LOHO WALKS

Eynsford to Otford

Views, villages, viaducts and villas

A perennial favourite and one to which I like to introduce self-identifying ‘non-walkers’.  This is the shorter, less strenuous cousin of the Eynsford to Shoreham circular walk. The only ascent – an early rise from the village with views of the viaduct and length of the Darenth Valley – is a treat; then a quick descent to Lullingstone Roman villa; then later, a Tudor gateway glimpsing a grand house and garden. Potential lunch stops at Shoreham. The walk finishes at Otford with the minimal remains of a once mediaeval palace.

Route Summary

Easy/Moderate / 5 out of 10

6.5 miles / 10.5 kilometres

OS Explorer Map 147

Dog Friendly

Terrain

How to get here

Facilities

Eat and drink

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Highlights

The Thames Path

Eynsford & the Darenth Valley

Bear the tedious start along the busy road from the station to be rewarded with, what feels to me, a portal into another world: an old stonebridge fording a lively chalk stream with bucolic river meadow and glorious views of the Darenth Valley and the majestic viaduct>>

Home Park and The Long Water

Lullingstone Roman Villa

If you can, make time to include a visit to this impressively restored Roman Villa dating back to 80AD and believed to have been occupied by a wealthy Roman Governor, possibly as a country retreat.  English Heritage site, so take your card if you have one>>

Hampton Court Palace

Lullingstone Castle & World Garden

Again well worth a visit if you have the time and energy. With its impressive 16th century Gatehouse and a fine house of grandeur and historical importance. Together with the famous 120 acre world garden bestowed the celebrity connections of the Queen, Diana Princess of Wales and two famous russian meerkats>>

Ham Lands Meadows

Shoreham

A hidden gem of the Darenth Valley, take time to explore the lovely village of Shoreham with its famous hillside White Cross, beautiful church and many historic connections.  Not to mention a tea shop or two, three pubs and a vineyard to make an excellent lunch stop>>

Otford Village

Otford

End a beautiful walk through countryside to the pretty village of Otford, with its mill-race, story-filled architecture, charming duck pond, famous ‘Solar System’ and the remains of a Tudor Palace>>

Image copyright Mike Urban

Route Map

Begin Walk

Start: Eynsford Station

1

Exit Eynsford station, turn left to meet a busy road after 50 metres. With care, cross the road and head right downhill for about 600 metres. You will need to cross back again to continue on reaching the church on your right. It’s a tedious beginning but pays off when you…

2

Cross the road again at the junction opposite the church to take the clear left turn over the rather lovely bridge and ford which is your introduction to the River Darenth and its valley.  See feature below for more info about Eynsford village, viaduct and the scandalous Peter Warlock.

3

Follow the road and the river left passing The Plough pub on your right; cottages and a farm ribbon along the road for about 300 metres. Ignore Savepenny Lane to the right.

As you continue on you will have views over flood pasture on your left. Where the buildings on your right end you will see a footpath sign and the start of rising farmland. Take this path up as it rises diagonally across farmland to eventually reach a pedestrian railway crossing point.

Eynsford Viaduct, over which you and your train recently trundled, rises majestically up to your left.

4

Taking care here with any canine companions, cross the stiles and railway and continue on along the broad, open valley side. Views south along the Darenth Valley into the distance begin to emerge. In summer these fields can be blanketed in poppies and ringing with skylarks. I have seen an eagle flying along the valley, a resident of the Bird of Prey sanctuary on the top of the hill to your right.

5

Your direction now is generally onwards for a mile or more along the valley side, so continue on this path for a few hundred metres eventually meeting a tall hedge on your right.

Then with the hedge to your right and the views on the left, 200m further along, follow the path to pass right through an obvious gap in the hedge. The path continues diagonally uphill for another hundred metres to emerge near buildings and on a small road (Bird Sanctuary).

6

Following the footpath sign, cross the road and continue ahead, following the obvious track along the valley side to meet another tall hedge clearly visible ahead on your right.

Keeping the hedge on your right, continue on for several hundred metres until you reach an obvious line of trees at right angles to your direction.

7

Your direction down towards Lullingstone Villa is left.

However, if you want a rest spot… Take the track right slightly uphill then after about 50m turn left through the trees to emerge with a continuing splendid view of the valley. Head for the ‘Lonesome Tree’ about 100m or so onward to your right. If anyone has claimed this lovely, meditative spot be nice to them – it might be me.

After retracing your steps back through the tree-gap, head on the obvious path downhill.

8

Lullingstone Roman Villa– for info see feature tab below, or better still, go in.  It’s an English Heritage site – opening times vary through the year.

9

From Lullingstone Villa you are going to turn right from the path on which you have just descended to follow the valley in the same direction as before. This essentially is as much navigation as you should need for the next few miles as the path will be obvious, and sometimes signposted, all the way to Shoreham.

Below I will indicate points to look out for.

10

Making your way along the hard surfaced track you will pass cottages and paddocks on your left, and soon encounter Lullingstone Castle and World Garden. See feature tab below for more info on the history of the house and its extraordinary garden.  Note the Tudor brick Gatehouse and the Queen Anne main house. Worth a visit if you have time and inclination.

11

Just past the Gatehouse the onward path continues through a gate/hedge just on your right. Lakes are visible through trees on your left, where the river now joins your route. You can either join the riverside path in trees/shade on your left, or if you prefer to stay in the open, stay on the open ground just outside the tree line, parallel to the river and path.

You will soon briefly enter the woods by the river and pass a basic café/WC by a road. Cross the road to continue on passing through the gate/stile opposite. Don’t follow the road.

12

On the footpath, passing under a line of pylons, you will soon encounter the entrance to Castle Farm Shop. This is a working lavender farm and popular shop selling bijou gifty things and local produce. To enter the shop you will have to cross the road.

To continue, head onward noting the lavender fields on your right. There are bigger lavender fields behind Castle Farm on the hillside to your left. In June there is a lavender festival and, later in the year, the harvest when the valley fills with lavender scent.

13

The lavender fields end at a gap and gate/stile in the hedge emerging on to a country lane – take care at this bend, it’s sometimes busy in summer – crossover to pick up the path again on your left to continue onwards.

14

Now on your left you’ll see rows of hop poles  – these are for the hop vines which historically have made Kent the brewing centre of England. This one here is reputed to be one of the smallest hop farms in Kent. Gardens backing onto railway lines in south London sometimes have hop vines growing over their back fence, the seeds having drifted to our capital by many years of being blown along by the passing trains just beyond.

15

Continue on towards a line of tall poplar trees, passing through to emerge onto open farmland where your path continues on for c250metres towards the trees lining the river ahead and over to your left. From here on, look over to your right to see if you can catch sight of the large white chalk cross inserted into the hill above Shoreham.

16

Follow this path until you reach cottages, a lane end, and houses with a slight dogleg left in your path over a small weir. Ignore the footpath heading hard left and down towards the railway line in the distance, but instead continue as you were, pulling the line of the river, passing a rather lovely row of cottages, with a neat terrace outside, which will be on the other side of the river and to your right.

17

Continue on to Shoreham where you will eventually emerge with benches at open ground by the river and Samuel Palmer’s House directly on your left.

See features tabs below for notes and tales on Shoreham village, the beautiful church and  Samuel Palmer.

18

Shoreham village: if you want to explore the village, cross over the river at the bridge. There is a pub on your left and at the end by the T-junction a modest collection of alms houses. Going right there is a teashop and an even more modest aircraft museum.  Continuing right down the road a few hundred metres is another pub The Crown.

19

Staying on the war memorial side of the River, the walk follows the road onward and immediately round to your left passing The Mount vineyard and further up another pub (where the road swings right).

Enter through the gate of St Peter and St Paul Church and its avenue of Irish Yew. If it’s open and you have time, the church is worth a visit.

20

Leaving the church porch, turn left to continue along the yew avenue to pass through the gate and emerge onto open farmland. Turn right and head towards the road.

21

On the road – taking care – continue left and onward away from the church (in the direction of Shoreham Station) to pick up your footpath on the opposite side of the road less than 150m further along (and before the station). If doing a shortened version of the walk the station entrance is just passed the rail bridge ahead of you.

22

From here you can walk directly onwards towards Otford with no turns. My route, however, will take you, after about a kilometre, on a right turn at a junction of paths to enable you to see the historic heart of this intriguing little village. It doesn’t matter which right turn you take but the one I’m suggesting below has the more open view.

23

So… continuing your walk along the signposted footpath, you will carry straight on for about a kilometre. After about 500m, ignoring the first footpath T-junction and right turn, continue on.

At the second footpath T-junction, take the right turn. After a few hundred metres at another footpath T-junction, turn left to continue in your original direction towards Otford.

24

Continue on following the obvious path which will pass through farmland and eventually emerge at a mill race at Otford. Turn left at the road and as you track down the street note the architecture on both sides of the road.

See the features tab below for tales of the buildings along the street, the Otford Solar System and the remains of a Tudor palace.

25

The Otford ‘Solar System’ is in the recreational ground further down the street on your left.

26

When you reach the roundabout and the architecturally listed millpond, cross over towards the millpond and cross again to stand in front of the attractive large redbrick house opposite. Take the brief diversion, and path, indicated on the informative signboard to the left of this house to see the remnants of a Tudor Palace.  See feature tab above.

27

From the millpond, pass into the church yard and take the path down the right side of the church which soon becomes fenced and, in a few hundred metres, emerges into the car park of Otford station.

Browse more walks…

Lucky you. I’ve walked several thousand miles of footpaths and city streets to distil out a choice selection of rambles for everyone to enjoy. There is no way of knowing whether a walk is worth doing except by walking the route every step of the way; a lot of terrible walks, dull vistas, and frankly boring trudges have been endured and discarded. Lucky me, I love walking and being outside so it’s all been worth it. I hope you can find the time to explore a route or two.

"Everywhere is within walking distance if you create the time..."

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