WALKING GROUP

Walks take place on Tuesdays and alternate between mornings and afternoons. Everyone is welcome, including dogs, so if you would like to come along then we will be delighted to see you. 

WALKING GROUP DATES 2024 (Further details of walks will be provided closer to the dates)

(4th Tuesday of the month)

Tuesday 25th June 2pm

Our next walk will start  at 2pm on Tuesday 25^th June at the junction of Meteor Road and Lancaster Way in Kate Reed Wood. We shall walk down Lancaster Way to the gate that leads to the old RAF H-Blocks of West Malling Aerodrome and then turn right into Forest Way. At the roundabout with Anson Avenue, we shall walk a few yards up the tarmac path between Anson and Worcester Avenues before turning right into the woodland path that runs between Kate Reed and the King’s Hill development. When we meet the junction with the Lords Walk we shall turn left through a small gate into Russet Way and follow it to Pippin Way and the great grass Oval on Kings Hill. We shall then follow the long straight footpath just to the east of Pippin Way all the way to the Kings Hill peripheral path near the golf course. This is the course of Mereworth Castle Drive down which early experiments in aviation were conducted. On reaching the peripheral path we shall turn right and follow it to the junction with Kent Street. Turning left into Kent Street East we shall see some unusual ancient houses that are astonishingly not Listed Buildings. Crossing the Malling Road we shall continue along Kent Street West, past the old Methodist Chapel all the way to Butchers Lane and the charming mediaeval cottage on the corner. Turning right up Butchers Lane we shall pass a number of Listed Buildings until we reach Beech Road. Crossing over Beech Road we shall follow the straight footpath past North Farm into the Woods, crossing the dry valley and on to the Lords Walk where it borders the new quarry extension. We shall turn right into Lords Walk and follow it all the way to Beaufighter Road. We shall then cross the A228 into Typhoon Road and return to Meteor Road and the former RAF Officer’s houses. The walk is about 5 km and will take up to 90 minutes. It will involve some road walking on country lanes as well as some crossing of larger roads. The walk has some gentle slopes and the paths in June should be in good condition. Nonetheless, good walking boots are advisable. There should be adequate parking at Kate Reed Wood.

Tuesday 23rd July 10am

Our July walk starts at 10am on Tuesday 23^rd July at the Snodland Community Centre at the junction of Cemetery Road and Paddlesworth Road, Snodland. The centre is about 20 minutes’ drive from Mereworth. There is ample parking at the centre and on the roads nearby. We will walk up to the cemetery and take the wide footpath up the steady, but not too taxing hill to the North Downs Way. There are spectacular views across the Medway valley over much of this route. Walking along the foot of the North Downs we shall cross Stangate Road and continue along the North Downs Way to a crossroads in the footpath. From there we shall drop down a footpath to Birling Place Farm and admire its ancient buildings. If the fields are clear of crops we may be able to take a footpath across them, otherwise we shall walk to Paddlesworth Road via the farm track and Stangate Road. We shall walk down Paddlesworth Road to Saint Benedict’s church with its early mediaeval carvings and interesting history. The last leg of the walk will be down Paddlesworth Road, using the road verge and passing places if we meet traffic. The walk will take about two hours at most and is about 6km long. It will involve some road walking on single-track roads. The walk has some steady prolonged slopes, and some paths are uneven. Good walking boots are advisable. There is no livestock on the walk but dogs will need a lead on the roads.  

Tuesday 27th August 2pm

We begin our August walk at 2pm on Tuesday 27^th August at the Picnic Area car park on Common Road at the top of Bluebell Hill. The car park is about 25 minutes’ drive from Mereworth and has splendid views across a large part of Kent. We will walk along Common Road to the Robin Hood pub and take the footpath through the woods down to Nashenden.  We shall walk Nashenden Lane before beginning the climb back up the North Downs Way to our start point. The views across the Medway Valley are spectacular and we shall pass an ancient burial mound on our journey. The walk will take about two hours and is about 6km long. It will involve some road walking on single-track roads. The walk has some steady prolonged slopes, and some paths may be uneven. Good walking boots are advisable. There is no livestock on the walk but dogs will need a lead on the roads.  

Tuesday 24th September 10am

Tuesday 22nd October 2pm

Tuesday 26th November 10am followed by lunch