Along the Wealdway: Gravesend to Tonbridge
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1
July 2000: Gravesend to Sole Street, 3 miles
A simple little
start, albeit some while before a return. We started (left hand
picture, showing Adrian aged 8)
not in the town
centre but the Moat House hotel beside the A2; diligent ones can walk two
miles south from the Thames along the A227. Nowadays, Eurostar trains
hurtle past here, but at the time of our walk the route was still under
construction (pictured right), which added interest to the start.
It's pretty enough around
Nash Street, and some of
the fields must have seemed very remote to Adrian. The Railway Inn by Sole Street station
relegated us to an annexe; something to do with Adrian's age.
25 August
2003, Sole Street to Harvel, 4
miles
There are very fine
stretches here, around Luddesdown (church pictured left), where
we had lunch in the Golden Lion. This little corner has some excellent
open downland, and south of the hamlet there is a lovely little 'hanger'
or dry valley (pictured right). We left the
walk at Boughurst Street Farm and diverted to the village
of Harvel, where we had arranged a pick up with
Barbara.
28 August 2004, South Street to Trottiscliffe, 4 miles
We took the bus south
from Meopham station to the closest point to Harvel, a place called South
Street. We had time
for a quick pint (well dad did) in Harvel's Amazon
& Tiger before retracing our steps to Boughurst Street Farm.
After padding through Whitehorse Woods, suddenly you come to the scarp
slope of the North Downs, with its wide views beyond. Not far from here
are the Coldrum
Stones, a neolithic site (left
picture) - Adrian 'does' ancient history, so this was
worthwhile. We diverted into Trottiscliffe for the night. It was the
penultimate day of the Olympics: we watched Kelly Holmes win a gold at our
B&B (right picture)
, then saw the men's
4x100 relay team do
the same while in the George pub.
29 August 2004, Trottiscliffe to Basted, 5
miles
We cheated a bit, taking the direct path from the village
across the fields to the sand pit entrance at 650594 rather than retracing
our steps to Coldrum - the mile and a half saved matters when you're 11.
The sand pit is a highlight of sorts, an industrial site perhaps but with
a scale that has to impress. Even the stretch by the M20 is leavened by
its heathland flora. Near Crouch we diverted off the way to pass through
orchards being picked by immigrant labour, down to the Plough at
Basted. Last day of the Olympics; lunch was just in time to see Amir
Khan's silver boxing medal. Borough Green station is not far away, and the
taxi was little more expensive than a bus.
12 November 2004, Crouch to Crowhurst Farm, 5
miles
Mum gave us a lift to the road at 619553, just
a few hundred yards from the Wealdway running south into Hurst Wood. The
pleasant path rises slowly to Gover Hill, a good viewpoint on the
greensand ridge, before dropping down to orchards and the pretty village
of West Peckham, where we were remarkably well timed for lunch at the
wonderful Swan Inn. Not
enough room in dad's rucksack for its home-brewed beers though.
It's fairly straightforward from here, slowly fropping down to the
Medway valley, past polytunnels just south of the A26. The main road has a
bus service but we had arranged for mum to pick us up at Crowhurst Farm
after her own day out.
4 June 2005, Crowhurst Farm to Tonbridge, 7
miles
No public transport to the start, so it was a
lift from mum again. Fields lead down to a tiny tributary of the Medway,
the Bourne. The path here was choked by early summer flowers and nettles,
so it was a case of finding a stick and exploring a way through. The
Medway itself is not far south of the small village of Barnes Street, and
it's followed all the way to Tonbridge. The river is still easily
navigable, while it flows slowly through changing countryside, with the
occasional lock and sluice for variety. The pollen was steep today, and we
were pleased to reach Tonbridge as it had a go at Adrian's immune system.
I had to make it up to him with a meal at Pizza Express.
Find out about walking the southern part of the path