway valley the far side of Haysden and then follow the river back into Tonbridge where we could jump on a bus back to Southborough.
We guessed that this was about 6 miles and it turned out to be that virtually to the yard. Apart from choosing a different path down Bidborough ridge we had walked all these trails before.

The woodland flowers are emerging in carpets now

Walking past Tonbridge Castle alongside the Medway

Stats for the walk were ...

Finished Hike: 13 Apr 2015 12:33:38

Route: Southborough, Bidborough Tonbridge

Weather:

temperature	11°C
humidity	76%
wind	6 mph S

Hike Link: http://walkmeter.com/818ee85cf2cf57d1/Hike-20150413-1009

Import Link: KML file download

Hike Time: 1:52:32

Stopped Time: 31:34

Distance: 6.02 miles

Average: 3.26 mile per hour

Fastest Pace: 14:50 min/mile

Ascent: 748 feet

Descent: 1093 feet

Calories: 620

Tuesday, 7 April 2015

A quick loop around Penshurst

Penshurst Loop

Trevor's partner Steph decided that it was such fun seeing the Grand Kids enjoy the playground slide that she had to give it a go herself. Unfortunately, whilst the kids bounced at the end of the slide Steph crunched and had to have her ankle pinned and set in 3 places in hospital. Trevor has been Head Nurse for 10 days and so we decided to get him out of the uniform and into walking boots for a few hours today to stop him going "Nurse Crazy".

This loop of about 6 miles is very pretty and it was a glorious spring day, one of the warmest of this year. We parked up at Penshurst and walked through the parkland surrounding "Penshurst Place" - a beautiful 14th Century manor house and most recently used extensively in the "Wolf Hall" TV series. We then looped back through Penshurst and took the Eden Valley path around to add another few miles to the walk.

The first Bluebell of the season has been spotted. Just a solitary one nestling in a sunny bank but its proof summer is only a few weeks away. We resisted stopping off at The Lester Arms pub in Penshurst because Trevor was itching to get his Nurses uniform back on. Instead we called into the Bowls club in Tonbridge for a quick beer and and a snack.