3 men on a walk 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.