Stour Valley Walk – Lenham to Ashford

SOUTH EAST

TREK

Stour Valley Walk – Lenham to Ashford

Saturday 26 August 2017

Having packed my rucksack, boots and poles in my car I drove to Lenham and found a parking spot just down the road from St Mary’s Church. The weather was warm and sunny and it looked like it might be a hot day ahead.

Day One – Lenham to Ashford (15 Miles)

The Stour Valley Walk is a long distance path along the valley of the River Stour from the source, through the Low Weald and North Downs and passing by the great Roman ruins of Richborough Castle, to the historic town of Sandwich.

I went to the rear of my car to don my boots and heave my rucksack on to my back but when I came to adjust my trekking poles one of them was stuck fast. I tried everything I could to free it but it would not budge. Sadly I had no tools in the car and so after wasting 10 minutes trying to free it, I had to face the fact that I would be walking with only one trekking pole.

Normally this would not be a problem as I often do not use them on low-level walks but I had deliberately overloaded my new rucksack a little to see how it would feel after adjustments made form the previous trip where it was more than a little uncomfortable, to say the least.

I took a few photos and then headed back to the church and through the churchyard to a gate at the rear which opened into a large field. There were three or four options from here I headed for the tunnel that when under the railway line and through into the next field.

There was a waymarker on a post on the other side of the tunnel but the arrow had disappeared so I followed the obvious path through the field in a diagonal direction and through the tree line next to a water treatment works.

This came out on to a track which went all the way to the next railway line then over the M20 motorway. Once on the other side, you turn right down the side of Hubbard’s Farm.

Following the path to Burnt Mill, you get a better glimpse of the Great Stour River and are able to follow it for a short distance before having to return to the road which continues to Stonebridge Green.

At Barnfield, I had a slight moment. As you exit a leafy path you reach a driveway with arrows directing you to the left. On the right is a large gate to a private property. I started down this driveway but had a slight nagging feeling in my head so returned to the gate. Next to the get is a waymarker for the path pointing back along the leafy path I had come from and the only other navigational marker was the arrow pointing down the driveway.

I referred to my OS map could see that the Stour Valley Walk continued behind the property with the large gate and that there was a route with green dots meaning ‘other route with public access’ route around the big house and between some outbuildings to the rear of the property. It seemed to me as though ‘interested parties’ were trying to divert the unwitting walker on an alternative route which takes you in completely the wrong direction!

A little bit naughty here! All the signs point in the direction behind me but the actual path is through that gate!

Navigational disaster averted I continued on to Chart Court Farm and the remains of St Mary’s Church. This was a charming little spot to stop for a short while and rest before continuing through the woods behind it and on to Little Chart.

At Little Chart you emerge from the woods by the Mill Ponds and then on to a road just above the Swan Inn. I resisted temptation here and continued down Swan Lane and passed the church until I saw the waymarkers alongside those of the Greensand Way. From here the two paths run together until the other side of Hothfield Common.

It was on Hothfield Common that I stopped for lunch and boiled some water for a coffee and rested for a short while. After lunch, I made my way to Worten Wood via Rippers Cross and then crossed the road at Worten Home Farm before making my way across the fields.

From here the Stour Valley Walk is an urban river walk hugging the river and the main road as it passes through Victoria Park and underneath the A2042 road and the rail bridges. It was here that I saw something slightly unusual. It was a parade of old and mini tractors crossing the field in front of me. Eight of them in total and ranging in size some pulling trailers.

I left the path from here to make my way to my accommodation for the evening which was in South Ashford. Some relatives were away for the weekend and were allowing me to stay in their house for the night.

I didn’t want them to go to any trouble so I had packed my Therm-a-rest and sleeping bag and slept on the living room floor while cooking my meals on the patio with my stove and keeping to the food that I had purchased beforehand other than a pack of 4 snickers bars that I picked up along the way for a £1.