Downswood walks

A pleasant walk through the Kent countryside of the North Downs. The route uses a paths and sections of trackways to complete the circuit. The start can be reached by train from London Victoria station.

A pleasant walk through apple orchards, past an ancient denehole and a beacon marking the site of WWI inland defences and over Standard Hill, reputed to be a stopping point for Julius Caesar. This is Newington Walk 1.

The walk takes you through typical 'Garden of England' orchards, across a centuries-old farm and past historic landmarks and former WWI inland defences. This is Newington Walk 2.

The walk climbs a small hill reputed to have been used as an encampment by Julius Caesar and which overlooks former WWI defences with a commemorative beacon erected by Newington History Group. It gives lovely views over ancient settlements and to the Medway estuary. The descent takes you through orchards - fruit-growing has been a major part of the local economy for centuries.

Learn how to read a landscape for clues to its military past. From 1914 to 1918, Newington was at the heart of a sophisticated military defence line against a potential German invasion.
The walk takes you through the defences, leading you to four information boards that enable you to visualise the trenches, gun emplacements and observation posts that helped protect Britain.

A mainly flat walk in countryside surrounding a small Kent village which dates to pre-Roman times and that was on the route for Chaucer's pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales. Walk in the footsteps of Julius Caesar, see the remains of a Roman town and the site of World War I trenches and visit a fine 13th century church. Along the way are former watercress beds, historic orchards and centuries-old farms and houses. The figure of eight walk twice passes near an 18th century pub for refreshments.

This pleasant walk takes you both sides of Newington's historic watercress beds and past lagoons and open spaces filled with birds. This is Newington Walk 4.

A lovely walk through Kent orchards, past bird-rich lagoons and onto a hill with views across the Medway estuary. It takes you past historic settlements and the site of WWI inland defences before finishing with a birds-eye view of the fine tower of St Mary's church. This is walk 3, Newington.

Through several of Kent's fine apple & pear orchards plus one field of Nordic fir Christmas trees ending through open fields of sheep and cattle.

A return rural walk between one of Kent's most interesting medieval churches and the remains of a 2,000 year old Romano-British temple.

This Kent walk takes you onto the southern shores of the Thames Estuary. The route is easy to follow (apart from the start). The area visited during the walk provided Dickens with the perfect scene for his prison huls in his novel 'Great Expectations'.

From the parkland close to the centre of Tonbridge, up onto Bidborough Ridge and on to Southborough Common, Returning along a hidden valley, through the park of Somerhill Schools and along the river Medway to the town centre.

A small part of the Saxon Shore Way. A great walk along Faversham Creek to Hollowshore. Great pub, then a shorter walk back through farmland. Enjoy the beautiful desolation of the marshes, just you, the birds, and the breeze. Stop for a rest or bite to eat at the wonderful Shipwrights Arms, then either re-trace your steps or take the shorter walk back through Ham Farm.

A rural route (avoiding habitation) around the Stour Valley. Starting through King's Wood and a little of the North Downs Way heading north, crossing the valley and picking up some of the Stour Valley Walk heading south before crossing the river again and heading back into the woods.

This Kent walk explores the marshes, creeks and tideways on the south side of the River Swale. On the far side of the water is the Isle of Sheppey and in season the area is an excellent place for watching birdlife.

From start, we go north to soon join a path along the River Thames. Then turn left & upstream along the riverbank, soon under the towering Queen Elizabeth 2 Bridge which takes the M25 over the Thames. The River Thames is wide here & industry is evident, mainly on the opposite bank. At 3.5 miles we join the Darent Valley Path near the large Darent Creek Flood Barrier. We follow the path all the way to the finish, near Dartford Station.

A walk across salt marshes with numerous birds and returning inland via the ruined Hadleigh Castle. Highly accessible from London as the Fenchurch Street line takes under an hour to get you to the start.

We follow Darent Valley Path thru' Dartford, Central Park & past Brooklands Lake. Thru' the villages of Darenth, Farningham & Eynsford. A big climb up past Eagle Heights & drop back down past the Roman Villa remains. Then past Lullingstone Castle. Lullingstone Park Visitor's Centre, Shoreham Castle Farm and thru' fields to and thru' Shoreham village to finish near Shoreham Station.

Starts at Thames Chase Forest Centre, the headquarters of the Thames Chase Community Forest, at Broadfields Farm. Route passes thru' the old village of Cranham, then Cranham Marsh Nature Reserve, Corbets Tey, Belhus Country Park, Belhus Chase & the town of Aveley. For the last two miles we follow the Mardyke Way thru' Davy Down, then thru' Stifford Green and Warren Gorge Nature Reserve to finish at Chafford Hundre Railway Station.