Saturday Walkers' Club

Time Out Country Walks near London Volume 1

Walk 53 : Wye (round walk)



Substitute walk for any date on the Crundale Downs

Length 17.3 km (10.8 miles), 5 hours. For the whole outing, including trains, sights and meals, allow at least 9 hours 30 minutes.
OS Landranger Map No.189. Wye, map reference TQ 048 470, is in Kent, 6km, north-east of Ashford.
OS Explorer Map No.137.
Toughness 7 out of 10 (8 out of 10 in muddy conditions).
Features

You will need to set out fairly early from London if you want to get to the pub in Sole Street in time for lunch. The walk goes high up on the Crundale Downs (“crun” in Old English meant chalk, and “dala” meant dell or valley), with breathtaking views. The walk comes to an isolated Norman church at Crundale, then on to a fifteenth century inn for lunch. The walk then passes Crundale House and the manor of Olantigh, crosses the River Stour and returns to Wye through its churchyard, for tea at a teashop at the bottom of Church Street or at a pub next to the railway station.

Beware that parts of the route can be very muddy in wet weather, so be prepared.

Shortening the walk You could call a taxi from the lunchtime pub. Or you could save 2km by not having lunch at the pub and by descending on a by-way from the Crundale church, your direction 290 degrees, to rejoin the main route beside Crundale House (para 37 in the walk directions). Or you could turn left at the T-junction just after point [9] and walk along the road into Wye.
History

The Crown Memorial, cut into the hillside outside Wye, is a unique landmark constructed in mid-June 1902 out of flintstones to commemorate the Coronation of King Edward VII. The King viewed the Crown illumination from Eastwell Park on 02 July 1904. The Crown is part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) surrounded by rare downland herbs, orchids and butterflies.

To mark the Millennium celebrations a Crown Millennium Stone was added just above the Memorial.

The Church of St Mary in Crundale is thought to be on a Roman site and still retains Norman parts. Inside is a nearly life-sized memorial slab commemorating the Rev John Sprot, who died in 1466 and is depicted in his full vestments.

The Church of St Gregory and St Martin in Wye dates from the twelfth or early thirteenth century and was larger than it is now – its tower collapsed in 1686. Wye College, next to the church, was founded in 1447 by John Kempe, the Archbishop of York, and is now part of Wye Agricultural College, University of London.

Saturday Walkers Club

On Saturdays and Bank Holiday Mondays, take the train nearest to 9- 15 am from London Victoria Station to Wye (Canterbury West train), journey time about 1hr 34 minutes. Weekdays (Monday to Friday), and on Sundays, trains for Wye usually depart from London Charing Cross Station, journey time - fast service 1hr 15 minutes, stopping service 1hr 40 minutes. Trains back run twice an hour (weekdays) and once an hour at weekends. It should be noted that Wye is one stop down the line from Ashford International: should Network Rail decide to run its proposed fast service from London to the Channel Tunnel stopping at Ashford International, it might be possible to shorten the journey time.

Being the substitute – or extra – walk in the TO Book, this walk does not have its own slot in the rota. The intention is it can be posted at any time in the year (but mainly during British Summer Time, to get around in daylight) when, for example, railway engineering works prevent the posting of the walk in the rota. As such it is ideal as the views from the Downs are equally enjoyable in all seasons. As noted earlier, sections of the walk can be muddy in wet weather.

Lunch

The suggested lunchtime stop is the Compasses Inn (tel. 01227 700300) in Sole Street. The pub serves food from 12 noon to 2-30 pm, Tuesday to Sunday (closed Mondays). The menu is varied – main courses, specials and lighter meals. The pub has internal seating areas and a pleasant rear garden in addition to tables out the front. Walkers wishing to eat their own sandwiches in the pub’s outside areas, having first purchased a drink from the bar, should seek the pub management’s permission to do so.

The former pub in Hassell Street, marked on old OS maps, closed long ago.

Tea

On returning to Wye, through the churchyard of the Church of St Gregory and St Martin, instead of turning right and heading for the railway station, you can take the road directly ahead (Church Street). 60 metres down this road is the Kings Head pub (tel.01233 812418), an old coaching inn. Keep on down Church Street for another 70 metres and at the bottom you come to Crown Coffee (tel. 01233 812798), a café, bar, deli and bistro, open until 5pm, Tuesdays to Thursdays, until “late” on Fridays and Saturdays, and until 4pm on Sundays.

But the main, suggested tea / refreshment stop at walk-end is the Tickled Trout pub (tel. 01233 812227), next to the railway station, which serves food all day in summer, and between 2pm and 2-30pm and 6pm to 9pm in winter. The pub enjoys a large beer garden overlooking the River Stour.

Travel by Train
  • Out: (not a train station)
  • Back: (not a train station)
Travel by Car

Start: Wye Station is near : TN25 5HB [gmap]

OS Explorer Map

137 : Ashford [Amazon]
Revised

This walk was fully revised in : Aug-09.

Download the PDF (link above) for the revised instructions, but for the map, you'll still need the book.
Other North Downs (Kent) Walks Chilham to Canterbury, Lenham to Charing, Cuxton to Sole Street, Knockholt to Otford, Eynsford Circular,

Walking Instructions 

[Numbers refer to the map]

  1. [1] Walk to the end of Platform 2 at Wye Station towards the footbridge to exit the station through the white wooden gate at the far end of the platform. Turn left and cross over the level crossing, your direction 90 degrees, to pass the station building on your left-hand side.
  2. In 40 metres you cross a bridge over the River Stour, then pass the Tickled Trout pub on the other side. 30 metres past the pub, turn left on Churchfield Way, your direction 60 degrees.
  3. In 80 metres, as the road curves right, ignore the first lane off to the left by a house called Kelston. In 55 metres turn left on an estate road (Abbots Walk), your direction 55 degrees.
  4. The road swings to the right and in 115 metres, at a cross roads with a green space ahead and to your right, [!] turn left on a concrete road that looks like a dead end, heading due north, with house no. 44 on your left-hand side. In 30 metres, at the end of the road, turn right, due east, with house no. 52 on your left-hand side.
  5. In 55 metres, the road bears left, and by a concrete public footpath marker, go through a wooden gate, cross a field enclosure and in 8 metres go through a wooden kissing gate. Keep ahead across a field, your direction 45 degrees, on a clear path.
  6. In 160 metres go through a metal fieldgate and in 6 metres go through a wooden swing gate, to go right on a tarmac lane [2], your direction 130 degrees, and in 40 metres cross over a cattle grid. In 200 metres you pass another cattle grid. In 20 metres go over a tarmac road [3] to continue on Occupation Road, following a North Downs Way (NDW) sign, your direction 100 degrees, straight on.
  7. You pass buildings of Imperial College London on your left-hand side. Keep ahead, now with a tall hedge on your left and single storey business units on your right. In 175 metres the hedge ends and in a further 110 metres go through a metal gate to the left of a metal fieldgate, with a NDW sign on its post.
  8. In 60 metres you cross Wibberley Way (a permissive path) to continue straight on, with an open field on your left and a tree line on your right, steadily upwards towards the Crown Memorial carved into the hillside.
  9. In 270 metres, by a footpath post on your right, ignore the Stour Valley Walk going off to the left. In a further 275 metres cross a tarmac lane and continue uphill, with a hedge on your left and an open field on your right, your direction 85 degrees, signposted NDW.
  10. In 250 metres there is a fine view back over the valley, as you enter a wood through a wooden swing gate, to continue steeply upwards. Follow the NDW post and in 20 metres cross a path junction and keep ahead.
  11. In 90 metres ignore the Wibberley Way path off to the right. In 20 metres, as the path levels out, cross another path junction. In a further 20 metres you come to a tarmac road with a view ahead (northwards). Ignore the wooden kissing gate directly ahead and instead [!] turn right along the road following the NDW sign, uphill, your direction 125 degrees.
  12. In 225 metres, [!] go right, up steps, signposted NDW, your direction 220 degrees.
  13. In 30 metres go through a metal squeeze stile to the right of a wooden field gate to continue on a grassy farm track beside a line of trees. In a further 60 metres go through another metal squeeze stile (or go over the low wooden stile) to the right of a metal fieldgate, and turn left, following the NDW arrow, to continue along the Ridgeway, your direction 170 degrees, the valley out beneath you on your right-hand side.
  14. In a further 100 metres, at the corner of a fence on your left-hand side, carry straight on, slightly to the left, then turning right, with a small hollow on your right and the Crown Millennium Stone just below you, above the Crown Memorial on the hillside below.
  15. Carry on, along an undulating grassy path, your direction 150 degrees, keeping the hillside on your right. In 165 metres go through a metal kissing gate, to follow the NDW arrow, with a fence on your left-hand side, your direction now 145 degrees.
  16. In 250 metres [4] leave the North Downs Way [!] to go through a metal kissing gate on your left, marked with a yellow circular walk arrow, your direction 80 degrees, to cross a field on an indistinct path. In 110 metres go through a metal kissing gate to the left of a metal fieldgate, to go down into a wood on a footpath used by horses, your direction 135 degrees.
  17. In 115 metres, at the other end of the wood, go straight on with the edge of the wood now on your right-hand side, and Coombe Manor ahead on your left-hand side, initially downhill.
  18. The path levels out and in 275 metres you come to a tarmac lane, with a metal fieldgate opposite and a post with yellow arrow on your right. Here, turn left down the lane, your direction 25 degrees.
  19. In 145 metres, turn right through an open wooden fieldgate, following a footpath sign, gently uphill, your direction due east. In 120 metres, at the top of the field, turn left through a metal fieldgate. In 30 metres, ignore the gate 20 metres directly ahead, and instead follow the footpath sign, to your right, up the hillside on a wide, grassy path, with the edge of the wood over to your left.
  20. In 225 metres (and 15 metres before the metal fieldgate ahead of you), drop down the bank to your left and go over a stile into the wood, your direction 25 degrees. In 35 metres exit the wood through a metal kissing gate to continue down a field with the edge of the wood on your left-hand side, your direction 60 degrees.
  21. In 140 metres pass through a field boundary and keep ahead. Stay close to the field edge and in a further 340 metres go through a metal kissing gate and come out on to an earth lane.
  22. Go left and then [!] immediately fork right, by a new Byway sign [5], along a byway (a car-wide earth lane), your direction 350 degrees. Stay on this byway, uphill, through the wood of beech and chestnut trees, ignoring all ways off. The path eventually levels out and passes through several muddy sections (passable by detouring into the wood on your left-hand side).
  23. In 680 metres you have a view out over the valley to your left. In a further 150 metres, you come to an open field on your right-hand side, with views now over to your right. In a further 160 metres ignore a stile on your right-hand side.
  24. In 20 metres go through a metal fieldgate ahead of you and keep straight on, your direction 345 degrees, between field fences. The path at first goes downhill, then uphill, and then downhill again, in 700 metres coming out into the car park of the Church of St Mary, Crundale, on your right.
  25. After visiting the church, leave the churchyard by its main gate, by the war memorial, and turn right on the tarmac lane, downhill, your direction 105 degrees.
  26. In 450 metres, at a T-junction [6], follow the sign to the Compasses Inn to the left, along a tarmac lane. In 600 metres, having climbed steeply for the last part, you come to a T-junction where you turn right, due east. In 250 metres this brings you on your left to the suggested lunch pub, the Compasses Inn.
  27. After lunch, turn right out of the pub. In 250 metres ignore the lane on your left which you came up before lunch. In 125 metres ignore the dirt road that forks to the right uphill.
  28. In 170 metres ignore a path to the right marked by a new Byway sign. But then in 40 metres [7], as the road swings to the right, follow the footpath sign [!] to fork left through a wooden swing gate to the left of a wooden fieldgate in a tractor-wide gap in the hedge, to go downhill on a path, half right across a field, your direction 235 degrees.
  29. In 150 metres, at the edge of this field, cross an old hedge line and a path crossing and continue straight on, now gently downhill, on a car-wide path, your direction 250 degrees.
  30. In 145 metres the car-wide path swings to the right [!] but you keep ahead on a narrow path uphill, between fields, your direction 240 degrees. In 230 metres the path leads you along the left-hand edge of a wood.
  31. In 80 metres, just before the field corner, turn right and cross a stile into the wood. In 10 metres, at a path junction, ignore the stile directly ahead of you, some 20 metres away, but instead bear left, downwards, through the wood, your direction 290 degrees.
  32. In 70 metres you come out on to a tarmac road where you go right. In 110 metres go sharp left on the driveway of Crundale House, your direction 175 degrees. In 10 metres fork left on a footpath by a public footpath concrete marker, your direction 120 degrees (the way has been overgrown at times in the past).
  33. In 25 metres go over a stile between two metal fieldgates and follow the path between hedges. In 85 metres ignore the wooden gate on your left-hand side, and keep ahead, now with a barbed wire topped post and wire fence on your left-hand side.
  34. In 160 metres, by a stile on your left-hand side, [!] go right, steeply down steps, your direction 280 degrees. In 15 metres go over a stile and across a field, your direction 250 degrees, aiming for a footpath post to the left of an industrial shed and stables.
  35. In 65 metres go through a metal fieldgate and over a concrete farm road, with stables on your right-hand side. In 10 metres go through a metal fieldgate (usually kept open) and keep straight on, your direction 260 degrees, with a field hedge and fence on your right-hand side.
  36. In 100 metres [!] you go over a stile on your right-hand side. In 5 metres drop down to a road, which you cross to continue straight on, uphill, on an earth road, your direction 240 degrees initially.
  37. In 35 metres, at the end of the wooden fence on your right-hand side, follow the yellow arrow to the right, your direction 320 degrees, on a clear grassy path, with the hedge and then the back garden of Crundale House on your right.
  38. At the end of the garden hedge, swing right with the fence for 50 metres, then bear left across the field ahead, following the line of telegraph poles, your direction 300 degrees. In 180 metres keep ahead through a field boundary, now with a wire fence on your right.
  39. In 90 metres, when the path reaches the garden hedge ahead of you, turn left with it, your direction 250 degrees, with the garden hedge on your right-hand side. In 100 metres, and 8 metres beyond the house, you go right through a wooden gate, your direction 335 degrees. In 25 metres go straight on, now on the driveway of Farnley Little Barn.
  40. In 40 metres you come to a tarmac road where you go left, uphill, your direction 255 degrees. In 120 metres [8] take the signposted footpath left. In 15 metres, ignore footpaths off to the left, and follow the rightmost fork up into the wood, your direction 260 degrees (not the Stour Valley middle fork).
  41. Keep ahead as the path winds its way uphill, and in 125 metres you come to a crossing with an earth car-wide track, where you turn right, your direction 300 degrees. In 45 metres you come out on to a tarmac road, which you cross, to go through a wooden kissing gate, then turn left, your direction now 210 degrees, with the field fence on your left-hand side.
  42. In 150 metres you bear slightly to the right, to make for the bottom, far right-hand corner of the field. There you go over a stile and across a field, slightly to the left, aiming for a footpath post on its far side, your direction 275 degrees.
  43. In 160 metres you enter a wood. In a further 20 metres you come to an earth track, where you go left, due south. In 40 metres you leave the wood and go half right across a vast field, your direction 230 degrees.
  44. In 340 metres, you cross a stile by a footpath sign (if overgrown, go through the gate 40 metres to its left) and come out on to a car road, where you go right, your direction 300 degrees.
  45. In 280 metres you pass Ripple Farm Organics on your left-hand side and Little Olantigh Farm on your right. In 20 metres [9] ignore a fork left to Brook and turn right, signposted Wye.
  46. In 300 metres you come to a T-junction where you go right, signposted Crundale (to shorten the walk, turn left here and walk along the road for 2 km into the centre of Wye).
  47. In 30 metres [!] turn left through a metal kissing gate to the left of a wooden swing gate, on a signposted footpath, your direction 320 degrees, downhill, and head towards the footbridge ahead. The chapel and manor of Olantigh (as marked on the OS map) are visible, away on your left-hand side.
  48. In 215 metres you cross the River Stour on the steel footbridge with wooden gates at both ends. On the far side, turn half right, your direction 300 degrees, across a field. In 125 metres you pass through a metal fieldgate into the next field. Keep ahead, your direction now 310 degrees.
  49. In 200 metres you pass Finches House on your left-hand side. In a further 25 metres you go through a wooden swing gate to cross the railway line. On its other side go through a wooden kissing gate and keep ahead along an access drive. In 120 metres you come to a T-junction by Home Farm House, where you go left, your direction 260 degrees, gently uphill.
  50. In 200 metres (and 30 metres before a phone box on the far side of the A28 road) [10] go left on an earth car road, your direction 200 degrees. In 40 metres you come out into a field to go straight across it, your direction 205 degrees.
  51. In 250 metres, at the left-hand corner of a wood, go over a stile to continue on your previous direction (205 degrees), now with a fence and the wood on your right-hand side.
  52. The field boundary swings left and in 255 metres [!] you turn tight over a stile. Follow the yellow arrow and continue onwards, slightly right, your direction 220 degrees across a vast field.
  53. In 385 metres cross a stream on a plank bridge, some 15 metres to the right of a hedge corner, and then fork left, due south. In 90 metres go through a gap in the hedge and onwards across another field, your direction 140 degrees.
  54. In 215 metres go through a field boundary to cross the river and its tributary on two, two-plank bridges. On the far side, turn right along the riverbank on an often overgrown path, your direction 165 degrees.
  55. In 120 metres go over a stile and cross the railway line, then another stile and over a concrete bridge with metal railings over the River Stour. On the other side of the bridge, turn right with the path, your initial direction 160 degrees, as the path soon swings to the left.
  56. In 60 metres take the path to the right of a redundant gate, with a ditch to your left, your direction 150 degrees. In 300 metres you cross a drain on a concrete, tractor-wide platform, to go through a metal fieldgate. Keep ahead, following a yellow arrow, your direction 170 degrees, towards a house, keeping close to the left-hand field fence.
  57. In 160 metres [11] you pass the side of the house over to your left and keep ahead, aiming for the left-hand corner of the field. In 50 metres go through a wooden swing gate in the field corner and go slightly left along a tarmac lane, your direction 155 degrees.
  58. In 45 metres ignore a path off to the right (though a wooden swing gate). In 35 metres go over a cattle grid. In a further 60 metres, turn right through a wooden swing gate to go along a path, with a hedge on your left-hand side and a fence on your right, your direction 220 degrees.
  59. In 150 metres you come into the churchyard of the Church of St Gregory and St Martin in Wye.
  60. For tea at Crown Coffee, or a drink at the Kings Head pub, cross over the road and walk ahead down Church Street. The pub is 60 metres on the right-hand side and the café another 70 metres down the road, on your right, at the junction with Upper Bridge Street.
  61. For the railway station and or refreshments at the Tickled Trout pub: coming out of the churchyard, turn right on the main road (High Street). This soon becomes Churchfield Way and in 400 metres you pass Abbots Walk on your right. Now retrace your steps at the beginning of the walk, to pass the Tickled Trout pub on your right.
  62. Cross back over the bridge over the River Stour to Wye Station. The platform for trains to Ashford and London is on your near side.