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Snodland to Sole Street Walk

The North Downs, hilly with views after lunch, and tranquil Luddesdown for tea.

Greensand Hills Kent North Downs

History

This is a list of previous times this walk has been done by the club (since Jan 2010). For more recent events (since April 2015), full details are shown.

Date Option Post # Weather
Sun, 22-Sep-24 Sole Street Circular (in reverse) 2 pleasantly warm and sunny
Wed, 15-Nov-23 a Sole Street circular 14 warm sunshine with a breeze
Wed, 19-Jan-22 Sole Street Circular - the Weald Way, Harvel and Luddesdown 18 lovely sunshine turning overcast with drizzly rain at lunchtime then improving later
Sat, 03-Aug-19 Sole Street Circular 20 warm muggy cloudy
Sun, 16-Dec-18 Sole Street Circular 10 warm and sunny morning overcast after lunch
Thu, 22-Mar-18 a Evening walk - Sole Street Circular 3 twilight to darkening skies with large crescent moon
Sat, 27-Jan-18 Snodland to Sole Street 6 pleasant then deteriorating to windy drizzle
Sat, 18-Nov-17 a Sole Street Circular 10 dry initially with drizzle from about noon
Sun, 05-Feb-17 a 1 – the North Downs 13 dry mild cloudy
Sat, 13-Feb-16 Saturday Second Walk - Kentish Downland 15 drizzle light rain clearing pm chilly
Sat, 21-Nov-15 a Saturday First Walk - Sole Street Circular (Book 2 17a) 9 cold windy and damp
Sat, 29-Mar-14 a Snodland to Sole Street Walk 16
Sat, 18-Jan-14 a Snodland to Sole Street Walk 24
Sun, 27-Oct-13 a Snodland to Sole Street Walk 9
Sat, 19-Jan-13 Snodland to Sole Street Walk 8
Sat, 01-Sep-12 Snodland to Sole Street Walk
Sat, 26-Nov-11 a Snodland to Sole Street Walk
Sun, 07-Nov-10 a Snodland to Sole Street Walk
Sun, 07-Mar-10 a Snodland to Sole Street Walk
Sun, 10-Jan-10 a Snodland to Sole Street Walk
Sat, 31-Jan-09 a Snodland to Sole Street Walk
Sun, 11-Jan-09 Snodland to Sole Street Walk
Sun, 11-Jan-09 a Snodland to Sole Street Walk
Sat, 01-Nov-08 Snodland to Sole Street Walk
Sat, 10-May-08 Snodland to Sole Street Walk
Sun, 23-Mar-08 Snodland to Sole Street Walk
Sun, 03-Feb-08 Snodland to Sole Street Walk
Sat, 20-Oct-07 Snodland to Sole Street Walk
Sun, 20-May-07 a Snodland to Sole Street Walk
Sat, 20-Jan-07 a Snodland to Sole Street Walk
Sat, 02-Dec-06 Snodland to Sole Street Walk

Sunday 22-Sep-24

Wanderer
Length : 13.5 km (8.4 miles)
Difficulty: 5 out of 10.
Train: from London Victoria 10.12 arrive Sole Street 11.03
Return trains hourly at xx.28
There has been a proposal to do this walk in reverse to arrive late afternoon at the new Silver Hand Estate wine cellar in Luddesdown where the first wines of this new estate can be tasted free (and purchased).
Lunch: The pub in Harvel is closed but the new Harvel House farm shop and cafe has opened. It closes at 2pm on Sundays.
Tea: As well as the Railway Inn at Sole Street station, there’s the Golden Lion beside the winery at Luddesdown, and the interesting and unchanged Cock Inn on the final leg back to the station
Sole Street circular walk is an option included in Book 2, walk 17 Snodland to Sole St.) L=2.17
You will need to rely on the map or gpx when doing it in reverse or stick with Joe who knows the route and proposed doing it this way.
  • Sun, 22-Sep-24

    Despite alarming news reports of "a month's rain in 24 hours",2 walkers met at the station for a stroll in pleasantly warm and sunny weather. Fearful that our luck would run out, and the weather gods would turn against us, we skipped the new farm shop and ate on Harvel village green.

    At the new Silver Hand winery we tasted not one, but four generous samples of their various sparkling and still organic wines. (And bought a bottle each) The very informative manager told us that their picking was still only half done, as 2024 had been a poor summer for grapes. We didn't mention that we had reduced the crop a little further during our progress through the vineyard.

    The cancellation of the 1628 train forced us to while away an hour in the quirky Cock Inn (no children, no food, no Wi-fi) where the landlord has been in place since 1984. The pub's vast collection of local and wartime pictures and knick knacks makes it worth a visit.

Wednesday 15-Nov-23

Wanderer
Wanderer

Length : 13.5 km (8.4 miles) T=2.17.a

Difficulty: 5 out of 10

This walk is a circular option of the Snodland to Sole Street walk. It heads east from Sole Street to Lower Luddesdown before continuing south to pick up the Weald Way, then link up with the Snodland to Sole Street walk directions 1km from Harvel.

Trains: Take the 9.42 train from London Victoria (9.52 Denmark Hill, 10.06 Bromley South) arriving Sole Street 10.32.

Return trains from Sole Street run hourly at xx.32. The return journey to Victoria can be shortened by changing at Bromley South.

Lunch: There is no lunch pub on this walk. Bring a picnic and a waterproof sit mat or plastic bag. There are some benches on the green at Harvel. If you walk fast and finish the walk before 2pm, you might be able to get some food at the Railway Inn which is also the tea stop.

L=2.17.a

  • Thu, 16-Nov-23

    13 off the posted train set off in warm sunshine with a breeze . There were lots of grassy fields in the morning but the ground was surprisingly firm and we didn't pick up too much mud. We picnicked on the green in Harvel which had benches dotted around the perimeter. The afternoon had some lovely woodland sections opening to scenic views at intervals. Woodland paths were obstructed by fallen trees in places. Paths were occasionally slippery but there was no deep mud and the going was good. Eight of us missed the turn for Luddesdown and decided to carry straight on to Sole Street along a pleasant path with lovely views which got us there just a couple of minutes before 2.30. Six caught the 2.31 train, two went to the pub where they were joined by the five who had stuck to the directions. They all caught the 3.31 train along with a walker who had started the walk an hour later making making a total of 14 on today's walk.

  • Mon, 20-Nov-23

    Just to add, a walker was told by a local that there may be a cafe opening soon near the closed pub in Harvel, so something to look out for next time around.

Wednesday 19-Jan-22

Marcus
Book 2, Walk 17a) - Sole Street Circular

Length: 13.5 km (8.4 miles)
Toughness: 5 out of 10 Some modest inclines
London Victoria: 10-42 hrs SouthEastern service to Gillingham Bromley South: 11-05 hrs
Arrive Sole Street: 11-31 hrs
Return: 02 mins and 32 mins past the hour
After last Wednesday's mudfest, I am hoping conditions under foot will be better today - but being January, I make no promises...............
With the permanent closure of the lunch pub - The Amazon & Tiger, in Harvel - this pleasant circular walk is now a picnic walk, stopping for lunch in the pretty hamlet of Harvel, so please bring along provisions for your lunch. If the weather is inclement today you might prefer to do the walk in one go, without stopping for lunch, and taking refreshments at walk-end at the Railway Inn in Sole Street (the pub you pass fifteen minutes earlier in the village of Luddesdown - the Cock Inn - does not open until 4 pm.)
As for the walk, much of it is along the Weald Way through a mixture of farmland and woods, with several ups and downs but nothing knowingly strenuous.
T=2.17
Walk Directions are here: L=2.17

  • Sun, 16-Jan-22

    Yes, sad loss of The Amazon and Tiger😭😭😭

  • Wed, 19-Jan-22

    I am relieved to say I do not believe I need to extend an apology this week (as was called for last week) for the muddy conditions on the day - to the 18 who attended today's walk. Yes - there was mud, and some woodland paths were tricky, but on the whole, given the time of year, the mud was manageable for most of us on today's walk.

    Our walk started in lovely sunshine turning overcast with drizzly rain at lunchtime then improving later . In fact, we enjoyed sunshine again, in glorious light, as we climbed up from Luddesdown cricket ground before dropping down to Henley Street. Before that, at the start of the walk, we all went off piste - careless or what ! Some opted to continue on the walk "wrong way round" or clockwise, leaving the rest of us to fudge our way to regain the correct route.

    Views were lovely today, and I was surprised to observe since I last did this walk some three and a half years ago, that so many fields which were previously meadows, had recently been turned into vineyards - many hundreds of hectares of vines. Whilst the previous meadows were environmentally nice, I guess the current use is more productive and economic for the farmers or land owners.

    My small group of four arrived in Harvel for our lunch stop at about 1-30 pm, to find the clockwise walkers sitting on one of the benches overlooking the village pond and already enjoying their picnics. The four of us occupied two further benches and counted in 16 of our entourage as they arrived in relays. The last 2 eventually checked in after most of us had moved on.

    Our afternoon was equally enjoyable, particularly when the sun returned, as we enjoyed more fine views along the walk route. Arriving back in Sole Street, some 10 of us enjoyed refreshments in the Railway Inn, where the jolly landlord and landlady made us most welcome. The 16-32 hrs train arrived on time to speed us back to London.

    Finding mud-manageable walks to post for our SWC Wednesday walkers is proving challenging for your mid-week walk poster - and he now needs a bit of assistance as he struggles to come up with ideas. So, if anyone would like to suggest a walk which might be suitable for us, please e-mail me at marcusDOTperryATbtinternetDOTcom - removing the usual. Criteria - a proper, pukka gen country walk, mostly flat (no steep hills), sea views or good water features, max forty minutes train journey from London, no traffic noise, gourmet lunch pub (if not choice of two) absolutely NO MUDDY PATHS, length circa 8 miles, chic tea cafe at walk-end which doesn't close at tea time, and so on. There you go ! !

    Many thanks !

  • Thu, 20-Jan-22

    @Marcus. You forgot a cafe near the start, preferably with nice terrace, for the drivers to wait in case of delayed trains :)

  • Thu, 20-Jan-22

    Sorry Andrew - how remiss of me: of course a posh cafe at the start for you car drivers is (another) must.

  • Thu, 20-Jan-22

    https://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/news/plans-revealed-for-revolutionary-winery-designed-by-wemble-249044/

  • Fri, 21-Jan-22

    The area we saw covered in vines looks to me like about 1 sq km (about 250 acres). Denbies says it is 265 acres and the vineyard north of Seaford is 230 but aiming to reach 350. So if this one is going to extend all the way to Cuxton, it will be easily the biggest vineyard in the south east.

    However . . .

    https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2021/12/locals-thwart-billionaires-plans-for-britains-biggest-winery/

Saturday 03-Aug-19

Mike A

This weeks short walk does have a few climbs and descents but probably doesn't deserve its 5 out of 10 rating (I would estimate more like 3 or 4 for this circular variant)

Length 8.4 miles (13.5 km)
Toughness 4 out of 10

Getting there

Catch the 10:10 am Dover Priory train from London Victoria (10:27 am from Bromley South ) to arrive at Sole Street Station station at 10:55 am.
(Trains usually depart from the lower platform numbers 1-7 at Victoria)

Getting back

Trains depart at 44 minutes past the hour from Sole Street back to London Victoria (also calling at Bromley South).

Plan your journey here.

Tickets

Buy a cheap day return to Sole Street Station.


Maps

OS Landranger Map 178, Explorer Map 148.

Overview

This is the circular variant of the Snodland to Sole Street Walk with rolling hills and some woodland passing the picturesque village of Luddesdown

Lunch

The preferred lunch stop is Amazon and Tiger (tel 01474 814 705 ) in Harvel. There's a nice village green and pond for those who have brought their own lunch

Tea

I would suggest the slightly quirky Cock Inn (tel 01474 814208 ) in Henley Street, but do leave 15/20 minutes to get to the station from this pub. If you'd prefer to be nearer the station then The Railway Inn , beside the Station might suit better. I seem to remember no food there, but you can get a cuppa and, of course, something stronger.

More details about this walk may be found on the link below
L=2.17
T=2.17

  • Sun, 04-Aug-19

    20 on a warm muggy cloudy day. Still plenty of wildflowers about. And butterflies. A pretty walk.

    Lunch at the Amazons seemed to go down well. In Luddesdown, some of the group were given a guided tour of the church by locals. Despite being ‘back marker‘ in the morning, I found myself wearing the yellow jersey for most of the afternoon. I still don’t know how that happened. It's a heady experience sitting on top of that wretched hill out of Luddesdown watching the others huff and puff their way up. Just goes to show - there's hope for us all. There was controversy over where to have post-walk snifters. Both establishments were patronised.

  • Anonymous
    Sun, 04-Aug-19

    Just to add that there are a lot of vineyards being planted along the morning stretch. A sign of changing temperatures, perhaps?

Sunday 16-Dec-18

Mr M Tiger
Mr M Tiger
13.5km 8.4m
Difficulty: 5/10
Book 2, walk 17 (variant)
Woods, hills, and views in the Kent North Downs.
Trains: get the 10:10 from Victoria to Canterbury East, arriving at Sole Street at 10:59
Trains return from Sole Street at xx:57.
Lunch: the Amazon and Tiger, Harvel (01474 814 705) Phone to book.
The Golden Lion, Lower Luddesdown, (01474 814 369) is an earlier option.
Tea the Cock Inn, or, nearer the station, the Railway Inn.
Directions: here This is a variant of the Snodland to Sole Street walk. Use the alternative start on Page 5.
T=2.17
  • Frances
    Mon, 17-Dec-18

    10, warm and sunny morning overcast after lunch It really was a beautiful morning and we all shed layers as we walked. A bird sang in the sunshine. We went through some lovely woods and gathered lots of sticky mud in the fields we crossed.

    The Amazon and Tiger were recovering from an earlier power cut and estimated an hour's wait to be served. Six waited for food, three went on after a drink and caught up with the sandwich eater at the station. Despite the slow service, the pub lunchers also got to the station in time for the 4.18 train.

Thursday 22-Mar-18

DAC
CW2 17a - Sole Street Circular
Length: 13.5km (8.4 miles)

Catch the 17:26 train from London Blackfriars, arrives Sole Street 18:16.
Alternatively travel from Victoria, changing at Bromley South to pick up the 17:48 to Sole Street.
Return trains: 22:31, 23:47

Will stop for a drink / meal at the Amazon & Tiger* half way into the walk at Harvel.

At the end of walk there is the choice of The Cock Inn, Henley Street with ~20 min walk to the station, or The Railway Inn, next door.

Civil twilight 18:50. (With the clocks going forward next weekend, this will be the last evening walk of the current season.)

This walk is re-scheduled. (Originally scheduled for Thu 22nd Feb 2018, but never took place due to fake colds etc.)

whatspub says they serve food 19:00 - 21:00 on Thursdays. Answerphone message when phoning, so unable to confirm. Bring emergency food if apprehensive. T=2.17.a
  • Fri, 23-Mar-18

    3-familiar-faces convened in the twilight to darkening skies with large crescent moon for the final evening walk of the winter season....A varied route along ridges and through woods with many interesting sounds of the night...mostly birds and other critters wondering who was disturbing their peaceful evening....

Saturday 27-Jan-18

Dirk
t=2.17

Length: 13km (8m)
Toughness: 5 / 10
Transport: There are several options:

Outbound:High speed train from London St Pancras at 9:55 arriving in Snodland at 10:45 via a change at Strood
Train from London Charing Cross at 9:15 arriving in Snodland at 10:45 via a change at Tonbridge
Train from London Victoria at 9:22 arriving in Snodland at 10:45 via a change at Maidstone: Walk from Maidstone East to Maidstone Barracks (5mins)
Return:From Sole Street direct to London Victoria at the hour
From Sole Street to Rochester at xx:25 and then with high speed train to London St Pancras
You can pick and mix as you wish, but the high speed train has special fares. With a day return you commit yourself to that mode of transport. Also, I do not know if a day return from Charing Cross will be accepted on the return to Victoria.

This is a pleasant walk through winter woods on the North Downs and open fields, passing a historic church and ending at the very cosy pub, the Cock Inn, for tea which usually has a fire going in the winter.

  • Fri, 19-Jan-18

    You are best advised to choose between high speed or non-high speed before buying your ticket, as the high speed trains imposed a ban last year, for some reason, on people upgrading non-high speed tickets on the train.

    If going from Charing Cross, unless you get to the station at the very last minute get the 9.11 from Charing Cross to Ramsgate (9.20 London Bridge): this gets to Paddock Wood at 10.00 and you then change (same platform) for the train to Snodland at 10.11. If you go on the 9.15 from Charing Cross you have a six minute connection at Tonbridge which involves crossing from one side of the station to the other: not impossible, but the 9.11 is much more comfortable and only four minutes earlier.

    As for whether a Charing Cross outward ticket would be accepted back from Sole Street: it always has been. Slightly grey area as it is two competing Victorian lines that don't actually meet, but it is all Southeastern and they have never objected yet in the history of this walk.

  • Sun, 28-Jan-18

    6 walkers on the walk in initially pleasant then deteriorating to windy drizzle conditions. In the morning the route led through a field which today was home to a herd of black cattle among them majestic, beautiful bulls reminiscent of bisons. Since the ground behind the stile leading into the field looked quite muddy we decided to detour a bit and rejoin the official path after the field. The detour led past a quaint little church, unfortunately closed, and a large patch of early snowdrops both of which made this detour quite interesting. Lunch at the quiet Amazon & Tiger was by consensus very good. We continued on through more woodland paths along a ridge until the route opened up with expanding views across rolling hills and valleys. The church at Luddesdown was oddly enough also closed. Is there a problem with theft from churches in this part of the country ? Before reaching the cosy Cock Inn another field with livestock, this time horses, had to be crossed. After having evaded the bulls it was surprising to be attacked by a horse which initially was just curious and docile but suddenly reared on his hind legs and made other threatening gestures towards our group. Fortunately, everybody made it safely over the stile out of the field and into the warmth of the pub. For some reason there was a push to move on to the Railway Inn next to Sole Street station. After another quick drink there everyone took the 17:00 train to Victoria and two of the party decided to see the light show at Canary Wharf.

    This is a lovely walk which in my opinion is slightly underappreciated (at least the version starting in Snodland) maybe due to the somehwat awkward outbound journey when coming from South London. It is, however, well worth the effort. As the route follows ridges most of the time, the mud (currently the most fashionable topic) was not a large problem and often easily avoided by detouring into the woods.

  • Anonymous
    Fri, 09-Feb-18

    I quote

    the mud (currently the most fashionable topic)

    greta - I love it though you forgot to mention Vegan options at lunch

Saturday 18-Nov-17

HollieB
Sole Street Circular, Book 2 Walk 17a
8.4 miles/13.5 km
Toughness 5 out of 10

A short walk in the North Downs area of North Kent, a mixture of woodlands and open landscapes. This is a variation on the original Snodland to Sole Street walk (option a - alternative start from Sole Street in the instructions).

Trains: 9:34 from London Victoria to Dover Priory, arriving at Sole Street at 10:25. (09:58 Bromley South). If you just miss the 9:34 there's a 9:37 train direct to Bromley South that should get you there a few minutes before the 9:34. Return trains xx00

Lunch: Amazon & Tiger, Harvel, 01474 814705. Serves reasonably priced food til 2:30pm and real ales all day.

Tea: The Cock Inn at Henley Street (allow 15 mins to walk to the station and take a torch if planning a long stay...), or next to Sole Street station is The Railway Inn .

 Click here for full details about this walk

T=2.17.a
  • Anonymous
    Sun, 19-Nov-17

    10-or-12 walkers, just the right size fr us to stay together. The weather was dry initially with drizzle from about noon . I love this walk. It has a nice "away from it all" feel, despite it's closeness to London and there were some vibrant copper and yellows almost lighting up the woods in place of the sunshine. There was the usual warm welcome at The Amazon and Tiger and we escaped the afternoon drizzle for a cosy stop at the Cock Inn before heading to the station in time for the 16:00 train.

  • Anonymous
    Mon, 20-Nov-17

    Beautiful walk and the Amazon and Tiger had a vegan option on the menu

Sunday 05-Feb-17

Sean
Book 2 Walk 17a – Sole Street Circular
Length: 13.5 km (8.4 miles). Toughness: 5/10

10:45 Sole Street train from Victoria (Bromley South 11:02), arriving Sole Street at 11:21.

Because of engineering works further out trains on this line are turning round at Sole Street this Sunday, which works to your advantage as trains back are half-hourly at 02 (slower) & 32 minutes past.

The circular version of this walk avoids the awkward train journey and rather industrial start from Snodland, and in not much more than half an hour you'll be walking along the gently rolling hills and wooded valleys of the North Downs. Halfway round in Harvel you can get a pub lunch at the Amazon & Tiger pub, which has a large dining area but will cope better with a group if you call them in advance. The original tea stop for this walk was the Cock Inn in Henley Street, but the Railway Hotel (right next to the station) is a more convenient refreshment option while waiting for a train.

You'll need to print the directions from this pdf document, or bring the 2011 edition of Book 2 (earlier editions didn't include the Circular option). T=2.17.a
  • Anonymous
    Tue, 07-Feb-17

    13 or so plus Max the dog, who was fine. Weather was dry mild cloudy . A very pleasant and probably under rated walk with plenty of views. Lunch at the Amazon and Tiger went down well as did the champagne (thank you, C). A few stopped at the Cock Inn and again at The Railway Hotel and were treated to free Sunday afternoon bar snacks of roast potatoes and Yorkshire pud. on Sunday Walk 1 – the North Downs

Saturday 13-Feb-16

Walker
Book 2 Walk 17 - Snodland to Sole Street
Length: 13.1km (8.1 miles) - Possible extension to 18.7km (11.6 miles): see end of post.
Toughness: 5 out of 10: some hill climbs, none too strenuous

9.55 Southeastern high speed train from St Pancras to Strood, arrive 10.27, connecting there (quick zip down into the subway and across to the other side) to the 10.34 to Snodland, arriving 10.45.

Alternatively for non-high speed types, three options:

a) Least complicated: 9.09 Charing Cross (9.12 Waterloo East, 9.27 Lewisham) to Strood, arriving 10.19 to connect with the 10.34 to Snodland, as above

b) Prettier route: 9.10 Charing Cross (9.13 Waterloo East) to Paddock Wood, arriving 9.58, changing there (wait on the same platform) for the 10.11 direct to Snodland, arriving 10.45 (not the same train as the one the high speeders get - this one comes from the opposite direction).

c) "Oh blast, I missed the train!": 9.15 from Charing Cross (9.18 Waterloo East, 9.39 Orpington) to Tonbridge, arriving 9.57 - sit in the front of the train so you can quickly cross the footbridge for the 10.04 from Tonbridge direct to Snodland, arriving 10.45.

Best ticket: probably a day return to Rochester. This covers you for London to Strood and Sole Street to Victoria. That only leaves the short hop from Strood to Snodland if you come out via Strood on the high speed train or option a) above. This is not problem on route b) or c) as by these routes Snodland is definitely on the way to Rochester: but these options might be seen by a very literal minded ticket inspector as a somewhat unconventional way to get from London to Rochester.

For the main walk directions bring book two or click here. If you plan to do the extension see ** below

-------------------------------------------------------

We have a lot of walks in this lovely area of downland south of the Medway towns, but the original book walk - or rather, its morning route, which is the bit not in other versions - has been neglected. Our resident statistician in fact tells me it has not had an SWC outing since January 2013.

This is a pity, as it is a perfectly nice walk. True, it starts out in the somewhat downbeat surroundings of Snodland itself, but it makes a decisive beeline for the downs and then goes over various hills and dales before it gets to the familiar lunch pub, the unpretentious Amazons and Tigers at Harvel.

The afternoon of the walk following a long ridge down to Luddesdown will probably be familiar to many. The Cock Inn just beyond this is a lovely pub to finish in, but seems to veer between doing tea cheerfully or not. The alternative is the Railway Inn which is also very nice and handily situated right next to Sole Street station.

Though mud is fairly inevitable at this time of year, this route is - at least for long sections - on chalk downland, so cross fingers it will not be too gloopy.

PS If you you want to stay in the Cock Inn after dark, you can: to get to the station afterwards, turn left out of the pub, stay on the road for 1km until you come to Sole Street village and a T-junction with a main road: turn left on this to find the station in 500 metres on the right. All of this is perfectly walkable in the dark.

 Trains back from Sole Street go to Victoria exactly on each hour (so 16.00. 17.00 etc). St Pancrasites can take the 25 past in the other direction, to Rochester and connect there, but your ticket would not be valid from Sole Street to Rochester and this only saves you 20 minutes: better to spend them in the pub)
--------------------------------------------------------

** EXTENSION It is possible to extend this walk by an extra 5.6km (3.5 miles) using part of SWC Walk 35 Cuxton to Sole Street. This makes a total walk of 18.7km (11.6 miles). The extra route takes you in a loop up to the village of Cobham, where there are two nice pubs - the Leather Bottle and the Darnley Arms (which in December 2014 was doing tea and cakes). Or you can just carry on back to the Cock Inn and join the slower walkers for tea there. To do this option, follow the main walk directions as far as the Cock Inn, then pick up the directions on page 6 of this document at paragraph 55. If you do this, you might be the first SWC walker ever to do this option.
  • Sat, 13-Feb-16

    E=MC2 15 drizzle light rain clearing pm chilly .

    Excellently written Book 2 walk that attracted 12 off the train, some high-speeders, some snail-arrivardists, with 3 more joining by lunch at the remarkably unpretentious, inexpensive Amazons and Tigers. We may have had some Amazons on this mostly mud-free trail a.m. but surprised Moontiger didn't get his claws damp on this today. We DIDN'T see any cricket going down. Our entertainment came from seeing four going off in the wrong direction near the start but as the walk directions weren't good enough for some they decided to incorporate part of a different walk into proceedings; well, it all helps to massage someone's ego no doubt but no doubt he'll fill you in on their extracurricular activities in due course.

    Meanwhile, four of us had tea at the cosy yet quixotic Cock Inn. Btw the road walk finish via Henley and Gold Streets added a few metres but avoided mud which we'd had enough of p.m. Four caught the 1700 train home on the best walk this correspondent has enjoyed since New Year on the mudscale!

  • Sat, 13-Feb-16

    Not sure where egos come into it but seven of us elected to do the extension via Cobham as outlined in the walk post. We got rained on for our pains, which seemed a bit unsporting on the part of the weather gods. The Darnley Arms had nice cakes, which only I had, and big tea pots, which I did not get to sample as only one other person had tea (so they supplied it in little cups). We did our own version of a lane walk and got the 6pm train - except that train was cancelled and mysteriously replaced with a 6.15.

  • Sun, 14-Feb-16

    Mr Tiger managed to get his claws damp, don't you worry about that. But not on this walk

Saturday 21-Nov-15

HollieB
Sole Street Circular, Book 2 Walk 17a
8.4 miles/13.5 km, Toughness 5 out of 10

A short walk in the North Downs area of North Kent, a mixture of woodlands and open landscapes. This is a variation on the original Snodland to Sole Street walk (option a) alternative start from Sole Street in the instructions) - if you have an old copy of the book you may need to download the route.

Trains: 9:34 from London Victoria to Dover Priory, arriving at Sole Street at 10:25. (09:57 Bromley South). If you just miss the 9:34 there's a 9:37 train direct to Bromley South that should get you there a few minutes before the 9:34. Return trains xx00

Lunch: Amazon & Tiger, Harvel, 01474 814705. Serves reasonably priced food til 2:30pm and real ales all day.

Tea: The Cock Inn at Henley Street (allow 15 mins to walk to the station).

Links: Full details about this walk, Walk instructions (pdf)
T=2.17.a
  • Anonymous
    Sat, 21-Nov-15

    9 got off of the train and it was awful weather cold windy and damp though a couple of people from South London had both seen snow that morning that didn't settle

    But we all got on with it and got muddy though thankfully there was no really wet areas so no flooded boots

    We had a fair lunch in the Amazon and Tiger and then as predicted by BBC became weather a little sunny .

    A welcome rushed tea at the rather crowded Cock Inn and then all 9 of us made it too the 4pm train back