Knockholt to Otford Walk

Main walk: 12.9km (8 miles)

Knockholt to Shoreham: 5.9km (3.7 miles)

7 out of ten: two big hill climbs and several lesser ones

This walk approaches the familiar walking territory around Shoreham and Otford in Kent from an unfamiliar angle, passing at first over wooded hills, then climbing up and over a steep ridge to get down to Shoreham. In the first 3km/2 miles of the walk there is some traffic noise from the M25, but how much depends on the way the winds are blowing and other atmospheric factors. As you approach Shoreham this fades.

In the afternoon the route goes into a lovely hilly area of woodland and fields, passing through the lovely hidden valley of Magpie Bottom, a nature reserve, with fine downland flowers and butterflies in the summer.

The walk also has several nice bluebell woods, particularly (but not exclusively) in the latter part of the walk, and in autumn there are lots of beech and sweet chestnut woods to provide colour. In winter the walk is not over-afflicted with mud, but the descents into Shoreham and Otford can be a bit slippery.

Just after lunch – 5.9km (3.7 miles) from the start - this walk passes Shoreham station, which is on the line from Otford to London and is a possible place to finish or start the walk.

To extend the walk, you could use the afternoon of the Eynsford Circular via Otford walk on this website. It has a shorter and longer route from Otford to Shoreham, which would add 3.1km (1.9 miles) or 7.5km (4.7 miles) to the walk respectively. You could even use the shorter afternoon route to walk all the way to Eynsford, adding 10.1km (6.3 miles).

Knockholt is on the Sevenoaks line out of Charing Cross and London Bridge, with trains every half hour. Catch the nearest train to 10am to get to lunch in Shoreham in time.

Otford is on the line from Sevenoaks to Bromley South, with twice hourly Thameslink trains to Blackfriars, as well as hourly faster direct trains to Victoria Monday to Sunday and an hourly fast train to London Bridge and Charing Cross Monday to Saturday.

Rail planners also sometimes show a faster return journey from Otford to London by taking a Thameslink train to Sevenoaks and connecting there with one of the very regular fast services to London Bridge and Charing Cross, which is a permitted route if you have a day return to Sevenoaks (see below).

Shoreham (Kent) is the stop after Otford on the Thameslink services to London: changing at Swanley or Bromley South sometimes gives you access to faster trains to Victoria, London Bridge or Charing Cross.

A day return to Sevenoaks covers you out and back on both lines (and is the same price as a day return to Otford): this also covers you for travel back from Shoreham. Alternatively you can use Oyster or contactless to get to Knockholt station as it is in London Transport zone six: but coming back you then need to buy a single from Otford to Swanley (zone eight) or St Mary Cray (zone six) and, if you do not have a travelcard or a pass, get out and touch in there with your Oyster or contactless card (possible on Thameslink trains, which stop there, but not always on Victoria trains).

Shoreham, 5.3km (3.3 miles) into the walk, has three possible lunch pubs. Serving more standard pub fare (and also being on the walk route) is the Kings Arms (01959 523100), with the more upmarket Samuel Palmer (01959 525442) just up the road. Both have some outside seating, but for a more tranquil garden the Crown (01959 522903) is recommended, reached by a small diversion off the walk route and also serving standard pub fare.

The village also has the Shoreham Aircraft Museum, open 10am-4pm on weekends year round, which has a tea room set in a pleasant garden, while the Mount Vineyard (01959 524008) in the heart of the village has a restaurant (booking advised) serving pizza.

Probably the best tea room in Otford, if you can get to it in time, is the one at the rear of the the Hospices of Hope charity shop, which is open till 4pm Monday to Saturday, but only 3.30pm on Sunday. Almost opposite it is Sally's Cake Emporium, open to 4pm Tuesday to Sunday, which has an excellent selection of cakes.

Otford also has two pubs, the first one you pass being the more basic Woodman by the roundabout, with the Bull, a cosy chain pub, 150 metres beyond the roundabout on the left.

After the walk, please leave a comment, it really helps. Thanks!

You can also upload photos to the SWC Group on Flickr (upload your photos) and videos to Youtube. This walk's tags are:

National Rail: 03457 48 49 50 • Traveline (bus times): 0871 200 22 33 (12p/min) • TFL (London) : 0343 222 1234

Jan-25 Peter