It’s time for an additional nation stroll. After spending six months in London, I’m excited to deliver you a information to a Sevenoaks stroll in Kent, England. It’s as near the UK capital as rambles get, making it a straightforward day journey from London and the right solution to get outside and into the British countryside.
Sevenoaks Stroll
There are numerous nation walks in Sevenoaks. From Sevenoaks round walks to point-to-point paths, this space to the west of London is rife with methods to get into nature.
I’m right here for a similar cause I do most of my nation walks close to London: a pal has deliberate it for the strolling group he runs. After being within the metropolis for half a 12 months, I can’t wait to get out and into the recent air.
This stroll goes from Sevenoaks to Westerham. It’s going to steer us by way of city facilities, previous well-known stately properties, alongside pastures, and thru Nationwide Belief gardens.
The entire thing will take us simply over six hours, together with a cease for a picnic lunch within the English countryside.
Get to Sevenoaks
We meet at London Bridge station within the morning and hop on a practice to Kent simply after 8:30am. The journey is a fast one, and we arrive at Sevenoaks station simply over half-hour later.
Sevenoaks City
We begin our 11.6-mile (18.7-kilometer) stroll on the station exit, heading up a hill into the center of Sevenoaks.
As we go, we go cute cafes and a warren of slim streets with heritage pubs, out of doors tables, and coated passages paved in cobblestones.
There are historic church buildings and fairly cottages galore, and I take so many images I’ve to run to meet up with the group as we go away city.
Knole
I’m glad I catch up, although, as a result of what comes subsequent is nothing wanting breathtaking. Our Sevenoaks stroll takes us into the grounds of Knole, one of the crucial spectacular stately properties close to London.
As we enter Knole Park, we come throughout a herd of deer which can be so tame they make me really feel like a Disney princess. I’d by no means attempt to contact them, however I really feel like they’d let me if I did.
From the deer we make our manner up a mild slope to the home itself. Over 600 years outdated, Knole began life as an archbishop’s palace earlier than it handed into the arms of the Sackville household in 1603.
Now a National Trust property, Knole is understood for each its necessary assortment of Jacobean furnishings and its position within the Virginia Woolf novel Orlando.
We don’t have time to tour the home on our Sevenoaks stroll, however my group is affected person sufficient to let me run into the courtyards to take some photos earlier than we proceed. They’re beautiful.
As we go away the home, the sprawling type of Knole comes with us. It’s one of many largest nation homes within the UK, and we will see the chimneys and rooftops for ages after we depart.
Sevenoaks Countryside
As soon as the home recedes into the gap, we stroll down a protracted path by way of Knole Park to get into the countryside close to Sevenoaks.
Exiting the park, we stroll down St Julian Highway and Riverhill, then flip off onto a strolling path reverse the doorway to the Riverhill Himalayan Gardens.
There we discover ourselves surrounded by thistles, blackberries, and butterflies as we glance out over views of the English countryside.
Our Sevenoaks stroll continues alongside pastures filled with horses and thru wooded areas, ultimately bringing us to a highway known as Hubbards Hill and throughout an overpass above the Sevenoaks Bypass.
The busy multi-lane highway is a far cry from the bucolic landscapes we’ve been strolling in, however as quickly as we cross over it we’re again within the countryside.
Sevenoaks Weald and Kent Downs AONB
That’s not least as a result of we’ve entered Sevenoaks Weald and the Kent Downs Space of Excellent Pure Magnificence.
This space is filled with pastoral land and traditional Kent oasts, and it’s lovely for a ramble. We choose up a long-distance strolling route known as the Greensand Approach right here. It goes from Haslemere in Surrey to Hamstreet in Kent.
We observe the Greensand Approach alongside pastures filled with cows and sheep, by way of farms smelling wealthy with hay, and previous nation homes sporting gardens aromatic with roses.
There are even fences adorned with wellies with flowers rising out of them. It’s all quintessentially English.
We stroll by way of extra fields, stopping for a picnic lunch underneath an enormous oak tree. It’s an important place to eat an al fresco meal.
Afterwards we proceed our Sevenoaks stroll by way of areas like Hanging Financial institution, which comprises 90 acres (36 hectares) of wooded escarpment replete with beech, oak, rowan, pine, and birch bushes.
Ide Hill
We stroll underneath them and alongside paths by way of brambles and bracken to get to Ide Hill.
There’s a small store with public restrooms right here, and we take a break earlier than persevering with alongside the Nationwide Belief Octavia Hill Centenary Path by way of a woodland space rife with oak bushes.
It brings us to the center of Ide Hill, a fairly village with pubs and inexperienced areas. From the village we stroll alongside slim nation roads and previous a cricket match at Ide Hill’s Emmetts Park. It’s enjoyable to see cricket in motion, and feels becoming for a day within the English countryside.
Nationwide Belief Emmetts Backyard
As quickly as we go the cricket, we discover ourselves in Emmetts Backyard, a National Trust property in Kent. We stroll alongside a fence-lined path that cuts by way of the backyard, peering into the grounds on each side as we go.
This hillside spot is a part of an Edwardian property, and it options unique bushes and shrubs from world wide. Emmetts Backyard additionally has rose and rock gardens, in addition to panoramic views over the encircling space.
We quickly attain a spot with picnic tables and public restrooms, and we cease for a snack break earlier than our Sevenoaks stroll takes us out of Emmetts Backyard and again right into a woodland space.
Hosey Hill
We stroll by way of the woods and out into fields, following the trail for the Nationwide Belief Weardale Stroll as we go.
We climb a set of steps in a hill, stroll previous a historic graveyard and a row of fairly homes on French Avenue, and ramble by way of extra woodland earlier than reaching Hosey Hill.
Hosey Hill is close to Chartwell, Winston Churchill’s nation home. It’s now a National Trust property in Kent (plenty of these right this moment!). I want we had time to go to, however our Sevenoaks stroll takes us in the other way.
Westerham
Right into a discipline and down a hill we go, strolling by way of a thin passageway that opens up into the city of Westerham.
The city heart has a inexperienced lined with outlets, pubs, and tearooms. A statue of Winston Churchill takes satisfaction of place, and a Norman church overlooks all of it.
Our Sevenoaks stroll ends in Westerham, the place we sit out on the grass having fun with snacks and drinks from the native pub. As we do, we glance up a taxi firm and absorb the solar as we anticipate our trip again to Sevenoaks station.
As we board the practice dwelling to London, I really feel grateful to have gotten out of the town for a rustic stroll and blissful to have breathed some much-needed recent air.
Sevenoaks Stroll in Kent
I hope this submit has impressed you to get outside and into the English countryside. If you wish to do that or one other of the numerous Sevenoaks walks in Kent, there are many maps on-line that can assist you replicate my pal’s route.
I’ve additionally put all my nation walks in Britain right into a single weblog submit in the event you’d like extra concepts. You may examine extra walks and discover additional particulars in Time Out Nation Walks: 52 Walks Close to London, too. You may get it here. Joyful climbing!
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