I think it is London Bridge 9.43 (not 10.40).

Into every life some rain must fall - but it can have the good manners to confine itself to the start and end of the walk. Otherwise today it was cloud breaking to sunshine in the afternoon. Relatively good weather by the standards of this summer.

I have usually done this walk in early spring. It was strange to do it with the nettles tall and the brambles encroaching. In places the paths were definitely overgrown and some strimming might be needed. But mostly it will die away once summer is over.

16 on this walk, including one visitor from across the sea and one who has not walked for twenty years (some feeble excuse about raising a son…) As usual we got a bit spread out so this account is fairly partial and prejudiced, the more so as the day goes on.

Pubs on this walk are in some flux. The Swan in West Peckham, once a high-falutin gastro joint, is now bedecked with banners imploring us to save it as a community pub. The Kentish Rifleman has added an extension but claims its kitchen is overwhelmed when only a third of its seating is occupied. Someone had kindly booked for four of us, but six of us managed to eat, at a nice sunny outside table. There was some huffing and puffing from the pub about this unwarranted increase in their turnover and we had to wait till our appointed booking time to order. But the food came reasonably quickly once we did.

Near Shipbourne we crossed two vast field of purple. No, not lavender, but tansy-leaved phacelia (google it…), a set-aside plant. We hope this is a new trend in regenerative agriculture as it looked gorgeous.

Whisking past the Chaser we made for Ightham Mote, where we had a nice tea, again in the sunshine. After that the weather went downhill, while we went slowly upwards. We walked the escarpment and through Knole Park under grey skies with a fair bit of rain. Four of us had a drink in Sevenoaks.

17 on this walk. A warm sunny day at last. Somebody obviously slipped up in the Weather Gods department. I am sure normal grey cloud and easterly wind service will be resumed shortly.

The sun had not yet had time to dry all the mud and puddles. In places there were some whoppers and at one point half the group even declined to wade through one and did some diversionary route. But that was the only negative of the day. Otherwise all was idyllic.

Bluebells were out aplenty. Maybe not always at their best, but certainly very good. At one point there were early purple orchids, and there were a few butterflies (though not enough!!!), including lovely orange tips and a holly blue or two. A bit of apple blossom in the commercial orchards, though it is not yet at its best. Dandelions, buttercups, and various species of flower that should have been out two weeks ago.

We aimed for the Kentish Rifleman for lunch. It was busy, but had plenty of room in its garden. How nice to eat outside again! The staff were super friendly and efficient, and food definitely of superior quality.

After lunch the group fragmented. Hares stretched out towards the finish line. Most of us stopped for tea at Ightham Mote but we left at different times. Two got a taxi from this point. Towards the end I fell behind, beguiled by the loveliness of the evening and the fine escarpment views, but I later met four others in the Chequers Inn in Sevenoaks. We got the 19.46 train to Victoria, via the Bickley Interconnector.

Sounds great. Typo:should be 11.11 to Yalding.

Thanks. Corrected

If 13 miles sounds too much, there are usually buses from Shipbourne at to Tonbridge railway station or Borough Green railway station. Your Yalding return would be valid from either station.

I am thinking of taking the 09.10 getting on at London Bridge.

Austen

10.10 is perfect, as is the 13 miles. Soon 13 miles in daylight will be impossible. Thanks for scheduling.

13 miles is NOT perfect for some of us. I'm going to be doing the shortcut and expect there will be others👍

Thank you walk poster, the shortcut on this walk is quite clear, great to catch the bus

12 on this walk, including one newcomer, on a day of gloomy clouds . Five of us stopped at the Swan Inn in West Peckham, which seems to be less lauded by food guides than it used to be, but also less busy. Four of us ate there and the food was very nice.

One solitary diner, I understand, stopped at the Kentish Rifleman for lunch, while others had sandwiches and then went to the Chaser Inn for drinks and puddings. The four of us who had lunched at the Swan caught up with them there.

At least three then caught the bus from Shipbourne, leaving six of us to carry on along the rest of the route. It was a pleasant walk with nice chat, but I was a bit haunted by the lack of bluebells, wild garlic and the other spring delights this walk is known for.

There were some seasonal treats, however. Apples in the commercial orchards looked luscious (I don’t think there was any scrumping, but perhaps it happened when my back was turned…), and near the start we saw the tail end of the red deer rut in a deer park - still some roaring but a sense that things were winding down.

But in Knole Park, in the gathering dusk, a real treat. On the hill by the car park several fallow deer stags were in full voice, each trying to out-roar the others. The effect was a bit like being in a pool of very vocal frogs. The females treated this display with glorious indifference, placidly grazing.

In Sevenoaks we found a cosy table in the Chequers pub and had wine, beer and chips. Then the train home, with a sense of having made good use of the day.

Two found themselves in Borough Green, via a detour to Scotland. The Plough Inn provided fine coffee and, while bar staff were dubious about dessert being available,the exuberant Scots chef (Falkirk-born,48 years down here but with a rich, resonant accent undiluted) assured us he could 'rustle up' an apple crumble. He did, and it was good. We met the three bussers at Borough Green Station and got the 4.45ish train to Victoria.

Two more to add to this count since I joined Austen in representing the contingent that prefers as much walking before the solar noon (ie 1pm in summer time) as after it, and finds no attraction in coming home in the dark earlier in the year than is unavoidable.

Lunch in the Kentish Rifleman was served with warmth and humour and straightforward of quality. Tea and cakes at a branch of Gails in Sevenoaks, which was pricey but very good. With only a couple of not particularly long unintended detours, we logged 14.3 miles before taking the 17:19 home, delayed to 17:29, and were back at London Bridge within 22 minutes.

There are points in the GPX file where the tracking of the directions is rather approximate.

14 then

A few of us are doing a late start 10:15 from Charing Cross.

Thanks, I will join you on the later train

On the National Rail enquiries website there is no Ramsgate train leaving from Charing X tomorrow and for Yalding the options are the Hastings train mentioned, changing at Tonbridge or on the high-speed line from St Pancras changing at Strood. I wonder if the train times have changed since the walk was posted.

MG: If you ask for times of trains from London to Tonbridge you'll see that the 09:10 Ramsgate train is running, as posted. If you specify Yalding as the destination the site will only show you the 09:15 Hastings train because (according to its rules) you can make the 6-minute connection at Tonbridge. But I agree with Walker's post as there's less risk of missing the connection as well as an easier (same platform) interchange.

Thanks, Sean. As you say. And there is a 9.10 to Ramsgate: I just checked.

Hi Everyone

Where is the meeting point at Charing Cross?

Vicky

how many intending to take later train please?

Vicky: the meeting point is on arrival at Yalding, where the group will be very obvious (not least because no one else ever gets off there), though in practice we should be pretty obvious while waiting for the connection at Paddock Wood.

Earlier than that, if you walk down the train you may find a group of us, yabbering away.

If you have not done already, read this page about how our walks work, because they are a bit different from other groups

https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/swc/index.shtml

I'm taking the later train as well.

People are free to take the 10.10/10/15 train if they like, of course, but just to point out that the 9.10 train was not chosen without careful thought. The first pub you come to, the Swan, is from memory quite posh and booked up. The Kentish Rifleman is a more traditional pub but is 6 miles into the walk and stops serving food at 2pm. If you are starting at 11.19 (ie taking the 10am train), then you need to walk at a fairly smart pace to be sure of getting there in time. The 9.10 was chosen because it allows for an easier pace and/or to linger looking at bluebell woods.

True the Chaser provides a backstop, providing it still serves food all afternoon, which I have not been able to check, and faut de mieux there is Ightham Mote and its tea room as a late lunch option.

For the record, some will DEFINITELY be getting the 9am train.

Enjoy the walk whichever train you get. Pity the weather forecast is not as springlike as last weekend....

I've eaten at both The Chaser Inn and The Swan in the last year and I'm happy to recommend both. We had called from the station to book a table.

My compliments on Walker choosing an early train - it was ideal for lunch at The Chaser which is just over half way though the walk and changing at Paddock walk was easy with none of the concerns of changing at Tonbridge

I will leave others to do the walk report

Bridie

14 on the official train, 2 who drove and 9 (?) on a train an hour later. 4 or 5 of the latter lunched at the first pub, the Swan, with the intention, I am told, of doing the first half of the walk and taking the bus from Shipbourne. One of this party cleverly caught a bus from Sevenoaks and caught the main group at West Peckham. Three or four more caught up with us at tea at Ightham Mote. 25 in all.

The weather was grey and slightly drizzly but at least it did not rain. The bluebells were out throughout the walk but seemed a bit weedy for reasons I could not fathom. There was apple blossom and oilseed rape and the swallows were sitting on the same telephone wire they were on when we did this walk two years ago (in similar weather, alas). Two of us were inexpressibly delighted to hear a turtle dove at one point. (I can’t tell you what a BIG DEAL this is: this once common harbinger of spring has declined 93% since 1994).

Those who lunched at the Swan probably made a wise choice. The Kentish Rifleman was in headless chicken mode and some of us abandoned hope of eating there right away. Others waited ages even to order drinks and made the same choice. Ten of us eventually ended up in the heroically busy Chaser Inn, which could not accommodate us till 2pm. A fabulous pub and if you are a red meat eater the menu is great and well-portioned. The vegan sandwich was a bit of mushroom between bread with some wilting lettuce, however, and my potato rosti was a starter at a main course price: to give you some idea, I tripled its size by adding a “side” of vegetables. Why the idea persists in pub kitchens that vegetarians are not hungry, I do not know.

All if this was a big incentive to stop for tea at Ightham Mote a mile later, which seven or eight of us did. After this the turtle dove and a big wild garlic wood in full flower. Five of us later had a drink in Sevenoaks and then a very nice Indian meal. So weather apart, a grand day out.

Thanks Peter and the rest sorry can't remember all your names. The walk after lunch was fantastic and I enjoyed the hills especially around Rooks hill - plenty of bluebells and fields and fields of wild garlic to sample a few. Many thanks to Andrew and Dave for the afternoon company and leading the way to Sevenoaks via the secret door and avoid the heavy traffic. Great day out but I think it appears more than 13 miles perhaps 14 miles.

Monica

Total late start 12 people. No drizzle or rain at all for later risers. Two immediately said they wanted to walk alone. One caught a bus from Tonbridge to catch the early start. We stopped at Swan for lunch (4 for food + 3 for drinks) having booked a table at the station. Two other disappeared at lunch. Fantastic food and well worth a visit and money. They even accommodated us for swopping a part of one dish for another- all worked to perfection. Some took 4:14 bus at Shipbourne. Two decided to have tea and cake at Chaser Inn - another pub deserves a mention - one tried signature dessert- which came with three regular sized desserts on one plate (best to order this for sharing in future) before catching 5:24 bus. Thanks walker for posting this walk with bus and late option. It took me back to the memory lane where we had a relaxed walk starting an hour later of the nature walk....

28 then

Should be a wonderful display of bluebells on this walk. I walked from Sevenoaks to Westerham last Sunday (17 Aprils) and bluebells were out on Stubbs Hill, Ide Hill and other woods you pass through. Also, plenty of primroses and wood anemones - but wild garlic (which you often see in flower at the same time as bluebells) still in bud.

What a lovely day - really enjoyed it

n=about-20 sunny spells . The ground was dry underfoot and there were some spectacular bluebell and wild garlic displays in the afternoon. 2 took the bus from Shipbourne and the rest did the full walk. A lovely walk, though a bit too long for me.

20

23 to be precise. some sun but often grey and freezing . On the plus side I did hear a turtle dove at one point (80% decline in population in the last 50 years), the first time I have ever heard one

6

...so I am told...

Sat 16/5/15 Book 3 Walk 41 Yalding to Sevenoaks 21km/13m 20 walkers or so. Glorious sunshine all day as photos will confirm. The first time I've noticed boats at Yalding as every other time I've walked this route or the Borough Green variant it's rained.

Most enjoyed lunch and/or a drink at the Swan, West Peckham, al fresco (no, he wasn't on the walk) on the village green. Pub grub was served on flat oblong platters which looked, and - I'm reliably informed - tasted delicious. We pressed on in various groups but as it was such a glorious day in May, gathered for another bash at the local amber liquids at the Kentish Rifleman. It's possible the third pub en route attracted customers. All I know is that I parted company with my by then 6 companions at Ightam Mote. I'm sure they and some others enjoyed tea and tiffin in the sun around 4pm-ish. Pressing on to Knole Park where I arrived too late for the (temporary) refreshments kiosk, I settled for tea at the station and the 6.30 slow train home not too tired but asleep before yet another Danish tv drama series wound up a lovely day zzzzzzzzz