Walks in West Kent Ages to Take on the Walk Can Be Search for “Horsmonden”

This circular walk is one of a number of walks produced by Photo Guide Kent County Council. If you liked this walk you can ﬁnd more Walk Overview on the Explore Kent website at www.kent.gov.uk/explorekent Distance: 5 miles (8km) allow 2.5 hours Start/Finish: Horsmonden Village Green We welcome any feedback about this walk or the content (The Heath) of the guide. If you know of a good walk and would like to share it, please let us know and we may feature it on our Stiles: 16 website. Gates: 3 1 2 3 4 5 If the route description or pictures are out-of-date please Terrain: Fields and tracks with some on- e-mail [email protected] road sections. Some steep slopes

Please tell us about any problems concerning the paths Views: Some good views� using the Kent Report Line 0845 345 0210. Toilets: None on route This guide is available in other formats on request. � Refreshments: Pub and shops near � FAMILY FUN! start/finish Walking is not only a healthy How to get there... activity but it can be fun and � 6 7 8 9 10 informative too. Free activity Road Map: Multimap website worksheets for children of all www.multimap.com. Walks in West Kent ages to take on the walk can be Search for “Horsmonden”. ordered by emailing When you’re out walking [email protected] By Car: From A21/A262 in the countryside, or calling near Lamberhurst, take please respect the B2162 towards Maidstone 08458 247600. Countryside Code. to Horsmonden. Can also be 5 miles (8km) approx. 10,000 steps reached from the A26 near Maidstone via Yalding. Allow 2.5 hours Parking: Limited on-road parking is available on roads About the walk... 11 12 13 14 15 • Be safe – plan ahead around the village. Please park with consideration and note and follow any arrows or FOOTPATH that the pub car park is for patrons only. Horsmonden was the centre for the three main signs trades of the Weald – gunmaking, weaving and Train: Nearest station – Paddock Wood (5 miles). hop growing. In the 1600s the area was the • Leave gates and property National Rail Enquiries: 08457 484950 most important gunmaking site in Britain. as you find them BRIDLEWAY Bus: K6 (Kilndown – Maidstone) 1 journey. Tue only This walk follows orchards and pasture • Protect plants and 296 (Tunbridge Wells – Paddock Wood) 2 journeys. Mon, surrounding the village along paths, farm animals, and take your Thurs, Sat tracks and country lanes. Throughout the walk litter home BYWAY 297 (Leigh Green – Tunbridge Wells) 3 journeys. Mon-Sat. there are fantastic views of the High Weald, 1 journey on Sun Greensand Ridge, Teise and Medway Valleys. • Keep dogs under close Traveline: 0870 6082608 control 16 17 18 19 20 21 RESTRICTED • Consider other people BYWAY For guidance only, actual conditions encountered may be different to what is shown depending on weather and time of year. www.kent.gov.uk/explorekent 03/2007 ✓ There are good views of the surrounding valleys valleys of the surrounding good views are There Ridge here. from and Greensand to path following Reaching over, a track, cross track Follow of you. the left front of buildings in right and pass farm buildings and to round the road. reach you before cottages left a short see and walk you until distance Turn stile and follow Cross on the right. a signpost path, fenced of end the At fences. between path oak uphill towards Head a field. stile into cross trees. gap) narrow (through stile and footbridge Cross to path follow and observe on post to arrow mobile phone of field (heading towards corner along stile and continue over mast). Cross enclosed path. passing phone mast on the left track to Cross reach you When tall trees. between path follow use the kissing on the right to gate gate, a large past houses and school. along track continue junction a road with a school Upon reaching left, ahead along Back Lane continue on you’re right to Turn the main road. reach you until starting your back to steps point your retrace near the pub. Walk your way to a to way your Walk lifestyle healthier mile burns virtually for one “Walking the same it just one mile, for as jogging of calories number longer!” a little takes no special and is FREE requires equipment “Walking comfortable” are as you or clothing – as long the risk of heart helps reduce walking “Regular and diabetes high blood pressure” strokes, disease, 18 19 20 17 21 . After passing Monks Cottage on Monks passing After Cottage . Cross the road into Gore Lane Gore into the road . Cross beware of traffic beware Bear left at arrow post to follow path across a field across path follow to post Bear left arrow at head right to bear a gap, passing through and ahead. woods the towards pond Pass path. and follow area wooded into Enter a reach you uphill until on left-hand side travelling ahead continue right and stile to over Cross gate. good are There a main road. to come you until left the gate. your at to Weald of the Highviews of traffic Beware the junction reach you until and follow opposite along walk right to Turn again. with the main road again, the road, of traffic. Beware the left. on signpost a footpath left,your look for Granary and turn right Finchurst to track Follow and wall between path enclosed grassy take to bushes. follow the end of the fenceline, Upon reaching pond on the past large field, across diagonally path right. right of field and keep to stile in corner over Cross continue to gate Go through hand boundary. a junctionahead to with a track. 50 metres approx. left for along track and walk Turn track the left, to do not follow round it bends until bridge. concrete head towards but turn right to a gate. ahead towards this and continue Cross a brick bridge and bear over Bear left cross to stiles of enclosed partright, crossing the field to of but long climb up the hill - a fairly path steep follow shown). (observe posts where sign left of the field, the top at Turn ahead. path Follow boundary stile in corner. following and cross 9 13 14 15 16 11 10 12 . Cross over stile into the road the road stile into over . Cross crossing stile into a field. stile into crossing fence by walk another stile to ahead over Continue stile and head over Cross on the right hand side. the road. another stile at field towards across of traffic Beware past the and turn along the road, left. Continue on take next to footpath Farm Share to entrance and area wooded stile into over the right. Cross to Keeping a field. into trees through path follow ahead. continue right hand boundary, the right of the trees Keeping to both stiles. Cross the fence. another stile at to lawn cross ahead, the stile turn towards left track crossing After down gates. houses and head towards bridge Cross ahead. gap and continue Go through along arrows Follow Teise. spanning the river follow the end of fenceline, At path. grassy fenced the right. bearingthe path to Starting from the village green with the Gun and Gun and with the Starting village green the from the main along walk right, pub on your Spitroast bus map, past footpath the pavement, on road shop. and village stop on the right. signposted join footpath to road Cross kissing a the enclosed through passing After gate Continue an orchard. soon opens out in to path the right hand boundary. keeping to ahead, head turn right to of the orchard, the corner At When track, past houses on right. along a grassy ahead. a surfaced continue reach you road, junction,At turn left take surfaced to past track on driveway a reach you When house. Heath Lewes the right of the to path the right, take the arrowed enclosed path, Follow nextmain track a gate. to 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Route Description Description Route

� � � 11 13 Horsmonden Circular Walk Circular Horsmonden 15 � Also use Ordnance Survey Map: Horsmonden Circular Walk 10 16 17 9 18 Stile Stile Gate View 8 7 �� 19 � care Take 6 � 20 5

1 � 2 0.5 21 3 4 1 0.5 Miles Kilometres 0 N ✓ There are good views of the surrounding valleys valleys of the surrounding good views are There Ridge here. from and Greensand to path following Reaching over, a track, cross track Follow of you. the left front of buildings in right and pass farm buildings and to round the road. reach you before cottages left a short see and walk you until distance Turn stile and follow Cross on the right. a signpost path, fenced of end the At fences. between path oak uphill towards Head a field. stile into cross trees. gap) narrow (through stile and footbridge Cross to path follow and observe on post to arrow mobile phone of field (heading towards corner along stile and continue over mast). Cross enclosed path. passing phone mast on the left track to Cross reach you When tall trees. between path follow use the kissing on the right to gate gate, a large past houses and school. along track continue junction a road with a school Upon reaching left, ahead along Back Lane continue on you’re right to Turn the main road. reach you until starting your back to steps point your retrace near the pub. Walk your way to a to way your Walk lifestyle healthier mile burns virtually for one “Walking the same it just one mile, for as jogging of calories number longer!” a little takes no special and is FREE requires equipment “Walking comfortable” are as you or clothing – as long the risk of heart helps reduce walking “Regular and diabetes high blood pressure” strokes, disease, 18 19 20 17 21 . After passing Monks Cottage on Monks passing After Cottage . Cross the road into Gore Lane Gore into the road . Cross beware of traffic beware Bear left at arrow post to follow path across a field across path follow to post Bear left arrow at head right to bear a gap, passing through and ahead. woods the towards pond Pass path. and follow area wooded into Enter a reach you uphill until on left-hand side travelling ahead continue right and stile to over Cross gate. good are There a main road. to come you until left the gate. your at to Weald of the Highviews of traffic Beware the junction reach you until and follow opposite along walk right to Turn again. with the main road again, the road, of traffic. Beware the left. on signpost a footpath left,your look for Granary and turn right Finchurst to track Follow and wall between path enclosed grassy take to bushes. follow the end of the fenceline, Upon reaching pond on the past large field, across diagonally path right. right of field and keep to stile in corner over Cross continue to gate Go through hand boundary. a junctionahead to with a track. 50 metres approx. left for along track and walk Turn track the left, to do not follow round it bends until bridge. concrete head towards but turn right to a gate. ahead towards this and continue Cross a brick bridge and bear over Bear left cross to stiles of enclosed partright, crossing the field to of but long climb up the hill - a fairly path steep follow shown). (observe posts where sign left of the field, the top at Turn ahead. path Follow boundary stile in corner. following and cross 9 13 14 15 16 11 10 12 . Cross over stile into the road the road stile into over . Cross crossing stile into a field. stile into crossing fence by walk another stile to ahead over Continue stile and head over Cross on the right hand side. the road. another stile at field towards across of traffic Beware past the and turn along the road, left. Continue on take next to footpath Farm Share to entrance and area wooded stile into over the right. Cross to Keeping a field. into trees through path follow ahead. continue right hand boundary, the right of the trees Keeping to both stiles. Cross the fence. another stile at to lawn cross ahead, the stile turn towards left track crossing After down gates. houses and head towards bridge Cross ahead. gap and continue Go through along arrows Follow Teise. spanning the river follow the end of fenceline, At path. grassy fenced the right. bearingthe path to Starting from the village green with the Gun and Gun and with the Starting village green the from the main along walk right, pub on your Spitroast bus map, past footpath the pavement, on road shop. and village stop on the right. signposted join footpath to road Cross kissing a the enclosed through passing After gate Continue an orchard. soon opens out in to path the right hand boundary. keeping to ahead, head turn right to of the orchard, the corner At When track, past houses on right. along a grassy ahead. a surfaced continue reach you road, junction,At turn left take surfaced to past track on driveway a reach you When house. Heath Lewes the right of the to path the right, take the arrowed enclosed path, Follow nextmain track a gate. to 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Route Description Description Route

� � � 11 13 Horsmonden Circular Walk Circular Horsmonden 15 � Also use Ordnance Survey Map: Horsmonden Circular Walk 10 16 17 9 18 Stile Stile Gate View 8 7 �� 19 � care Take 6 � 20 5

1 � 2 0.5 21 3 4 1 0.5 Miles Kilometres 0 N This circular walk is one of a number of walks produced by Photo Guide Kent County Council. If you liked this walk you can ﬁnd more Walk Overview on the Explore Kent website at www.kent.gov.uk/explorekent Distance: 5 miles (8km) allow 2.5 hours Start/Finish: Horsmonden Village Green We welcome any feedback about this walk or the content (The Heath) of the guide. If you know of a good walk and would like to share it, please let us know and we may feature it on our Stiles: 16 website. Gates: 3 1 2 3 4 5 If the route description or pictures are out-of-date please Terrain: Fields and tracks with some on- e-mail [email protected] road sections. Some steep slopes