February 3, 2019 by ammcculloch49

Snow on the North Downs ridge

Stunning walk at Fackenden Down today. Far more snow than I expected. Just a few extra metres at the top of the ridge made all the difference and there were some reasonable accumulations in Magpie Bottom. I had birdwatcher Dave for company which led to some more exciting sightings than I even manage without him. We saw bullfinch, coal tits, heard linnets, a probable marsh tit and, best of all, saw a short-eared owl hunting low over a rewilded field at Romney St. Big thanks to those who donated to the site today, much appreciated.

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February 3, 2019 by ammcculloch49

Oh dear, he’s asking for donations!

Hi there, dear readers. Don’t be afraid. I haven’t gone all corporate and just come out of a meeting where my shareholders demanded I ‘monetise’ my ramblings. Or fallen on hard times and am now sleeping in my car. It’s just that, well, this website has involved quite a lot of expenditure in the three years it’s been running and a lot of work – which I love doing – but I just thought that if (and only if) you’ve enjoyed one of the walks on this site, particularly with one of the free print-out downloads, you might want to make a small donation. This is possible with PayPal. If you don’t want to, fine, no problemo; but if you do, thanks a lot and it will encourage me to update walks, add new walks, improve my photography etc. Thanks!

Donations

If you’ve enjoyed one of the walks on this site and feel it’s enriched your day, feel free to make a small donation here if you wish. It'll encourage me to add more walks, update information and work harder to improve accuracy and quality. Thanks a lot.

£3.00

January 21, 2019 by ammcculloch49

A proper crisp winter’s day

It’s been cloudy and mild on the whole; dull really, but the past two days have been crisp limpid classics, with a giant full moon thrown in for good measure. Some pictures from yesterday’s stroll at Meenfield Wood/Polhill Bank: walk 18. And, here’s a batch from Cliffe on the Hoo Peninsula from a trip there in mid-January, quite a haunting place in the right light.

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December 29, 2018 by ammcculloch49

Lullingstone country park – perfect for a winter walk in fading light

The open spaces and long valley views of Lullingstone make for a very atmospheric walk at this time of year in clear conditions. The Shoreham-Eynsford stations walk takes in an area of the park, as does Walk 12 but its easy to devise your own stroll from the Visitor’s Centre or from Eynsford’s Roman Villa car park (not free) or train station. There is also parking in Eynsford village or in laybys along the road to the Villa. It’s a bit cloudy as I write but on Thursday the sky was fantastic, though there was no moon.

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December 24, 2018 by ammcculloch49

Merry Christmas to all – and enjoy a winter walk why don’t you

Hope all visitors to this site have a great break and get to enjoy a winter walk over the festive season to clear the head and get the blood circulating. Right now I can’t get enough of the Shoreham/Fackenden Down/Romney St walk. With its views and variety it’s perfect for a crisp clear day, though I love the Lullingstone/Eynsford walks at this time of year, too. On drizzly days, Polhill Bank and Knole come into their own with their super woods and lack the same quantity of mud as, say, One Tree Hill, Ide HIll and Hever. Closer to London, the Chislehurst station to Petts Wood station route is worth a punt on a bad weather day too; it doesn’t have much in the way of views but makes up for that with great trees and atmosphere. Pubs with roaring fires are one of the regional pleasures; check out the pubs page. How lucky to have access to such great places to roam around and enjoy a beverage, as the Big Lebowski’s Dude would say.

I wonder if we’ll get much snow this winter…

Fackenden Down

November 28, 2018 by ammcculloch49

The austere beauty of the Kent Downs in winter

Winter has arrived but it remains mild; with more rainfall the mud has churned up on the most of the walks so it’s time for wellies. But take care: the chalky Darent Valley hillside paths can be a bit slippery at this time of year, particularly where the paths are worn and the chalk is close to the surface. But the austere beauty of the North Downs in winter is now evident, especially on the eastern side of the valley – walks 5, 14 and 19 – and on the Eynsford routes: walks 3 and 12. If the temperature drops a bit take a flask out with some hot chocolate and maybe a shot of something stronger – really works out here in an easterly wind!

Each of the walks on this site have their own character. There’s definitely a split between the southern routes, such as Chiddingstone, Ide Hill and at Hever, which are more wooded and somehow bucolic, and the more hilly, more grassy northern routes of the Darent Valley where the ridgelines are the highest points for an easterly winds for hundreds of miles. It’s all very atmospheric; when walking I often imagine what life was like for Saxons, Romans, Britons and Vikings who settled these parts and picture them on their long, painstaking journeys.

So, here’s a useful way of choosing a walk near SE London … enlarge the map, then just click on the labels and lines to find a walk that suits you. You’ll see there’s quite a spaghetti junction of walks around Shoreham, you can combine them all and stay out all week if you like! My tip this week is Walk 19: Fackenden Down. It’s on the eastern side of the Darent Valley – straight out of Shoreham train station and the views are terrific. The walks are also on the menu at the top. Enjoy…

My walks

An online version of the Ordnance Survey map 147 can be found here but strangely some public footpaths are not included. I’m gradually working on making GPX files for the walks so they can be followed ‘live’ on smartphone, but, ahem, slow progress is being made!

November 27, 2018 by ammcculloch49

Walking at Fackenden Down and Magpie Bottom, Shoreham, Kent

The diversion to Fackenden Down is a great variation to the Shoreham circular walks. If you walk over the top of the hill and continue to Magpie Bottom you join the Romney Street walk, shortening it slightly. Fackenden Down and Magpie Bottom are both sites of special scientific interest and are examples of chalk upland being rewilded. Both have great biodiversity with rare plants, insects, birds and reptiles. See details (Walk 19). The other walk that can be altered to take in Fackenden Down is the ‘eastern valleys’ walk. Here are some pictures:

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Here’s a map of the near-four-mile route; description here

November 18, 2018 by ammcculloch49

One Tree Hill, Sevenoaks – good place to catch a winter sunset

The Greensand Way route between Ightham Mote, One Tree Hill and its Wilmot Hill derivatives are great for winter light after about 2.30pm at the moment. Picture below is from yesterday about 3.45pm. Love how the sheep reflect the light. It looks darker in the picture than it actually was… trying to get the exposure right for land and sky always a challenge.

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March 18, 2018 by ammcculloch49

Surely that’s it for snow?

The Westerham-Chartwell loop … a popular walk in good weather but not a soul today. The temperature was -2.5C. At Mariners Hill on the Greensand Ridge it began to snow heavily; the spruce and pine woods near French Street took on a Scandinavian air, and the douglas firs above Chartwell added a touch of Oregon. I’ll add this longish walk shortly. Some pictures:

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March 3, 2018 by ammcculloch49

Winter meets spring as Knole thaws

OK, I still feel chilled to my bones, but this afternoon’s stroll at Knole was a beaut in the retreating snow. Misty yellow light, bursts of weak sun, patches of pale blue sky, and a sense of winter and spring sharing the day. Some interesting birds around looking for food: nuthatch, wrens, redwings, great tits, robins, song thrush all seen quite close. Hope they found enough. Here are some pix

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