Sevenoaks Circular
Distance: 10 miles
Map: Explorer 147
Walk surveyed and described by David Slater, based on Ken’s walk summary as follows: Sevenoaks round via Ide Hill (lunch), Stubbs Wood, Sevenoaks Common and Knole Park (possible tea). Some hills.
Description checked by Anna Harris, Margaret Spooner and further checked by Jackie Gower
Start
From Sevenoaks Station, cross the London Road ( A224 ) at the traffic lights and turn right. Take the first left up St Botolphs Road ( B2020 ) and climb for about 10 minutes until you reach the Dartford Road (A25). The War Memorial will be in front of you. Cross the road and the Sevenoaks Cricket Club will be to the right. Make your way in front of the Club buildings. Turn right once you come to the road (Hollybush Lane). Cross over and passing Chart Way on the left take the next left down Plymouth Drive.
After 5 minutes you reach a gate at the entrance to Sevenoaks Rugby Club. Ignoring the gate, turn left into the car park and walk to the end of the main Rugby Club building to reach a concrete path on the right. Go up this path then turn left into the playing fields. Follow the edge of the field, keeping to the outside of the white marking, and when you reach the corner follow the path to the right that runs between two wire fences. It slopes down to the entrance to Knole Park.
Go through the gate into the park and turn right. Negotiate the bank down to the main (reinforced gravel) path. Once you reach the path, turn right for an upward climb winding through a wooded area. After about 5 minutes, at the top and as you come out of the woods, you will see Knole House. At this point keep watch for a grassy path immediately to the left on leaving the wooded area. Turn left down the grass path to the main reinforced gravel path below and then turn left along it. The path goes across the golf course so proceed with care, keeping an eye on signs indicating the direction of play. Follow this undulating path for 20 minutes until you reach a wire fence and gate.
( 4 ) Go through the gate and follow the bridleway, which can be very muddy, straight ahead downhill for about 15 minutes until you come to a sign pointing right in the direction of Godden Green Village. Take this path to the right and when you come to a minor road, cross it and go through a stable yard. Don’t forget to shut the barrier gate on the way out. There is now a road in front of you and the Bucks Head pub to your right. A seat by an information board opposite the pub makes a convenient place for a short break.
Facing the pub, turn left for one minute, then follow the road and bridleway via the left fork where there is a sign pointing to the Cygnet Hospital Godden Green. Once past the hospital the lane becomes a rough bridleway. After about 10 minutes and passing some houses on the left, the bridleway slopes downward. Follow this path though Great Rogers Wood. An oast house can be seen on the left. Keep going alongside a field, cross a minor road into an open field and continue straight ahead for another 5 minutes, until you come to the main road into Stone Street. The path after lunch is straight ahead from this junction. The village of Stone Street is to the left.
As you come into Stone Street there is a bus shelter as you reach the main road through the village. This is the only comfortable place for a picnic lunch as there are no accessible fields near the road. There is a choice of pubs with food – The Padwell Arms ( 01732 761 532) about 8 minutes to the left and The Snail (01732 810 233) about 5 minutes uphill to the right.
After lunch go back to the junction and follow the path mentioned earlier through Broadhoath Wood south for about 20 minutes. The path now veers east down to a T-junction. Ignore the barrier to the right and go left until you reach another lane. Go along it to the right and within few minutes Ightham Mote ( NT ) can be seen on the left. Spend time admiring this 13th century medieval house.
Passing Ightham Mote keep on the road for a few minutes; Mote farm will be on the right. Turn up the path with Mote Farm buildings on your left. A small post with several signs including a blue one and the Greensand Way sign can be hard to spot if bushes are overgrown (you will now be following the Greensand Way for the rest of the route).
Continue along the Greensand Way, which at this point is an undulating bridleway and path, to enjoy the wonderful Kent countryside for about 40 minutes. Cross a minor road and following the Greensand Way up a steep hill through woods on One Tree Hill. Towards the brow of the hill where the path turns left you will find a bench. If necessary you can sit here to recover your breath before going on. With the bench on your right keep going till the path forks. Either direction will lead you to a grassy open area but if you take the track to the left you will enter the open space close to another sign for the Greensand Way. From the nearby memorial bench you will have a good view over the surrounding country.
Carry on along the Greensand Way to a minor road and cross it to Shepherds Mead driveway. Go a short distance along the drive towards a white gate. Just before it turns right along the public footpath, again marked Greensand Way. This enclosed path runs first by a garden fence and then beside a field with a wood to the right. Go right and then left over a stile to cross a track at the end of the woods and enter a large field with steeple-chase jumps. Cross the field keeping to the left hand side and then turn right along the far edge of the field. Keep a sharp eye out for a stile on the left that leads into the old birch wood and soon reaches a lane. An entrance to the deer park is opposite.
Go through the gate and proceed straight ahead through the trees until eventually Knole House comes into view on the right. The path follows Knole garden wall. Stop for a cup of tea and cake at the cafe (non-NT members are welcome) or carry on. With the main entrance to the house behind you, leave Knole Park either by following the main driveway through the car park and out of the grounds or where the drive goes right take the pedestrian track ahead across the grass to side gates and walk uphill, past a supermarket car park on the right. Whichever exit you choose, turn right to go down through the town and along Sevenoaks High Street. Take the left road fork (the A224 London Road) down to the station.