Alas, the best laid plans concerning long distance walks, along with everything else, can be easily foiled by a tier system! The GW ‘grand finale’ weekend was scuppered by the news that Kent will be in Tier 3, so no accommodation options available. So back to the original plan and get the last 40-odd kilometres remaining under my belt in two stages.
This stage picked up almost exactly from the bus stop from which I left Sutton Valence back in October and ended at Great Chart, with an extra 3.2km to get to Ashford International station. In all a snip at just 28km, a good 6 hours! Was chuffed to get to the station in daylight!
In the bag:
Tea, early grey, hot
Chicken sarnie and a banana
One walking pole
Walkers travel kit (have I mentioned this before? I take it on all my walks; a little bag with minis of sun cream and hand sanitiser, blister plasters, zinc oxide tape, paracetamol. Covers the basics.)
1.5l bladder of water
An extra jumper!
The map (the last one for the GW):
OS Explorer 137 (Ashford)
I awoke the sleepy web-developer-him-indoors to drive me over to Sutton Valence. It’s doable on public transport (Horley - Redhill - Tonbridge - Headcorn, bus up to Sutton Valence) but I don’t trust buses on a Sunday! He’s a good egg.
The GW strikes out from the main road through Sutton Valence just above the Kings Head pub. The village is host to a large private school and the first couple of km traverse much of the school’s playing fields. Amazing views off to the right; quite the backdrop for a game of rugby.
The early parts of this stage spend quite a bit of time on very quiet country lanes (good for getting a bit of speed up). I was tickled to note that Kent CC (or the local borough council) had decided the ‘Workhouse Lane’ named on the OS map sounded a bit miserable so renamed it to ‘Pleasure House Lane’. The irony of this road juxtaposed with a Young Offenders Institute was not lost.
On leaving the road the GW heads through more orchards, continuing the theme of the last stage. A very different feel this time; a definite smell of decomposing apples (actually quite sweet), pruned branches and stacks and stacks of empty boxes prepped for the next season.
The GW is a nice mix of farmland and orchards. Everything was obviously very muddy, and with a number of paths shared by horse riders, occasionally slippy underfoot. The walking pole was very handy even on gentle slopes and for gauging the depths of muddy puddles!
After passing through the very picturesque hamlet of Liverton Street (waved to a chap practicing his golf swing in his extensive garden) the path crosses some stunning open vistas as it comes down towards Boughton Place ; the original house was built in the 1520s.
I was reminded by GIANT farm machinery that much of this area is still working farmland, even around grade 1 and 2 listed buildings.
From here it’s more farmland and even the fording of the odd stream down to Pope Hall Cottage and then up the first of two steep(ish) climbs to Egerton House, followed shortly after by the village of Egerton itself.
Another pretty Kentish village (or is that Village of Kent?) with friendly locals all of whom said hello. I stopped for a quick cuppa here next to the village hall, did some ‘daylight time remaining‘ calculations and pushed on to Pluckley. Headed up to Pluckley was the second steep climb, although the views were worth it.
The GW has a funny little appendix to it here; a 2km southerly diversion that ends at the train station and, incidentally, the B&B I should have been staying in next weekend. But I was pushing through so headed north and then easterly through more orchards. I was slightly disappointed to have missed Pluckley proper, it’s supposed to be a very beautiful village and was where the Darling Buds of May was filmed, back in days of yore (well, the 90s).
Just south of Little Chart the GW joins the Stour Valley Walk. The River Stour runs through Ashford and Canterbury and to me is quintessentially ‘East Kent’.
There were some more fabulous open vistas at this point with worn paths wiggling away into the distance. Following the open country, a short walk on road and a lovely winding interlude through colourful forest brings the GW to Hothfield Common. This is a remarkable nature reserve made up of heathland, woodland and marshland. Even now at the end of November there’s a cacophony of bird song.
There’s an important waymarking here, with the GW heading south. It’s well signed, don’t worry. This southerly turn takes you through the Hothfield Bogs, accessible only because some enterprising soul has put down concrete blocks. There are a flock (herd?) of wild ponies that look like they might fall into the grip of the mire at any point. It’s a bit spooky actually....
The GW leaves the Stour Valley Walk behind and heads south east picking up the paths around the Godinton Estate. This section has very poor way marking (some has clearly been removed) and almost impassable gates which are padlocked. No choice but to clamber over. Once you pick up the road (the path runs alongside) it gets a bit friendlier and the paths are well signed, and clearly used extensively by the local folk.
The path around the estate eventually comes to an end at Great Chart, where I left the GW and pegged it to the station.
I am now a tantalising 15km off Hamstreet and the very end of the GW. Hanging around Tonbridge Station waiting for a connection I spotted the map below which really illustrated just what a bloody long way this is! Haslemere in the West to Hamstreet in the East (Horley in the middle!).
All round this was an enjoyable stage. Less ‘things to see’ than previous stages, but it had a sense of wildness. I saw quite a few people out and about and everyone was super friendly; mostly local people with stories to tell (including one about badgers). This was a local stage for local people. But in a good way.
Here’s the map, and the cat (emerging from a bookcase she is not supposed to sleep in!).
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