Parametric data
- Route name:
- Detling
- Start point:
- Detling.
- End point:
- Lenham.
- This route on OS maps:
- https://explore.osmaps.com/route/22196224 ...
- Distance:
- 9.0 miles walked, 7.1 miles flown.
- :
- 5.2 hours.[1]
- Ascent:
- 353 metres.
- Stiles:
- 1 (at Broad Street Hill).
- Landmark of note:
- Large house at Broad Street.
- Feasible excursion:
- Remain on the NDW until Marlow Farm.
- Waypoints:
- Thurnham, Broad Street, Hollingbourne, Harrietsham.
- Refreshments:
- Pack lunch at White Horse Wood.
-
: -
22°C,[2] 🌤️
Items of news suggested that today would be too warm for
serious walking. In the event, enough of a breeze kept the
going very pleasant.
-
Avoiding roads: -
About ⅓ mile of Dickley Lane. Low traffic.
-
Footpath construction: -
It's mostly dirt.
-
Footpath condition: -
In places very overgrown. Two short, muddy bits through
shady terraces.
-
Vistas: -
The OS gives the viewpoint symbol at White Horse Wood, but
it is not truly spectacular.
Blackberries:-
Well, I found enough brambles, so there is hope for the Autumn.[3]
Route map.
Walk notes.
This stroll comprises Section 8 of an ongoing project to complete all 131 miles of the North Downs Way National Trail (NDW). It follows on from Section 7 that I completed on the 10th ultimo. If you scrutinized my wail there about transport at Detling then you will know that I reach the start of this leg by taxi from Maidstone;[4] the first of my walks to require this measure. If, twenty minutes into the start of this leg, I were asked what I thought of it so far, then no answer but the canonical "Rubbish!" could possibly be given. Call this a National Trail? Don't worry, I'm not going to drone on any further about transport here, but there was a time when walking was an inexpensive pursuit. It isn't entirely the NDW's fault that this is the latest hour for a start to any of my walks, nor that it was bought for a record in fares.
This section is characterized by much the same type of scenery as others along the NDW. You have a lot of chalk underfoot, so it's safest tackled in dry weather. Until a couple of weeks back the rainfail was pretty continuous. Although the trail has now dried out, it has become seriously obstructed by vegetative overgrowth thriving in conditions more akin to the Amazon rainforest than mid Kent. Prominent within the mix is common hogweed, which I don't entirely trust.[5] There are nice views to the south, but you are staring into the sun for the most part. Detracting somewhat from the latter stages of Section 8 is noise from the M20.
So, anyway, I've got to the end of Scragged Oak Road that meets Detling Hill, cross both carriageways of the A249,[6] and now just need to descend about fifty feet to the NDW. There are a set of steps whose top end is near 51.2983,0.57945. They are disused because, unfortunately, there is no way to reach them from the crossing point 100 metres further up the A249. Happily, a ramp has been installed that goes down to the level of the bottom step. It's not marked as a PRW, but necessity is an adequate substitute. When I used the same ramp six weeks back (for the final leg of Section 7) it was already a bit overgrown. Its condition today is considerably worse. It takes some time to locate the lower flight of steps and even longer to fight my way through the giant thistles that now dominate this descent. To add to the fun, my hay fever starts giving me grief. At this rate, I'm not going to make Lenham before dark 👀
The physician can bury his mistakes, but the architect can only advise his client to plant vines.
First up, though, is the White Horse Wood Country Park. The NDW goes around it but, since it has a few benches, I do lunch there. Afterwards I stop to take in the view near the summit. Thurnham castle will have to wait another day. Doubt I've missed much. In the future I might miss the classic chalk downland scenery predominant here today; application is made to plant it with 'vines' (which I assume are grapes).
On the approach to Hollingbourne, the path takes a 90° right and descends towards the Dirty Habit public house. Although at this point my water supply gives out, I have no hope of being able to obtain a pint at this (one time) walker-friendly venue because it was gutted by fire in 2022, and remains enveloped by scaffolding. Many villages the size of Hollingbourne are (post Covid) struggling to keep a solitary public house going. Although Hollingbourne has two remaining pubs, they are almost a mile away on the other side of the rail line. Fingers crossed.
You leave Hollingbourne on the Pilgrims Way. There is about two miles of it as BLA, and easy walking it is, too, being reasonably flat, straight and far less overgrown than earlier parts of Section 8. If a bit of shade is welcome then you get that, too. Keep an ear out for motorised transport as that can, and does, use byways such as this.
At Harrietsham it is time to peel away from the NDW and begin a gentle descent over the next 1½ miles down to Lenham. If you could still use additional refreshments then consider the filling station where Dickley Lane meets the A20; it's almost your final opportunity (there is a small Morrisons in Lenham, but no toilets, or at the station).
Next month, I tackle Section 9 of the NDW.