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21-05-2023, 22:05
Visit the Paul Bailey's Beer Blog site (https://baileysbeerblog.blogspot.com/2023/05/tunbridge-wells-circular-walk-stage-1.html)
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Last autumn when I’d finally finished walking the NorthDowns Way long distance footpath, I began looking around for another hikingtrail to attempt next. There were a number of possible options, the mostobvious one being the Greensand Way, a trail that runs for 108 miles, fromHaslemere in Surrey to Hamstreet in Kent. The Greensand ridge runs broadlyparallel to the south of the chalk hills of the North Downs, and takesits name from the layers of sandstone, some of which contain the green colouredmineral glauconite.Much of the route passes through quiet and almost remoteareas, where opportunities for accommodation and refreshment are limited, andpublic transport links are not as plentiful as on the North and South Downsfootpaths. For this reason, and the fact there is no official guidebook (Kentand Surrey County Councils do publish some excellent online material), I haveput the Greensand Way on hold for the time being, and until I have fullyevaluated the logistics of reaching the start and end points of each section,using public transport.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjIi2mT86KEkP2oiqSWJgpTf8tYQKSIel5KvUHq7VbSw 1JuS1CXmqmx_l83OUlCey_tH6XqVUSMcyKg-DmJCC7v9OAiv486u66uScnDkOuJO0m5lsxxAirpaZvEFRmM0N2 5Se6GtK44WqD6RKgGbfvYRB09-m0VcxgwTGNFHafK16JRSN2lLMmfRSL/w400-h225/TWCW%20stile.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjIi2mT86KEkP2oiqSWJgpTf8tYQKSIel5KvUHq7VbSw 1JuS1CXmqmx_l83OUlCey_tH6XqVUSMcyKg-DmJCC7v9OAiv486u66uScnDkOuJO0m5lsxxAirpaZvEFRmM0N2 5Se6GtK44WqD6RKgGbfvYRB09-m0VcxgwTGNFHafK16JRSN2lLMmfRSL/s4000/TWCW%20stile.jpg)
Instead, I have settled on a shorter footpath, that is muchcloser to home, and that is the Tunbridge Wells Circular Walk. (https://visittunbridgewells.com/directory/tunbridge-wells-circular-walk/)This particulartrail was formerly known as the High Weald Walk, and it explores the diverse andbeautiful countryside around Tunbridge Wells which lies on the borders of Kentand East Sussex. The walk lies within the High Weald AONB and is 27.5-miles inlength. It passes through a rolling landscape of ridges and valleys with apatchwork of small fields, hedges, and broad-leaved woodland. It takes in thesandstone outcrops of High Rocks, Eridge Rocks and Harrison's Rocks, all ofwhich are popular with climbers, and also passes the stately piles of GroombridgePlace, and Eridge Park.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiicP6zelUX_UKDYA2G9MBfs8R2DdGDF5zeKfwPWSMcZs awoNtnKcHiQDR4IhkyIKS39xpXb8mTZasMNixo143OrtCsb45c swpG8xn51t1YlqAe9-shn9IOBa-0SbtWDqYeeiXWhiEh_GfXMW0ljnsG2-PlmfM-Qp6kdc_UYWLodX349C5-iSYFp1HU/w400-h225/Vauxhall%20TWCW.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiicP6zelUX_UKDYA2G9MBfs8R2DdGDF5zeKfwPWSMcZs awoNtnKcHiQDR4IhkyIKS39xpXb8mTZasMNixo143OrtCsb45c swpG8xn51t1YlqAe9-shn9IOBa-0SbtWDqYeeiXWhiEh_GfXMW0ljnsG2-PlmfM-Qp6kdc_UYWLodX349C5-iSYFp1HU/s4000/Vauxhall%20TWCW.jpg)
Being a circular walk, it starts and finishes at whichever pointyou find most convenient, but I have been following the official Kent RamblersGuide, which divides the trail into four convenient stages, which vary inlength from 5 to 10 miles. I started with the Southborough to Pembury stage,which at 10.2 miles is the longest section of the walk, but as the route passeswithin a half mile of my home, I decided to split this section into two.Looking at the guide, I have already completed certain stages of this footpathin the past, mainly as part of other walks to places such as Groombridge,Frant, and Tudeley. Unsurprisingly, most of those walks were to pubs, and onceagain there will be opportunities for “pit stops” at suitably located pubs.
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So, back in February, I made the short bus journey to SouthboroughCommon, and started out on the trail. The weather was dull and overcast, but itwas early in the year, and whilst it was quite muddy in places, I made goodprogress as far as Keeper’s Cottage, on the slopes of Castle Hill. On the way Ipassed beneath the massive brick arches of the viaduct which carries theTonbridge to Hastings railway line across the valley, close to Forge Farm.Perhaps I was feeling too cocky, as I continued my descent, after missing thesharp right northerly turn the path takes, shortly after Forest Farm. Irealised my wrong turn, when I once again encountered the railway, as I didn’trecall having to cross the line for a second time.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMC3fOUO_Id7Xch52EGI7jINzla0YhsAEO3Yor6M_DAw EEL_0v3GwmTIEEA8f3Y5mvNX1z3pns1byOh8UuGgkVsTM2wmR0 D4kKAXK8dU-4uzOQuJ2MkYCDh_papyUV3sVjoi2XC6eBD_1zU-yPnIRH7hIubdIKzGDRKkZrau4QmcyaPvRcWZAU3kX5/w400-h225/Hidden%20lane.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMC3fOUO_Id7Xch52EGI7jINzla0YhsAEO3Yor6M_DAw EEL_0v3GwmTIEEA8f3Y5mvNX1z3pns1byOh8UuGgkVsTM2wmR0 D4kKAXK8dU-4uzOQuJ2MkYCDh_papyUV3sVjoi2XC6eBD_1zU-yPnIRH7hIubdIKzGDRKkZrau4QmcyaPvRcWZAU3kX5/s4000/Hidden%20lane.jpg)
Had I looked at either my OS map, or the Guidebook, I wouldn’thave made such a schoolboy error, but I carried on, carefully traversing therailway at a permitted crossing place, before eventually reaching VauxhallLane. A bit further along, I was able to pick up a bus down into Tonbridge,which was handy as I had some errands to attend to in the town. Several weekslater, I completed the correct part of the trail, this time walking up from theVauxhall roundabout towards Forest Farm. I found the spot where I’d made mywrong turn and yes, had I been paying attention to the marker posts, I wouldn’thave made that mistake.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJqJk2ZTalgQ-45QIkSlmhD0aM66z7Go8idyToTeWTV38_QWHK0jBkoYxG7oFYQ 46D6nkcy37zYMcx7afGkAP6ePxnTGEujjbaan3V6JH5EYqwVKx YcsBBUlWneEhpBTT2SvQKro46d1GAsW4DiSFtYdZAaXNdFLYc-irV0lISc9hkjhFFG-CtmwIN/w400-h225/Blue%20bells%20+%20ferns.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJqJk2ZTalgQ-45QIkSlmhD0aM66z7Go8idyToTeWTV38_QWHK0jBkoYxG7oFYQ 46D6nkcy37zYMcx7afGkAP6ePxnTGEujjbaan3V6JH5EYqwVKx YcsBBUlWneEhpBTT2SvQKro46d1GAsW4DiSFtYdZAaXNdFLYc-irV0lISc9hkjhFFG-CtmwIN/s4000/Blue%20bells%20+%20ferns.jpg)
I still had the second half of this section to complete, which wasthrough the grounds of Somerhill House, and then onto Pembury, a distance ofaround 5.5 miles, but for the next couple of months the weather was against me,with one of the wettest March and Aprils I can recall. One only has to take alook back at this blog to read I was deploring this situation, on a regularbasis! Finally, over halfway through May came the opportunity to finallycomplete this section, and with only a half mile from Bailey Towers to theentrance of the Somerhill Estate, I was off, and raring to go.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSv_xAoWv0PTKZAsk87ucST9Cikk-Oh4KsClDRXx6XquszVyjq1iuCceNuwWZ9mgtcSLl31Y0njjkZM ZwvkbI_C2wzkzbi7h9L_lwEbrhvurnPeRg6rIumNYuGrgFNyh5 9rCYKfi374UVBxlGgFTjYfyXG1UIHMR5E6VuXrVwgEadDBaPtI kTPUuj/w400-h225/Capel%20view.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSv_xAoWv0PTKZAsk87ucST9Cikk-Oh4KsClDRXx6XquszVyjq1iuCceNuwWZ9mgtcSLl31Y0njjkZM ZwvkbI_C2wzkzbi7h9L_lwEbrhvurnPeRg6rIumNYuGrgFNyh5 9rCYKfi374UVBxlGgFTjYfyXG1UIHMR5E6VuXrVwgEadDBaPtI kTPUuj/s3104/Capel%20view.JPG)
I have followed the path up towards the house, many a time, usuallyas part of a walk to the Dovecote Inn at Capel. Somerhill House itself, is aGrade 1 listed Jacobean mansion, with a rather mixed history, and after beingbought and extended by the Goldsmid family in 1849, became the second largeststately pile in Kent, after Knole House in nearby Sevenoaks. Today, the propertyis home to a number of private schools, and this has entailed the constructionof a new access road, leaving the original driveway, with its broad sweepingviews down towards the ornamental lake, largely unspoiled.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2F4PRo4AfmmtKASPnGMP2-fPSQh74YNNFvHRcpSlaqM9-dpU8u97UivMQO4qB3diDltYZEgBB-ANoelRrEev_9RZDfsbgz_Gr7b41rEhQa4b3oIxb5d1mcjCRF5L Dmt3r-mDdV1AFae29KDcegWrvVbr3IbzHNBEbtxEMT74KR55h8vFupXI LfKl/w400-h219/Pembury%20chirchyard.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2F4PRo4AfmmtKASPnGMP2-fPSQh74YNNFvHRcpSlaqM9-dpU8u97UivMQO4qB3diDltYZEgBB-ANoelRrEev_9RZDfsbgz_Gr7b41rEhQa4b3oIxb5d1mcjCRF5L Dmt3r-mDdV1AFae29KDcegWrvVbr3IbzHNBEbtxEMT74KR55h8vFupXI LfKl/s3843/Pembury%20chirchyard.jpg)
Once at the summit, the TWCW follows a sunken lane to the north ofthe house, which is lined with large stones. The idea of this construction was eitherto prevent farm animals encroaching too near the property, or as a meanswhereby the estate workers could go about their daily duties, without spoilingthe view for the posh folk in the big house. I suspect that both of these reasonsare true, but the path leads into woodlands, before eventually opening up intoarable land.
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After following the B2017 for a short distance on the edge of Tudeley, the path branchesoff uphill in a largely southerly direction, before circling a property knownas Knowles Bank – home to a large number of horses, including some impressivelooking fillies and stallions that I saw being exercised. There were severalspots where the ground had been quite trampled by dozens of equine feet, which madefor difficult walking in places. Upon reaching the strangely named DislingburyRoad, the path then veers off and clips the grounds of Kent College, anotherexclusive seat of learning, this time for privileged young ladies.
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The path then leads into and through the churchyard of St Peter’s,Pembury. Known as the Old Church, St Peter’s was the original place of worshipfor the settlement of Pippenbury, before the village was re-named and re-sited to the ridge,some way to the south, and becoming in the process, modern-day Pembury. The latter is a rather largeand sprawling village, that extends a long way to the north, as I was to discover later. A bench, in the tranquilsetting of the old churchyard, formed the perfect place for me to sit and enjoymy packed lunch, before heading off, past the waterworks, to the A228, whichforms the northern Pembury bypass.
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The latter is crossed by a concrete footbridge, although I soon realised,I should have taken another bridge, a little was to the north. Fortunately, a ratherspritely local resident, directed me to a path between some hedges, which broughtme back to the official route, close to Downingbury Farm Shop. Not long to gonow, thought I, but little did I know that Snipe Wood, to the south of Pippin’sFarm, was the ideal place to get lost and completely throw me off course. Thestrange thing was, looking at the map afterwards, this densely packed wood, consistingof coppiced chestnut trees, was the right way to go and there were way-marks toguide me, and it was only after emerging from the wood that I took a wrong turn.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTh_a6QO7te8p84vMzntX_KZCWi1q5Xxsho3Dj3ApnIG 7eQG9nvzx2hBm8f9w-LHVl36qcqjmjgvbP8s_BCDMheJgITMM1edDjbwLhp9740pDwH5 6RfaVryvb4NNhSiy_x5mNruXc4EWR8IWvgP0r27XVR5qTn2r_q ejR_wzcDvZ81UaYzGa1hl5Bi/w400-h225/IMG_20230519_144323.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTh_a6QO7te8p84vMzntX_KZCWi1q5Xxsho3Dj3ApnIG 7eQG9nvzx2hBm8f9w-LHVl36qcqjmjgvbP8s_BCDMheJgITMM1edDjbwLhp9740pDwH5 6RfaVryvb4NNhSiy_x5mNruXc4EWR8IWvgP0r27XVR5qTn2r_q ejR_wzcDvZ81UaYzGa1hl5Bi/s4000/IMG_20230519_144323.jpg)
I blame the sat-nav on my smartphone for this, as after using it todetermine my exact location, I typed in my penultimate destination – the KingWilliam IV (https://kingwilliampembury.com/) pub, on the old Hastings Road leading out of Pembury. Deciding tofollow my phone, rather than my map and guidebook, I tuned right at a T-junction,rather than left. It still took another 25 minutes to reach the pub, although theofficial TWCW would have taken longer. A simple signpost at the end ofWoodlands Road would have prevented this elementary error, although at the sametime it was worth getting to the pub ahead of schedule, as I was gagging for a pint.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-GYn2T_gKYqCF5fqk_02NXRAuxP0nvHdQSr0meP0qnyv5HnVHHA C75vPV5_0Q_3_wXI-nkOCOE-UI3sW02at2G8AQIj14_YF1NGEX5J9VN2SS7NhJtN0799jFEKT4 MphJqgZj5Yp5a0a1YZioQD3bLVgM6p1Kjfq8ubR-y9HYWT33dwZNQXb1z365/w400-h225/King%20Will%20bar.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-GYn2T_gKYqCF5fqk_02NXRAuxP0nvHdQSr0meP0qnyv5HnVHHA C75vPV5_0Q_3_wXI-nkOCOE-UI3sW02at2G8AQIj14_YF1NGEX5J9VN2SS7NhJtN0799jFEKT4 MphJqgZj5Yp5a0a1YZioQD3bLVgM6p1Kjfq8ubR-y9HYWT33dwZNQXb1z365/s4000/King%20Will%20bar.jpg)
My walk ended then, as do all good walks, at a decent pub and the KingWilliam IV, or the King Will, as it is known locally, is rather a good one. When I first moved to West Kent, the King Will was a rather non-descript, two-bar, brick built roadhouse belonging to Allied Breweries - remember them? It later passed to Greene King, and remained with the Suffolk firm, before finally becoming a free-house in October 2018. Today, all traces of its original two bars have been removed, and the whole interior opened up to create a bight, airy and vibrant drinking area.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYDLMeLjZOKcFwoseBrILAjiA4ZpK-zPfbdLeVL1x3Xv25madqkRXE2Os9Pc9vC1BMcxgYGwF6r1RR1s fS1X4PNyE32deHIBaq82hHUNe9NEzwAgbUKjfYyiFXdAsMdGMb 9dVYk4GWvNUQe2cAAgUKPQZyHE-pQw7bgYAjGBQowwbP6YgBQfqP_rC/w400-h225/King%20Will%20beers.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYDLMeLjZOKcFwoseBrILAjiA4ZpK-zPfbdLeVL1x3Xv25madqkRXE2Os9Pc9vC1BMcxgYGwF6r1RR1s fS1X4PNyE32deHIBaq82hHUNe9NEzwAgbUKjfYyiFXdAsMdGMb 9dVYk4GWvNUQe2cAAgUKPQZyHE-pQw7bgYAjGBQowwbP6YgBQfqP_rC/s3949/King%20Will%20beers.jpg)
It had been some years since I last set foot in the King Will, but there was a respectably sized crowd in the bar when I stepped inside at ten to three. There was also a reasonable selection of cask ales on sale, including Taylor's Landlord, Fuller's London Pride, St Austell Proper Job, Greene King IPA, plus a honey beer from Bowland Brewery.(north-west Lancashire). I was straight in on the Proper Job, and have to say it was brilliant. Cool, refreshing, well-conditioned, and with a biting hop bitterness, it really hit the spot, so my choice of Landlord as pint No. 2 was always going to disappoint.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89tv8l2LAz6sFNIHT0r86oKFJ3EhciGVZ9XVCQO_YiK nbtaXod_iBpFJMdTnGd2b14fI2O25SsySrEOyUiMuzdMSgiKht skQaLL3z4DFgt7GQITQEcMFuItW5kpTiOmzMDCH6GdTjjyV4Uq NH_wqa8fqLsxsl2UzpYLexr03KpLjAU89NACD_lriW/w400-h225/IMG_20230519_144817.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89tv8l2LAz6sFNIHT0r86oKFJ3EhciGVZ9XVCQO_YiK nbtaXod_iBpFJMdTnGd2b14fI2O25SsySrEOyUiMuzdMSgiKht skQaLL3z4DFgt7GQITQEcMFuItW5kpTiOmzMDCH6GdTjjyV4Uq NH_wqa8fqLsxsl2UzpYLexr03KpLjAU89NACD_lriW/s4000/IMG_20230519_144817.jpg)
They seemed a good-natured and friendly crowd in the pub, but I had a bus to catch, back to Tonbridge. Unfortunately, due to a gap in services because of the school run, I had to walk along to Pembury Hospital in order to catch me bus. More walking, was the last thing I wanted, but on the plus side I didn't have long to wait before a Tonbridge bound bus came along. So apart from that very short section, where I took a wrong turn coming out of the woods, that's the Southborough to Pembury stage of the Tunbridge Wells Circular Walk completed.
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https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1N2gApfsuA50uzpYfIhmNvbGbmCDJBrDPKTUy-8jPiETur9KfD73NKzddl83JFwUr6lw2iUTgb8sF2D7v7v1kqI3 UJayYeeOBVnMaQiIFMTG0qZ-qOUjyVE8Ci64BQIdzb4HlQOyVNb7kUL0UlNs3zMKh1_VkQ1ssX hOu4bAStYxT_mDR4SChAaj/w283-h400/Tunbridge%20Wells%20Circular%20Walk.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1N2gApfsuA50uzpYfIhmNvbGbmCDJBrDPKTUy-8jPiETur9KfD73NKzddl83JFwUr6lw2iUTgb8sF2D7v7v1kqI3 UJayYeeOBVnMaQiIFMTG0qZ-qOUjyVE8Ci64BQIdzb4HlQOyVNb7kUL0UlNs3zMKh1_VkQ1ssX hOu4bAStYxT_mDR4SChAaj/s499/Tunbridge%20Wells%20Circular%20Walk.jpg)
Last autumn when I’d finally finished walking the NorthDowns Way long distance footpath, I began looking around for another hikingtrail to attempt next. There were a number of possible options, the mostobvious one being the Greensand Way, a trail that runs for 108 miles, fromHaslemere in Surrey to Hamstreet in Kent. The Greensand ridge runs broadlyparallel to the south of the chalk hills of the North Downs, and takesits name from the layers of sandstone, some of which contain the green colouredmineral glauconite.Much of the route passes through quiet and almost remoteareas, where opportunities for accommodation and refreshment are limited, andpublic transport links are not as plentiful as on the North and South Downsfootpaths. For this reason, and the fact there is no official guidebook (Kentand Surrey County Councils do publish some excellent online material), I haveput the Greensand Way on hold for the time being, and until I have fullyevaluated the logistics of reaching the start and end points of each section,using public transport.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjIi2mT86KEkP2oiqSWJgpTf8tYQKSIel5KvUHq7VbSw 1JuS1CXmqmx_l83OUlCey_tH6XqVUSMcyKg-DmJCC7v9OAiv486u66uScnDkOuJO0m5lsxxAirpaZvEFRmM0N2 5Se6GtK44WqD6RKgGbfvYRB09-m0VcxgwTGNFHafK16JRSN2lLMmfRSL/w400-h225/TWCW%20stile.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjIi2mT86KEkP2oiqSWJgpTf8tYQKSIel5KvUHq7VbSw 1JuS1CXmqmx_l83OUlCey_tH6XqVUSMcyKg-DmJCC7v9OAiv486u66uScnDkOuJO0m5lsxxAirpaZvEFRmM0N2 5Se6GtK44WqD6RKgGbfvYRB09-m0VcxgwTGNFHafK16JRSN2lLMmfRSL/s4000/TWCW%20stile.jpg)
Instead, I have settled on a shorter footpath, that is muchcloser to home, and that is the Tunbridge Wells Circular Walk. (https://visittunbridgewells.com/directory/tunbridge-wells-circular-walk/)This particulartrail was formerly known as the High Weald Walk, and it explores the diverse andbeautiful countryside around Tunbridge Wells which lies on the borders of Kentand East Sussex. The walk lies within the High Weald AONB and is 27.5-miles inlength. It passes through a rolling landscape of ridges and valleys with apatchwork of small fields, hedges, and broad-leaved woodland. It takes in thesandstone outcrops of High Rocks, Eridge Rocks and Harrison's Rocks, all ofwhich are popular with climbers, and also passes the stately piles of GroombridgePlace, and Eridge Park.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiicP6zelUX_UKDYA2G9MBfs8R2DdGDF5zeKfwPWSMcZs awoNtnKcHiQDR4IhkyIKS39xpXb8mTZasMNixo143OrtCsb45c swpG8xn51t1YlqAe9-shn9IOBa-0SbtWDqYeeiXWhiEh_GfXMW0ljnsG2-PlmfM-Qp6kdc_UYWLodX349C5-iSYFp1HU/w400-h225/Vauxhall%20TWCW.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiicP6zelUX_UKDYA2G9MBfs8R2DdGDF5zeKfwPWSMcZs awoNtnKcHiQDR4IhkyIKS39xpXb8mTZasMNixo143OrtCsb45c swpG8xn51t1YlqAe9-shn9IOBa-0SbtWDqYeeiXWhiEh_GfXMW0ljnsG2-PlmfM-Qp6kdc_UYWLodX349C5-iSYFp1HU/s4000/Vauxhall%20TWCW.jpg)
Being a circular walk, it starts and finishes at whichever pointyou find most convenient, but I have been following the official Kent RamblersGuide, which divides the trail into four convenient stages, which vary inlength from 5 to 10 miles. I started with the Southborough to Pembury stage,which at 10.2 miles is the longest section of the walk, but as the route passeswithin a half mile of my home, I decided to split this section into two.Looking at the guide, I have already completed certain stages of this footpathin the past, mainly as part of other walks to places such as Groombridge,Frant, and Tudeley. Unsurprisingly, most of those walks were to pubs, and onceagain there will be opportunities for “pit stops” at suitably located pubs.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUEkWOCpBM0t1paAq3EdEW-gUhEGW_X6tWl_4jxEb9Q_Rr4g69cVaCaWZBkqAoE3MduEpkoG1 jTNmqaHQLq-wtvh9Xe27k6zpJWtsbGLNOWtKlXnR8IiANCcDgoBX3c8h5cN-IUVhtzjG_w8HC2vn0cl2YmCQtE1oOmjxDmPSQ4DIgH1IKPSEn9 5Y/w400-h225/Southborough%20view.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUEkWOCpBM0t1paAq3EdEW-gUhEGW_X6tWl_4jxEb9Q_Rr4g69cVaCaWZBkqAoE3MduEpkoG1 jTNmqaHQLq-wtvh9Xe27k6zpJWtsbGLNOWtKlXnR8IiANCcDgoBX3c8h5cN-IUVhtzjG_w8HC2vn0cl2YmCQtE1oOmjxDmPSQ4DIgH1IKPSEn9 5Y/s4000/Southborough%20view.jpg)
So, back in February, I made the short bus journey to SouthboroughCommon, and started out on the trail. The weather was dull and overcast, but itwas early in the year, and whilst it was quite muddy in places, I made goodprogress as far as Keeper’s Cottage, on the slopes of Castle Hill. On the way Ipassed beneath the massive brick arches of the viaduct which carries theTonbridge to Hastings railway line across the valley, close to Forge Farm.Perhaps I was feeling too cocky, as I continued my descent, after missing thesharp right northerly turn the path takes, shortly after Forest Farm. Irealised my wrong turn, when I once again encountered the railway, as I didn’trecall having to cross the line for a second time.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMC3fOUO_Id7Xch52EGI7jINzla0YhsAEO3Yor6M_DAw EEL_0v3GwmTIEEA8f3Y5mvNX1z3pns1byOh8UuGgkVsTM2wmR0 D4kKAXK8dU-4uzOQuJ2MkYCDh_papyUV3sVjoi2XC6eBD_1zU-yPnIRH7hIubdIKzGDRKkZrau4QmcyaPvRcWZAU3kX5/w400-h225/Hidden%20lane.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMC3fOUO_Id7Xch52EGI7jINzla0YhsAEO3Yor6M_DAw EEL_0v3GwmTIEEA8f3Y5mvNX1z3pns1byOh8UuGgkVsTM2wmR0 D4kKAXK8dU-4uzOQuJ2MkYCDh_papyUV3sVjoi2XC6eBD_1zU-yPnIRH7hIubdIKzGDRKkZrau4QmcyaPvRcWZAU3kX5/s4000/Hidden%20lane.jpg)
Had I looked at either my OS map, or the Guidebook, I wouldn’thave made such a schoolboy error, but I carried on, carefully traversing therailway at a permitted crossing place, before eventually reaching VauxhallLane. A bit further along, I was able to pick up a bus down into Tonbridge,which was handy as I had some errands to attend to in the town. Several weekslater, I completed the correct part of the trail, this time walking up from theVauxhall roundabout towards Forest Farm. I found the spot where I’d made mywrong turn and yes, had I been paying attention to the marker posts, I wouldn’thave made that mistake.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJqJk2ZTalgQ-45QIkSlmhD0aM66z7Go8idyToTeWTV38_QWHK0jBkoYxG7oFYQ 46D6nkcy37zYMcx7afGkAP6ePxnTGEujjbaan3V6JH5EYqwVKx YcsBBUlWneEhpBTT2SvQKro46d1GAsW4DiSFtYdZAaXNdFLYc-irV0lISc9hkjhFFG-CtmwIN/w400-h225/Blue%20bells%20+%20ferns.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJqJk2ZTalgQ-45QIkSlmhD0aM66z7Go8idyToTeWTV38_QWHK0jBkoYxG7oFYQ 46D6nkcy37zYMcx7afGkAP6ePxnTGEujjbaan3V6JH5EYqwVKx YcsBBUlWneEhpBTT2SvQKro46d1GAsW4DiSFtYdZAaXNdFLYc-irV0lISc9hkjhFFG-CtmwIN/s4000/Blue%20bells%20+%20ferns.jpg)
I still had the second half of this section to complete, which wasthrough the grounds of Somerhill House, and then onto Pembury, a distance ofaround 5.5 miles, but for the next couple of months the weather was against me,with one of the wettest March and Aprils I can recall. One only has to take alook back at this blog to read I was deploring this situation, on a regularbasis! Finally, over halfway through May came the opportunity to finallycomplete this section, and with only a half mile from Bailey Towers to theentrance of the Somerhill Estate, I was off, and raring to go.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSv_xAoWv0PTKZAsk87ucST9Cikk-Oh4KsClDRXx6XquszVyjq1iuCceNuwWZ9mgtcSLl31Y0njjkZM ZwvkbI_C2wzkzbi7h9L_lwEbrhvurnPeRg6rIumNYuGrgFNyh5 9rCYKfi374UVBxlGgFTjYfyXG1UIHMR5E6VuXrVwgEadDBaPtI kTPUuj/w400-h225/Capel%20view.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSv_xAoWv0PTKZAsk87ucST9Cikk-Oh4KsClDRXx6XquszVyjq1iuCceNuwWZ9mgtcSLl31Y0njjkZM ZwvkbI_C2wzkzbi7h9L_lwEbrhvurnPeRg6rIumNYuGrgFNyh5 9rCYKfi374UVBxlGgFTjYfyXG1UIHMR5E6VuXrVwgEadDBaPtI kTPUuj/s3104/Capel%20view.JPG)
I have followed the path up towards the house, many a time, usuallyas part of a walk to the Dovecote Inn at Capel. Somerhill House itself, is aGrade 1 listed Jacobean mansion, with a rather mixed history, and after beingbought and extended by the Goldsmid family in 1849, became the second largeststately pile in Kent, after Knole House in nearby Sevenoaks. Today, the propertyis home to a number of private schools, and this has entailed the constructionof a new access road, leaving the original driveway, with its broad sweepingviews down towards the ornamental lake, largely unspoiled.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2F4PRo4AfmmtKASPnGMP2-fPSQh74YNNFvHRcpSlaqM9-dpU8u97UivMQO4qB3diDltYZEgBB-ANoelRrEev_9RZDfsbgz_Gr7b41rEhQa4b3oIxb5d1mcjCRF5L Dmt3r-mDdV1AFae29KDcegWrvVbr3IbzHNBEbtxEMT74KR55h8vFupXI LfKl/w400-h219/Pembury%20chirchyard.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2F4PRo4AfmmtKASPnGMP2-fPSQh74YNNFvHRcpSlaqM9-dpU8u97UivMQO4qB3diDltYZEgBB-ANoelRrEev_9RZDfsbgz_Gr7b41rEhQa4b3oIxb5d1mcjCRF5L Dmt3r-mDdV1AFae29KDcegWrvVbr3IbzHNBEbtxEMT74KR55h8vFupXI LfKl/s3843/Pembury%20chirchyard.jpg)
Once at the summit, the TWCW follows a sunken lane to the north ofthe house, which is lined with large stones. The idea of this construction was eitherto prevent farm animals encroaching too near the property, or as a meanswhereby the estate workers could go about their daily duties, without spoilingthe view for the posh folk in the big house. I suspect that both of these reasonsare true, but the path leads into woodlands, before eventually opening up intoarable land.
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After following the B2017 for a short distance on the edge of Tudeley, the path branchesoff uphill in a largely southerly direction, before circling a property knownas Knowles Bank – home to a large number of horses, including some impressivelooking fillies and stallions that I saw being exercised. There were severalspots where the ground had been quite trampled by dozens of equine feet, which madefor difficult walking in places. Upon reaching the strangely named DislingburyRoad, the path then veers off and clips the grounds of Kent College, anotherexclusive seat of learning, this time for privileged young ladies.
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The path then leads into and through the churchyard of St Peter’s,Pembury. Known as the Old Church, St Peter’s was the original place of worshipfor the settlement of Pippenbury, before the village was re-named and re-sited to the ridge,some way to the south, and becoming in the process, modern-day Pembury. The latter is a rather largeand sprawling village, that extends a long way to the north, as I was to discover later. A bench, in the tranquilsetting of the old churchyard, formed the perfect place for me to sit and enjoymy packed lunch, before heading off, past the waterworks, to the A228, whichforms the northern Pembury bypass.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7w2377XgSwFs8op8NFR457enyPx8fQz1gZQWgCthJi BM0TShyugoya47wJaU__oTK91xQPXDZgvNPRZe66WQa7aq8yH3 VLYI1l80C2s0GYISKVLpq-0_E0VN4T1xi6575zPfujtXOlTe8XUYhj-HVXeGvtGN-qWRsbSvYsiS7YO6PINYiQnyojc6/w400-h225/IMG_20230519_123750.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7w2377XgSwFs8op8NFR457enyPx8fQz1gZQWgCthJi BM0TShyugoya47wJaU__oTK91xQPXDZgvNPRZe66WQa7aq8yH3 VLYI1l80C2s0GYISKVLpq-0_E0VN4T1xi6575zPfujtXOlTe8XUYhj-HVXeGvtGN-qWRsbSvYsiS7YO6PINYiQnyojc6/s4000/IMG_20230519_123750.jpg)
The latter is crossed by a concrete footbridge, although I soon realised,I should have taken another bridge, a little was to the north. Fortunately, a ratherspritely local resident, directed me to a path between some hedges, which broughtme back to the official route, close to Downingbury Farm Shop. Not long to gonow, thought I, but little did I know that Snipe Wood, to the south of Pippin’sFarm, was the ideal place to get lost and completely throw me off course. Thestrange thing was, looking at the map afterwards, this densely packed wood, consistingof coppiced chestnut trees, was the right way to go and there were way-marks toguide me, and it was only after emerging from the wood that I took a wrong turn.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTh_a6QO7te8p84vMzntX_KZCWi1q5Xxsho3Dj3ApnIG 7eQG9nvzx2hBm8f9w-LHVl36qcqjmjgvbP8s_BCDMheJgITMM1edDjbwLhp9740pDwH5 6RfaVryvb4NNhSiy_x5mNruXc4EWR8IWvgP0r27XVR5qTn2r_q ejR_wzcDvZ81UaYzGa1hl5Bi/w400-h225/IMG_20230519_144323.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTh_a6QO7te8p84vMzntX_KZCWi1q5Xxsho3Dj3ApnIG 7eQG9nvzx2hBm8f9w-LHVl36qcqjmjgvbP8s_BCDMheJgITMM1edDjbwLhp9740pDwH5 6RfaVryvb4NNhSiy_x5mNruXc4EWR8IWvgP0r27XVR5qTn2r_q ejR_wzcDvZ81UaYzGa1hl5Bi/s4000/IMG_20230519_144323.jpg)
I blame the sat-nav on my smartphone for this, as after using it todetermine my exact location, I typed in my penultimate destination – the KingWilliam IV (https://kingwilliampembury.com/) pub, on the old Hastings Road leading out of Pembury. Deciding tofollow my phone, rather than my map and guidebook, I tuned right at a T-junction,rather than left. It still took another 25 minutes to reach the pub, although theofficial TWCW would have taken longer. A simple signpost at the end ofWoodlands Road would have prevented this elementary error, although at the sametime it was worth getting to the pub ahead of schedule, as I was gagging for a pint.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-GYn2T_gKYqCF5fqk_02NXRAuxP0nvHdQSr0meP0qnyv5HnVHHA C75vPV5_0Q_3_wXI-nkOCOE-UI3sW02at2G8AQIj14_YF1NGEX5J9VN2SS7NhJtN0799jFEKT4 MphJqgZj5Yp5a0a1YZioQD3bLVgM6p1Kjfq8ubR-y9HYWT33dwZNQXb1z365/w400-h225/King%20Will%20bar.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-GYn2T_gKYqCF5fqk_02NXRAuxP0nvHdQSr0meP0qnyv5HnVHHA C75vPV5_0Q_3_wXI-nkOCOE-UI3sW02at2G8AQIj14_YF1NGEX5J9VN2SS7NhJtN0799jFEKT4 MphJqgZj5Yp5a0a1YZioQD3bLVgM6p1Kjfq8ubR-y9HYWT33dwZNQXb1z365/s4000/King%20Will%20bar.jpg)
My walk ended then, as do all good walks, at a decent pub and the KingWilliam IV, or the King Will, as it is known locally, is rather a good one. When I first moved to West Kent, the King Will was a rather non-descript, two-bar, brick built roadhouse belonging to Allied Breweries - remember them? It later passed to Greene King, and remained with the Suffolk firm, before finally becoming a free-house in October 2018. Today, all traces of its original two bars have been removed, and the whole interior opened up to create a bight, airy and vibrant drinking area.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYDLMeLjZOKcFwoseBrILAjiA4ZpK-zPfbdLeVL1x3Xv25madqkRXE2Os9Pc9vC1BMcxgYGwF6r1RR1s fS1X4PNyE32deHIBaq82hHUNe9NEzwAgbUKjfYyiFXdAsMdGMb 9dVYk4GWvNUQe2cAAgUKPQZyHE-pQw7bgYAjGBQowwbP6YgBQfqP_rC/w400-h225/King%20Will%20beers.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYDLMeLjZOKcFwoseBrILAjiA4ZpK-zPfbdLeVL1x3Xv25madqkRXE2Os9Pc9vC1BMcxgYGwF6r1RR1s fS1X4PNyE32deHIBaq82hHUNe9NEzwAgbUKjfYyiFXdAsMdGMb 9dVYk4GWvNUQe2cAAgUKPQZyHE-pQw7bgYAjGBQowwbP6YgBQfqP_rC/s3949/King%20Will%20beers.jpg)
It had been some years since I last set foot in the King Will, but there was a respectably sized crowd in the bar when I stepped inside at ten to three. There was also a reasonable selection of cask ales on sale, including Taylor's Landlord, Fuller's London Pride, St Austell Proper Job, Greene King IPA, plus a honey beer from Bowland Brewery.(north-west Lancashire). I was straight in on the Proper Job, and have to say it was brilliant. Cool, refreshing, well-conditioned, and with a biting hop bitterness, it really hit the spot, so my choice of Landlord as pint No. 2 was always going to disappoint.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89tv8l2LAz6sFNIHT0r86oKFJ3EhciGVZ9XVCQO_YiK nbtaXod_iBpFJMdTnGd2b14fI2O25SsySrEOyUiMuzdMSgiKht skQaLL3z4DFgt7GQITQEcMFuItW5kpTiOmzMDCH6GdTjjyV4Uq NH_wqa8fqLsxsl2UzpYLexr03KpLjAU89NACD_lriW/w400-h225/IMG_20230519_144817.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89tv8l2LAz6sFNIHT0r86oKFJ3EhciGVZ9XVCQO_YiK nbtaXod_iBpFJMdTnGd2b14fI2O25SsySrEOyUiMuzdMSgiKht skQaLL3z4DFgt7GQITQEcMFuItW5kpTiOmzMDCH6GdTjjyV4Uq NH_wqa8fqLsxsl2UzpYLexr03KpLjAU89NACD_lriW/s4000/IMG_20230519_144817.jpg)
They seemed a good-natured and friendly crowd in the pub, but I had a bus to catch, back to Tonbridge. Unfortunately, due to a gap in services because of the school run, I had to walk along to Pembury Hospital in order to catch me bus. More walking, was the last thing I wanted, but on the plus side I didn't have long to wait before a Tonbridge bound bus came along. So apart from that very short section, where I took a wrong turn coming out of the woods, that's the Southborough to Pembury stage of the Tunbridge Wells Circular Walk completed.
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