The motocross event at Canada Heights proved more disruptive than expected as the motorcycle club had expanded their circuit across the public footpath and 'suspended' access, so we weren't able to get to Farningham Woods. The 10 walkers were forced to make their way back through the huge fruit farm and revert to the walk's shorter start.

The Lion Hotel was fully booked but there was no problem at the Pied Bull. Castle Farm were doing a great job in persuading people to pay £5+ to walk up and down their lavender fields but we restricted ourselves to the hint-of-lavender ice cream, ideal refreshment on a warm sunny day. Just for once all the trains behaved and I didn't have the opportunity to submit a Delay Repay claim.

I tried complaining to Kent County Council about the unofficial footpath closure but their online registration process wasn't working properly so I doubt if anything will happen. Probably best to avoid this route on a Sunday when there's a motocross event.

A perfect outing at a gorgeous time of year in hot sunshine : who would want to be anywhere else? (In fact one of us did: prevented from going to Scotland by an injury: she joined the original 11 of us mid afternoon, making 12 in all.)

At the start I inveigled the group into taking the shorter start down the Darent (ie leaving out Farningham Wood), simply because I happen to like this stretch of the river. (I think the magic word “shortcut” was what persuaded the others, however.) A new hard surface path has been laid here, making it somewhat less romantic, but drier underfoot.

This meant we got to Farningham village too early for lunch, so we continued on to Eynsford (through fields lined with gorgeous cow parsley). There we avoided the pub by the river (with its hordes of paddling children) and instead went to the more traditional Malt Shovel on the main road. Eight of us ate in their serviceable (if a little bare) back garden and two had drinks. One sandwicher carried on and was not seen again, but otherwise group cohesion today was excellent.

In the afternoon we went for a look at Eynsford Castle - quite a lot left given that it was abandoned in 1315 - and then took the route up the hill to avoid the traffic on the road to Lullingstone. Once up there we were disinclined to come down, so we freestyled a route into the Lullingstone Country Park. Here we did something so shameful and against the ethos of the SWC that I shudder to admit it: we sat down on the grass to have a snooze. (We then had to move almost immediately to allow two horse riders to pass, except they came an unexpected way and so we had to move again…but then we managed to have a rest).

All this filled the time nicely, so that by the time we got to the Visitor Centre it was time for tea. We split between sol and sombra factions, the former still wanting to drink up the sun’s rays, the latter fleeing to the shade to avoid the summer-like heat.

After tea, to Shoreham where six (if I have my arithmetic right) profited from the proximity of the 16.36 train, and five carried on to Otford. The magical butterfly slopes yielded only one dingy skipper, one peacock and a handful of brimstones (it was a bit late in the day for butterflies, to be honest), and it was bizarre to see little more than short grass where in a month downland flowers will teem…but we got to Otford in good time to get the fast 17.37 to London Bridge, Waterloo East and Charing Cross, with all expectations for the day met and boxes fully ticked.

7 met at the station and walked to Farningham with a short stop to pick up some chestnuts. 5 ate at the Pied Bull (food rating: so,so) while 2 picniced and joint us afterwards for drinks. 1 left after lunch and 2 more walkers joined us at Sparepenny Lane in Eynsford. Since it was such a bright and warm day any talk of shortcuts was dismissed. We did the full afternoon walk and caught the 16:05 back to London. 9

I was just wondering if anyone from London would be joining this walk tomorrow.

It will be my first walk thanks

I may be wrong but it looks like there may be a rail replacement bus service tomorrow on the Thameslink part of the return journey from Otford/Eynsford.

Thank you for that information

Think I may pass as that would make the journey too long

I chose this walk as it was the shortest travel time

Hi Deirdre

Yes there will definitely be other walkers on this walk tomorrow. People make their own way to the start so look for group on the platform at Farningham.

You might like to read this guide for new SWC walkers too: https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/swc/index.shtml

Nearly everyone on this walk will be coming from London: we are a London-based walking club.

Re the engineering works: this is another of those annoying last minute engineering works that Network Rail seem to have gotten fond of lately: it was definitely not showing on the timetable earlier in the week.

But it only seems to affect the Thameslink service - ie Otford, Shoreham and Eynsford to Blackfriars, NOT the Otford to Victoria service, or the outward train to Farningham Road.

If you are walking from Farningham Road to Otford, as I suggest, no worries: just come back on the Victoria train, which is the fastest one anyway. If you want to end at Eysnford, you will have to take the replacement bus, which looks like it could be all the way to Bromley South, but which is only timetabled to take 17 minutes, which is not devastating.

Or you could either walk back from Eynsford to Farningham Road along the Darent Valley Way (see the Circular walk for a route).

But my advice is, walk to Otford.

Thank you all for your encouragement

I have just relocated from Ireland and a bit daunted

I will give it a go 👍

You won't be short of compatriots, Deirdre,if you become an SWC regular. Welcome to London.

15 at the station, joined soon after by two who came by car, so a very respectable 17 on this walk on a perfect sunny day A pleasing amount of heat without being too overpowering, the countryside all at its best: “peak green”, not yet tarnished by the beiges and untidiness of summer.

There were no orchids to speak of (none I noticed anyway) but plenty of floral interest for those so inclined (ie me...). Birdsong is fading a bit. Lavender was not yet out. But the oxeye daisies at Lullingstone put on a pleasing display.

The main pub in Farningham was supposedly all booked up, though it had acres of empty tables and I hear one or two persistent types squeezed in. Many others had sarnies by the river, but six of us went to the other pub, an honest independent establishment which had a perfectly decent menu, which we sampled in the garden. The Lullingstone Visitor Centre was open for tea but had removed most of its outside tables, so I am not sure how many stopped for tea there. But some of us did.

After all the brouhaha about emergency engineering works affecting Thameslink services, it seems that there were not any by the afternoon, so maybe many or most of the group successfully terminated the walk at Eynsford (do file a separate report if you did). At least six of us went on to Shoreham, which was having a “drive your car down a village street for no apparent reason” festival. Two took the train from there, while four carried on to Otford.

Once on the downs I was suddenly not in a rush, so I let the others go on and lost myself for a delightful hour looking for butterflies and moths - common blues, five-spot burnets in abundance, three dingy skippers and a possible grass rivulet. But the most exciting sighting were absolutely tiny small blues (which are brown). Also nice to hear a yellowhammer singing.

Several people had tried to book lunch tables via the web site and had phoned in advance but told to try just turning up. 4 of us managed to get a cancellation table at the Lion hotel but due to a staff shortage only one third of the tables were occupied and we were not allowed to move any chairs to enable anyone to join us for a drink!! Vintage inns needs to address this issue as they are a large group and the food is usually good as it was today.

Moving swiftly on 2 of us decided to walk to Eynsford taking a shortcut to the Roman villa as we wanted a shorter walk. The 15.05 train to Blackfriars was cancelled so we took the next train to Sevenoaks and changed at Otford for the Victoria service at 15.25 thanks to B navigating through the train app for options. I then had to get more trains from Victoria changing at CJ for Richmond due to engineering works and then a bus home to Brentford taking yet another hour due to chock a block traffic.

11 walkers: 10 on the train plus another who drove to the lunch pub then walked back to meet the group. Other than a very brief rain shower as we arrived at The Lion for lunch this was a pleasantly warm and sunny day. A few ate an adequate lunch in the delightful river-side garden while most picnicked nearby. Two took the shortcut from the Roman Villa to the station; four had a drink in the Five Bells (the Malt Shovel being closed from 15:00 to 18:00) - unsure what happened to the others after arriving at Eynsford.

Intending to do this walk - I walk at a speed of about 5km/hr on hills and up to 6km/hr on flat, so expecting to be at the pub by midday.

You will be on your own then....

An opinion not necessarily based on facts: plenty of walkers in this club walk 6 km/h on the flat and 5 on the modestly steep hills of the southeast. Whether they will be enticed by this short walk, only time will tell...

I'm coming on the next train.i expect to arrive at 11,25am. I will certainly miss the pub, but I may see you when you finish your lunch.

My number 07594325538 Rachel

16 got off of the train in hot sun with a light breeze and so it stayed. Wonderful walking weather and an awesome amble with views and woods and gentle gradual gradients.  This is choice chestnut season and some of us foraged to our hearts and haversack fill with the first trees giving some fullsome fruits.

Lunch was had by half the group in the Lion Hotel. A nice looking venue but 'so so' food and two late comers joined us as we waited and waited and some waited some more.

Darent river is another one of those 'clear as gin' rivers refreshing to walk by and great to see fish swim by, they were dace apparently.

After lunch it was similar walking but more fields and this time with hawkers flying Harris Hawks and long horn cattle relaxing with their calves and a magnificent Roman Ruin across the way and often The Viaduct partially revealed.

5 of us took a (10.1 miles in total) shortcut

to shortbread and tea where we met another 2 walkers so 20 in total. A Jerryattric from Hackney found an even shorter route beating us.

So off home again now and there are a load of old people on the train laughing and generally having a good time, how annoying, - Oh it is us, and me included.

Best wishes to our favourite walk reporter, Mr M Tiger who is hopefully feeling better.

Bridie

I'm planning to come on this walk - looking forward to it 😎 Sarah

30 escaped from the maelstrom of Victoria, with its immense ticket queues, to do this walk. 29 of us were lucky because one late starter got caught by a "person under a train" incident at Bromley South and was very delayed.

Despite warnings of motorcross events and busy roads in the walk directions, there was widespread enjoyment of this outing. I thought it a delightful new route through familiar territory. After a few flat fields, Farningham Woods were interesting and the view from the hilltop when one came out of them was stupendous. There was then a nice section along the River Darent into Farningham and only here was the motorway noise really noticeable. But the crystal clear stream and its charming surroundings were adequate compensation.

The Lion Hotel in Farningham is a lovely place for lunch with a beautiful riverside garden but the staff got 'nul points' for their unsmiling service and none either for accommodating vegans: about a dozen vegetarian options on their menu and none without dairy in them. The village itself is very quaint, a real find.

After lunch there were long stretches along the upper side of the Darent Valley with some really magnificent views. Around Lullingstone woods provided relief from the blazing hot sun : surely hotter than the official 23 degrees?

By this time we were separated from the main group, if one still existed. I know some took the afternoon shortcut and finished quite early, possibly after tea in Eynsford. We did the whole walk and had a leisurely tea at the Lullingstone visitor centre and still got to Eynsford about 5pm. We dangled our feet for a long time in the stream and had a drink at the Plough and caught....was it the 6.43 train? All in all a really lovely summer day out.

Four of us got to Eynsford at 4, where the Riverside Tearoom kindly stayed open for us (the Lullingstone Visitor Centre having been a bit busy when we passed). Didn't see anyone else at Eynsford but others were definitely ahead of us. Thanks for suggesting a good walk for the nice weather, and not too tiring to do another one the next day . . .

This walk looks more manageable. Thanks for posting it.

The oxeye daisies at Lullingstone should be at their best now - the slopes to the west of the visitor centre are carpeted with them at this time of year. The farm just to the south usually has some lavender fields

5 walkers on a sunny day with clear skies for this new walk which featured a number of sections of shaded woodland and several glorious vistas. The Lion was an enjoyable location for lunch being right on the walk and having a large garden by the river which featured a unique cattle screen.