best walks near sevenoaks
Into a field and down a hill we go, walking through a skinny passageway that opens up into the town of Westerham. "Lovely gardens a bit hilly in places lots to see and has a … I’m here for the same reason I do most of my country walks near London: a friend has planned it for the walking group he runs. Over 600 years old, Knole started life as an archbishop’s palace before it passed into the hands of the Sackville family in 1603. We follow the Greensand Way along pastures full of cows and sheep, through farms smelling rich with hay, and past country houses sporting gardens fragrant with roses. This hillside spot is part of an Edwardian estate, and it features exotic trees and shrubs from around the world. It’s all quintessentially English. We soon reach a spot with picnic tables and public restrooms, and we stop for a snack break before our Sevenoaks walk takes us out of Emmetts Garden and back into a woodland area. As we go, we pass cute cafes and a warren of narrow streets with heritage pubs, outdoor tables, and covered passages paved in cobblestones. Knole Historic Deer Park, at Sevenoaks, straddles the Greensand Way and is the perfect place for walkers of all ages to enjoy long views across the North Downs. Mariners Hill Walk from Hosey Common carpark Explore Mariners Hill on this loop trail, starting from the public carpark at Hosey Common. Please note that the route has a short on-road section and steep climbs may not be suitable for all. You can read about more walks and find further details in Time Out Country Walks: 52 Walks Near London, too. I like to travel there quite a bit and always pick out a section to explore. A statue of Winston Churchill takes pride of place, and a Norman church overlooks it all. - Views of the North Downs, #6 - Knole Park via Sevenoaks Town Centre Circular. It’s one of the largest country houses in the UK, and we can see the chimneys and rooftops for ages after we depart. There are a lot of country walks in Sevenoaks. From the village we walk along narrow country roads and past a cricket match at Ide Hill’s Emmetts Park. The route is via Single Street, Luxted, Pratt's Bottom and Halstead. The following Sevenoaks Entities do NOT (currently) have Records in 'Open Paths and Trails'. 56 entrance to Seven Oaks was taken from the nature trail. Discover the most beautiful places, download GPS tracks and follow the top routes on a map. The Lizard Walk leaflet is also available in large print for visually impaired people. There we find ourselves surrounded by thistles, blackberries, and butterflies as we look out over views of the English countryside. Just on the outskirts of Lancashire lies the Ingleton Waterfalls trail. The route goes clockwise and circumnavigates Sevenoaks Weald. The walk follows public footpaths through the estate but if you wish to tour the house itself check the National Trust website for prices and opening times. Easy. #1 - Ightham Mote and Knole Park Circular, A walk through the beautiful landscape of Knole Park, a short stroll from Sevenoaks town centre. This is a circular walk from Cudham. This is a flat walk of 1.2 miles, with various points of interest including … As we board the train home to London, I feel grateful to have gotten out of the city for a country walk and happy to have breathed some much-needed fresh air. We start our 11.6-mile (18.7-kilometer) walk at the station exit, heading up a hill into the heart of Sevenoaks. On the trail of Canterbury Tales. Best six walks recap! The trail takes you up to Mariners Hill where you'll find some fantastic views over the Chartwell estate and weald of Kent. There are superb bluebells in late April in Meenfield Woods and the chance of seeing Spitfires and Hurricanes flying over from Biggin Hill airfield. 2.5 Forests, lavender fields and stunning houses. The whole thing will take us just over six hours, including a stop for a picnic lunch in the English countryside. The more observant may detect the presence of grass snakes, owls, lizards and that sort of thing. Ightham Mote is owned by the National Trust. Learn how your comment data is processed. Happy hiking! There are historic churches and pretty cottages galore, and I take so many photos I have to run to catch up with the group as we leave town. As soon as we pass the cricket, we find ourselves in Emmetts Garden, a National Trust property in Kent. There are three waymarked walking trails: the Lizard Walk (one mile) the Owl Walk (three miles), and; the Orchid Walk (four miles) Free leaflets are available for all of these from the Ranger's Lodge located in Shacklands Road, Shoreham, Sevenoaks, Kent TN14 7TY. It’s a brilliant walk with a superb hedgerow-lined path currently full of berries, a sunken trail with amazing trees growing out of its embankment, atmospheric oasthouses and far-flung views of the Weald. More... You have successfully subscribed to the blog. Knole Historic Deer Park, at Sevenoaks, straddles the Greensand Way and is the perfect place for walkers of all ages to enjoy long views across the North Downs. - Kentish ragstone Description checked by Anna Harris, Margaret Spooner and further checked by Jackie Gower Afterwards we continue our Sevenoaks walk through areas like Hanging Bank, which contains 90 acres (36 hectares) of wooded escarpment replete with beech, oak, rowan, pine, and birch trees. Your email address will not be published. Things to look for... Our Sevenoaks walk ends in Westerham, where we sit out on the grass enjoying snacks and drinks from the local pub. I hope this post has inspired you to get outdoors and into the English countryside. Exiting the park, we walk down St Julian Road and Riverhill, then turn off onto a walking path opposite the entrance to the Riverhill Himalayan Gardens. This is a circular walk starting from Stubbs Wood car park, east of Ide Hill. Hadlow Easy Access Trail. Parks and Playgrounds. There are … Wander through ancient woodland to discover a perfectly framed view. It’s now a National Trust property in Kent (lots of these today!). Knole Historic Deer Park, at Sevenoaks, straddles the Greensand Way and is the perfect place for walkers of all ages to enjoy long views across the North Downs. You can get it here. The above photo of the water fountain at the Ancient Oaks Blvd/S.R. - Kentish ragstone We don’t have time to tour the house on our Sevenoaks walk, but my group is patient enough to let me run into the courtyards to take some pictures before we continue. Now a National Trust property, Knole is known for both its important collection of Jacobean furniture and its role in the Virginia Woolf novel Orlando. Time Out Book of Country Walks: Wye Circular (Volume 1, Walk 53) North Downs Way: Otford to Cuxton; Saturday Walking Club, Walk 24: Sandling to Wye; North Downs Way: Cuxton to Hollingbourne; Saturday Walking Club Walk 41: Greensand Way: Yalding to Sevenoaks; Time Out Book of Country Walks: Dover To Deal (Volume 2, Walk 30) Wonderful oak, beech, ash, cypress, yew and chestnut trees about and kestrels, buzzards, deer and slow worms have been regularly seen by this walker. It doesn’t affect the way you shop, and it’s a great way to support the A Lady in London blog. Sevenoaks Circular. Sevenoaks - Parklands & parakeets Download Route type circular Distance 4 mi 6.44 km Gates 1 Start postcode TN13 1LW Town Sevenoaks Area Kent Downs AONB Nearest train station Sevenoaks OS Explorer Map 147. Or perhaps head South West out of town towards Ide Hill where you'll get great views from the top of the North Downs. Mostly pushchair friendly, just be aware there are tree roots and so on. In partnership with . Outdoor. Lady’s Guide to Visiting a Lavender Field Near London. - Sweet chesnuts Walks vary in length and difficulty. Afterwards we continue our Sevenoaks walk through areas like Hanging Bank, which contains 90 acres (36 hectares) of wooded escarpment replete with beech, oak, rowan, pine, and birch trees. The walk follows mainly field and woodland tracks which will be muddy after wet weather. Swanley. Charles Dickens and Higham Walk (Image: Explore Kent) Start postcode: ME3 7JQ. There’s nothing like a safe, open space for … You start off near Sevenoaks Railway Station and head north through the delightful tranquility of the Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve. Offering a variety of distances these dog-friendly circular walks are free of stiles and there’s room to run through the stunning Kent countryside! #4 - Knole House Deer Park and Ightham Mote Circular, A walk through the beautiful landscape of Knole Park, a short stroll from Sevenoaks town centre. These offer woodland walking and very different flowers, as well as some fine, far-reaching views as a reward for climbing the hillside. Knole Park – Knowle Park cafe Loop from Sevenoaks Weald. We meet at London Bridge station in the morning and hop on a train to Kent just after 8:30am. - Ice house Ingleton Waterfalls. A circular walk close to the village of Shoreham, near Sevenoaks in Kent. As we leave the house, the sprawling form of Knole comes with us. Explore other popular activities near you from over 7 million businesses with over … Thanks! Riverhill Himalayan Gardens. Badgers Mount walk 14.5 miles. Otford Circular. This walk takes you from the pretty ‘estate village' of Chevening onto the dramatic scarp of the North Downs. Name: Seal, Sevenoaks Place type: Village Location: Grid Ref: TQ 5487 5673 • X/Y co-ords: 554878, 156736 • Lat/Long: 51.28870010,0.21966598 There’s a map on my great British road trip blog post, so please feel free to head over and take a look. This six and a half mile route through Charles Dickens country will take your and your dog through the marshland areas which inspired the opening of his famous novel Great Expectations. Descending back to Otford along part of the North Downs Way you also pass by Otford Pond interestingly designated as a listed building! One of my favorite times to walk is during sunrise when there are breath-taking scenes such as the ones on this page. New here? 112 countries and counting! It’s going to lead us through town centers, past famous stately homes, alongside pastures, and through National Trust gardens. There’s a small shop with public restrooms here, and we take a break before continuing along the National Trust Octavia Hill Centenary Trail through a woodland area rife with oak trees. The name Sevenoaks comes from the Anglo-Saxon word Seouenaca, this was a small chapel near seven oak trees in what is today Knole Park. I’m glad I catch up, though, because what comes next is nothing short of breathtaking. Adventures of an expat Californian living in London and traveling the world. Walk 6: One Tree Hill circular nr Sevenoaks 6 miles. Once the house recedes into the distance, we walk down a long path through Knole Park to get into the countryside near Sevenoaks. After spending six months in London, I’m excited to bring you a guide to a Sevenoaks walk in Kent, England. High Elms Country Park near Farnborough Village It goes from Haslemere in Surrey to Hamstreet in Kent. Explore Kent. I wish we had time to visit, but our Sevenoaks walk takes us in the opposite direction. 2.4 Ightham Mote. Weardale Circular Walk … Knole House Deer Park and Ightham Mote Circular, Knole Park via Sevenoaks Town Centre Circular. Walks near Chartwell. A walk through the beautiful landscape of Knole Park, a short stroll from Sevenoaks town centre. Browse all of the details of each route below — and explore more of the nature around Sevenoaks Weald. I’ve also put all my country walks in Britain into a single blog post if you’d like additional ideas. Required fields are marked *. Allow 2 hours. This walk goes from Sevenoaks to Westerham. The photos on the left and right below were taken from sidewalks. Medieval half-timber houses overlook the Stour river in Canterbury … There are two long lines of hills near here, the North Downs and the Greensand Ridge. You have successfully joined our subscriber list. This area is full of pastoral land and classic Kent oasts, and it’s beautiful for a ramble. The walk has a few steady climbs and descents, there are six stiles (the first three of which are surrounded by wire mesh so dogs will need to be able to climb them or be lifted over) plus a number of gates/kissing gates. As we do, we look up a taxi company and soak up the sun as we wait for our ride back to Sevenoaks station. Simply click on one of the options to download the maps and descriptions. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. We walk through more fields, stopping for a picnic lunch under a big oak tree. The first two miles are through woodlands Meenfield and Pilots Woods on top of a ridge separating the Darent Valley from a 'dry valley' just to the west. As we enter Knole Park, we come across a herd of deer that are so tame they make me feel like a Disney princess. From here, you can also appreciate the changes of the seasons and wildlife amid historic trees and grasslands. Travel through the Kent Downs AONB and along the Darent River on this beautiful walk. 2.1 Things to see in Sevenoaks: 2.2 National Trust – Knole Deer Park and Estate on our circular walk. - Deer 2.3 One Tree Hill by National Trust. It’s time for another country walk. Explore the most popular walking trails near Sevenoaks with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you. I’m curious if you might have a UK map with pins of all the places you’ve blogged about? I love your blog. Find the best Walking Trails near you on Yelp - see all Walking Trails open now. Emmetts Garden also has rose and rock gardens, as well as panoramic views over the surrounding area. Lullingstone Country Park – great dog walks, views, river, lovely cafe and play area. - Birds including parakeets It’s as close to the UK capital as rambles get, making it an easy day trip from London and the perfect way to get outdoors and into the British countryside. Shorter walks are usually more local to Sevenoaks, longer ones may range further away. That’s not least because we’ve entered Sevenoaks Weald and the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. After being in the city for half a year, I can’t wait to get out and into the fresh air. Walks vary in length and difficulty. It brings us to the heart of Ide Hill, a pretty village with pubs and green spaces. Trosley Country Park – great buggy friendly dog walk, lovely cafe that uses local bacon, sausages etc, and play area. Swanley Park. A lovely walk through the beautiful rolling Kent countryside. The busy multi-lane road is a far cry from the bucolic landscapes we’ve been walking in, but as soon as we cross over it we’re back in the countryside. Use the map type in the top left to choose OS Explorer for walking maps, or OS Landranger for cycling or driving maps. Created by . There are two long lines of hills near here, the North Downs and the Greensand Ridge. - Sweet chesnuts Discover Knole Park and the surrounding forests with this walk. Some of the links in this blog post are affiliate links. 356 reviews. Hosey Hill is near Chartwell, Winston Churchill’s country house. We pick up a long-distance walking route called the Greensand Way here. To help you find the best hikes and walks around Sevenoaks Weald, we’ve reviewed our full collection of trails and routes in the region. If you want to do this or another of the many Sevenoaks walks in Kent, there are plenty of maps online to help you replicate my friend’s route. Distance: 6.5 miles. We walk along a fence-lined path that cuts through the garden, peering into the grounds on both sides as we go. The Category Sevenoaks is a subset of Kent. Sevenoaks walk – parkland and parakeets. This walk begins in Otford where you can catch a glimpse of the largest scale model in the world - the Otford Solar System. Shorter walks are usually more local to Sevenoaks, longer ones may range further away. You can pick up a leaflet and follow a walk or wander through the paths among the bluebells. The journey is a quick one, and we arrive at Sevenoaks station just over 30 minutes later. The route starts at the train station of Sevenoaks and takes you along the Knole country house through the woods to Godden Green. Distance: 10 miles Map: Explorer 147 Walk surveyed and described by David Slater, based on Ken’s walk summary as follows: Sevenoaks round via Ide Hill (lunch), Stubbs Wood, Sevenoaks Common and Knole Park (possible tea).Some hills. At no cost to you, I earn a small commission when you click on them and make a purchase. - Views of the North Downs. 3 Summary of the most scenic circular day walk near London: Sevenoaks, Knole Deer Park and Ightham Mote. A circular walk around the parkland of Chevening near Sevenoaks in the Kent Downs AONB. Until Polhill Bank you will be able to hear the M25 which is nearby, but once walking on the eastern side of the ridge the rushing sound of traffic will magically disappear. Things to look for... Find the best Hiking trails in Sevenoaks, England (United Kingdom). From Sevenoaks circular walks to point-to-point paths, this area to the west of London is rife with ways to get into nature. Our Sevenoaks walk continues alongside pastures full of horses and through wooded areas, eventually bringing us to a road called Hubbards Hill and across an overpass above the Sevenoaks Bypass. We climb a set of steps in a hill, walk past a historic graveyard and a row of pretty houses on French Street, and ramble through more woodland before reaching Hosey Hill. Your email address will not be published. It’s fun to see cricket in action, and feels fitting for a day in the English countryside. - Deer Some of the fields will be holding sheep so take care with dogs. Record your own trail from the Wikiloc app, upload it and share it with the community. It’s a great place to eat an al fresco meal. This circular walk, on a chalk hillside above the glorious Darent Valley, takes in broadleaf woods, a grass escarpment edge with wildflowers and great views, and an ancient village with superb old cottages, pubs and a river path. Download a route map here. The walk includes several climbs and descents throughout, with some sections that can be muddy. The town center has a green lined with shops, pubs, and tearooms. I would never try to touch them, but I feel like they’d let me if I did. You will need to negotiate both gates and stiles and you may be sharing some of the fields with sheep. © Copyright A Lady in London 2007 - 2021. We walk under them and along paths through brambles and bracken to get to Ide Hill. Ancient woodland clinging to the ‘cliffs’ of the Greensand Ridge, a natural ‘valley of the butterflies’, the medieval gem of Ightham Mote nestling in a gap in the hills, and a great old pub (the White Rock Inn) make this a memorable summer walk, with glorious views across the Weald to the Ashdown Forest, and rich in fauna and flora. Taken 17th April 2017. Kent Downs AONB. Bluebells at Andrew’s Wood, Polhill, Sevenoaks. There are even fences adorned with wellies with flowers growing out of them. Walk 26, Underriver and Budds, cobbles together the optional scenic extension to Walk 6 with the Wilmot to Budds path of Walk 7. After two miles, walkers emerge from the woods spectacularly at Kent Wildlife Trust-managed Polhill Bank on the steep chalk hillside with views over to Knole Park and beyond, and after this there are regular views of the Darent Valley. Badger's Mount walk 16.8 miles. The walk leads you through open countryside and woodland to reach Ightham Mote and Fairlawne Estate (two estates with intriguing histories). Our Sevenoaks walk takes us into the grounds of Knole, one of the most impressive stately homes near London. One more click to download free walks in the beautiful Sevenoaks area. - Ice house These offer woodland walking and very different flowers, as well as some fine, far-reaching views as a reward for climbing the hillside. This walk begins in Otford where you can catch a glimpse of the largest scale model … They’re stunning. There are also a couple of short sections of road walking along quiet country lanes with no pavements. Privacy Policy. - Birds including parakeets From here, you can also appreciate the changes of the seasons and wildlife amid historic trees and grasslands. Other places near Chipstead, Sevenoaks (TN13 2RW) Bessels Green, Sevenoaks From the deer we make our way up a gentle slope to the house itself. The post code for this attraction suggests a walk along the footpaths East of Sevenoaks town through Knole Park, Godden Green and out towards Ightham which is a nice hike. After a steep climb up onto the North Downs you are rewarded with some fantastic views of the surrounding countryside. Berry's Green walk 7.5 Miles. Lace up your boots and bring along your four-legged friend on a wander through Kent's walking territory! Here, clicking on a Title of interest should link you to a relevant external Website (or Facebook Page): - Edenbridge Town Trail It looks like a beautiful walk! Join thousands of others and subscribe to the A Lady in London blog via email or Bloglovin’. We walk through the woods and out into fields, following the path for the National Trust Weardale Walk as we go. Ide Hill We walk under them and along paths through brambles and bracken to get to Ide Hill.