Knockholt Pound/Chevening

Explore the meadows and woods of the North 1 START Point 1, Chevening Lane, Downs escarpment with grand views over 18th- Andrews Wood Knockholt Pound century Chevening House, starting from the village of Knockholt Pound. ½ a mile START (car park)

How long? 2 hours Otford 3 miles 5 miles (8km) Parking: Northern end of 2 Meenfield Woods Chevening Lane or in Sevenoaks Knockholt Pound village 3 miles Public transport: Not really, Downhill infrequent R5/R10 bus service Views To Shoreham station from Orpington to the walk’s start. Knockholt station 2 miles. Turn off Sundridge Hill Water Lane Start of walk: Chevening Lane 3 Steep slopes? One after Point 5. Pilots Woods 4 Filston FarmUphill Pub: Three Horseshoes Views Walk highlights Point 2-3 (700m) Views, wildflowers and an Turn left (south-east) on Leave Sundridge Rd 5 atmospheric hamlet Sundridge Lane, which soon becomes Sundridge Hill. Still See Ordnance Survey Explorer nothing too exciting. It’s another ▲ Chevening 147 map quiet road with just the occasional N Click here for GPX map car and bike so although you have to walk about half a mile down it, the church tower of Chevening’s Point 5-back to start (2.8km) it’s relatively safe for a road. Thick St Botolph’s; that’s where we’re The longest and nicest section. THE WALK hedgerows line both sides of the headed. Eventually the Chevening You’ll only be on Sundridge Rd for Point 1-2 (2km) lane with dense woods on your estate path reaches a T junction: 200 metres, but take care please, This first part is a bit boring. left. It’s OK, but there’s nothing a north-south path (point 4). (If especially if you have children Well actually, Chevening Lane much to see. Walk past Knockholt you’ve had enough, turn left, which with you, it’s quite busy. Just past (point 1) is a really nice road Lodge on left, then around 230 heads straight back to Chevening Turvin farm buildings take the to stroll down with lovely trees metres further on you’ll come to Lane - but you’ll miss some of the path on the left, heading north and one or two vivid gardens Keepers Cottage (point 3), again best bits.) towards the North Downs chalk (including one on the right on the left. From here the walk is escarpment, first alongside a near the end with one of the all good and not dull at all. Point 4-5 (1.5km) cereal field (maize at the moment) nicest hanging baskets I’ve At point 4, turn right for Chevening then on the more meadowy ever seen). There are next to no Point 3-4 (1.5km) (south). The hamlet has the feel escarpment itself where you climb cars, because it’s effectively a Look for the footpath gate on of somewhere that never made it slightly north-west, skirting Star dead end with few houses. After the left just past the cottage out of the 1930s with it’s ancient Hill Wood. Take it slow and enjoy about 350 metres (6 minutes?) and stride off, downhill through telephone box, old houses and the views over the vale behind you you reach the North Downs Way the woods heading south-east. churchyard. It’s a lovely spot and over towards Ide Hill, perched footpath. I think it’s best to turn Soon you’ll leave the woods and that always makes me want a on the Greensand Ridge. The path, right here (westward) so we hit a lovely meadow overlooked cream tea for some reason. But actually the North Downs Way, get the dull bit over with early. by a bench. Follow the footpath that’s a Devon thing... in Kent, bends round to the west. At the There are fields on your right easterly now and enter another forget it, unless you’re in National top of the scarp, walk through a and woods on your left, that’s meadow via woodland with quite Trust territory. Walk through the gap in woods then on the borders all there is to say really, it’s a a spectacular view of Chevening churchyard and take the slightly of attractive meadows until you bit meh. Oh, wait, yes, fairly House up ahead. This meadow has overgrown path directly behind. reach Chevening Lane again. Voila. early on there’s a view down a damaged tree in it... maybe a This path is pretty good for [email protected] a cleared streak of woods of lightning strike. Stay descending wildflowers, particularly purple Chevening House at the foot on this path over the odd stile thorns and wild teasels. As a of the scarp a couple of miles and enter the Chevening estate result it’s popular with birds, distant. The path is easy to proper... the ‘keep out’ signs will especially goldfinches and keep follow as it twists around with ensure you maintain the right an eye open for rarer bullfinches much of the land either side course! After emerging from here. After about 500 metres, the private property, so there’s little the final bits of woodland, the path emerges on to the quite busy risk of losing yourself. Anyway, path crosses a lane within the Sundridge Road. You are also quite after about a mile you reach grounds amid pleasant pasture/ near the M25, here as the noise Sundridge Lane (Point 2). parkland. Note ahead, to the right, will make you aware. Hello Point 5.

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