Walk 78 : Cowden to Hever

A contrast between a remote part of the Weald and three attractive and popular Kent villages

Length	Main Walk: 16¼ km (10.1 miles). Four hours walking time. For the whole excursion including trains, sights and meals, allow at least 8 hours 30 minutes. Long Circular Walk: 19½ km (12.1 miles). Four hours 50 minutes walking time. Short Circular Walk: 12½ km (7.8 miles). Three hours 10 minutes walking time. A Hever Castle walk: 10¼ km (6.4 miles). Two hours 30 minutes walking time, plus time for visit. A Chiddingstone Castle walk: 9½ km (5.9 miles). Two hours 20 minutes walking time, plus time for visit. Return from Penshurst Station. A Penshurst Place walk: 10¾ km (6.7 miles). Two hours 40 minutes walking time, plus time for visit. Return from Leigh Station.
OS Maps	Explorer 147. Cowden Station, map reference TQ476417, is in Kent, 6 km SE of Edenbridge.
Streetmaps
Toughness	4 out of 10 (5 out of 10 for the Long Circular Walk, 3 out of 10 for the ‘house visit’ walks).
Features	This walk starts from a lonely station and wends its way through remote valleys, woods and tiny settlements in the undulating landscape of the Weald. It then descends into the Eden Valley for a couple of refreshment stops in the beautiful villages of Penshurst and Chiddingstone, before ending in Hever. A longer variation lets you complete a circuit back to Cowden, or you could choose to avoid most of the tourist coaches with the short circular walk. All of the three main villages have interesting churches which are worth visiting, as well as popular castles or manor houses open to the public – but check their websites carefully for opening dates, times and admission prices. Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, was restored in the early 20thC by William Waldorf Astor and features some spectacular gardens. Chiddingstone Castle is a castellated manor house with an unusual collection of art and curiosities left behind by its recent owner, Denys Eyre Bower. Penshurst Place is a large, well-preserved medieval manor house with an attractive formal garden, the home of the Sidney family since the 16thC. Three walk options have been devised to let you visit any of these places towards the end of a short walk. The second half of the Main Walk will be familiar to anyone who knows Book 1 Walk 19 (Hever to Leigh), but the lunch and tea stops are in different locations and the only significant overlap is the section from Chiddingstone to Hever (which is done here in the reverse direction).
Shortening the Walk	If you want to finish the walk at any of the three main villages on this walk, you can find directions in the text to the nearest station (although all are some distance away). A short cut bypassing Chiddingstone village is fully described in the text, although this misses out one of the more attractive features of the walk and is not recommended. A few minor short cuts are also described in less detail. Except on Sundays, you can get an Arriva 231 or 233 bus about once an hour from Penshurst, going to Edenbridge or (in the other direction) to Tunbridge Wells. Other bus services in the area are very infrequent. For bus information, see TraveLine or call 0871-200 2233.
Transport	There is an hourly service from London Bridge to Cowden on the Uckfield line, taking 45 minutes. On Sundays there is no direct service; you will need to travel from Victoria or London Bridge and change at East Croydon and/or Oxted, with a longer journey time. A return ticket to Cowden is also valid from Hever, which is one stop up the line. Returning from either Penshurst or Leigh is less straightforward because these two stations are on the Redhill–Tonbridge line. There is no simple connection between the two lines and you may not be able to get a return ticket which is valid for both Cowden and Penshurst or Leigh. If driving, Cowden Station has a small free car park. If you finish in Hever, there are hourly trains back to Cowden. If you plan to finish in Penshurst or Leigh, however, the simplest option is to park somewhere in Edenbridge, travel out from Edenbridge Town and return to the other Edenbridge station.
Saturday Walkers Club	Take the train nearest to 10.00 from London Bridge to Cowden. If you are doing one of the shorter options and intend to have an early lunch stop in Hoath Corner, leave an hour later.
Train Times
Lunch	The suggested place to stop for lunch is Penshurst, 7 km into the Main Walk. You can choose between the Leicester Arms Hotel (01892-870551), which serves à la carte and bar meals all day, and the nearby Quaintways tearoom (01892-870272), which serves light meals and sandwiches (but is normally closed on Mondays). An earlier lunch stop is possible at the small Rock Inn (01892-870296) in Hoath Corner, and there are many pubs further along the walk route: the Castle Inn (01892-870247) in Chiddingstone, the King Henry VIII (01732-862457) in Hever, the Greyhound (01732-862221) in Newtown and the Kentish Horse (01342-850493) in Mark Beech. As you might expect, the pubs away from the main tourist villages are better value.
Tea	The popularity of Hever, Chiddingstone and Penshurst ensures a good choice of tea places on this walk. On days when it is open, the Victorian Tearoom in the grounds of Chiddingstone Castle is particularly good, but in 2010 the owners introduced a £1 charge for entrance to the castle grounds; previously there was free access to the shop and tearoom. There is another tearoom in Chiddingstone village, and the pubs in Chiddingstone, Hever and Mark Beech are all normally open during the afternoon.

Travel by Train	Out: Back:
Travel by Car	Start: Cowden Station is near : TN8 7DS [gmap] Finish: Hever Station is near : TN8 7ER [gmap] Return to your car by train: (park at the start) at 4pm (park at the end) at 10am
OS Explorer Map	147 : Sevenoaks & Tonbridge [Amazon]
Other The Weald (Kent) Walks	Balcombe (round walk), Balcombe to East Grinstead, Crowhurst to Battle, Wadhurst Circular, Stonegate Circular, Robertsbridge Circular, Pluckley Circular, Cowden to Eridge, Wadhurst via Bewl Water Circular, Frant to Tunbridge Wells, Balcombe Circular via Ardingly Reservoir, Forest Row Circular, Forest Row to Sheffield Park, Ashdown Forest and Medway Valley, Battle Circular, East Grinstead Circular,

Walking Instructions 

Walk Options

Click on any option to show the sections making up that route, or the heading above to show all sections.

Main Walk (16¼ km)

Long Circular Walk (19½ km)

Short Circular Walk, omitting Penshurst and Chiddingstone (12½ km)

A Hever Castle walk, returning from Hever (10¼ km)

A Chiddingstone Castle walk, returning from Penshurst (9½ km)

A Penshurst Place walk, returning from Leigh (10¾ km)

Walk Directions

Click on any section heading to switch between detailed directions and an outline, or the heading above to do the same for all sections.

Cowden Station to Hoath Corner (3½ km)

From the station, take the minor road up Blowers Hill and turn right to go past Rickwoods Farm. Take a footpath on the left and then turn right at a path crossing to go through a long valley to Birchcope Shaw. Turn left here to head north, later skirting the hamlet of Chiddingstone Hoath to reach Hoath Corner.

Turn right out of the station and take the left-hand of two ways out to a minor road. Turn left and go up this road for 100m, then turn right into Wickens Lane, signposted as a public footpath.

Continue along this lane for 400m, passing the entrances to Rickwoods House and then Rickwoods Farm. Shortly after the lane has curved to the left, turn left at a footpath sign to go up a track leading to an isolated house. As you reach its front garden, cross a stile on the right and continue across a field to the right of the house, aiming for a gap in the hedge ahead.

Cross a stile here into a large field and turn right. There is no path on the ground and the footpath sign appears to be pointing at a fieldgate in a gap in the trees 200m away. However, the continuation of the route is actually a stile into the wood 100m to its left. So, some way before reaching the fieldgate, veer left downhill into a long curving valley to find the stile on your right. Go over this stile into the wood and along a path which runs close to the valley.

The woodland path ends at another stile and you rejoin the valley for a further 500m, heading E. The next turning is also easy to miss. About 100m before the valley noticeably narrows, there is a stile on your left (near an isolated oak tree), with just an unobtrusive footpath marker on a post on the right-hand side of the valley. Go over this stile into the wood.

Follow the path down a slope, across wooden planks and a footbridge, then up the other side. 40m from the bridge, ignore a path on the left and stay on the main path as it climbs through the trees, heading N. As it levels out, keep ahead where a wider path joins from the right.

The path ends at a stile leading into a field and you continue in the same direction near its right-hand edge. Near the top right-hand corner of the field, cross a stile a little way to the left of a metal fieldgate and continue on a narrow path at the edge of a small wood. You soon emerge into another field; follow the path round to the left and continue N along its right-hand edge.

In the far right-hand corner go up to a stile in the hedge and carefully cross a minor road to continue on the footpath opposite. This leads up through some trees, with a driveway on the right. 75m from the road, as the path bends to the right, bear left to go up to a large field on a plateau. Continue to head N on a footpath through the middle of the field for 300m. At a track junction turn right to reach a road.

Turn left onto the road, taking care as there is no pavement. Follow it downhill into a dark cutting between rocks and tree roots. As you emerge from the cutting there is an impressive sandstone rock formation on the left and a few houses on the right; up ahead there is a road junction with a lane off to the left.

If you are doing the Short Circular Walk, or visiting one of the castles, go to §6.

Hoath Corner to Salmans Manor (1¾ km)

Take a footpath heading south-east round the edge of Puckden Wood to Oakenden Farm. Continue on the footpath heading east to reach Salmans Manor (shown as Salmans Farm on older OS maps; the path has been diverted from the route shown there).

If you want to visit the Rock Inn¹, follow the road round to the right; the pub is just past the junction. Return the same way and bear left onto a driveway alongside the houses.

To continue the walk without visiting the pub, turn sharp right off the road before the junction, at a public footpath sign. Go along a driveway in front of the houses, past the entrance to Puckden and onto a wide grassy path going downhill between fences, heading SE. At the bottom, follow the path as it veers left and then right into some trees. Soon after, fork right at a path junction to climb through the wood and out over a stile into a field.

Head E across the field on a grassy path, aiming for the far end of a line of trees on your right. Cross a stile here and turn right down the right-hand field edge (soon with a distant view of Penshurst Place in the valley away to your left). Leave the field via a stile in the bottom corner to come out onto a track opposite Oakenden Farm.

Turn left onto the track, which ends at a wooden garage. Continue on the path to its right, which soon comes to a stile leading into an attractive large field, dotted with trees. Follow a wide grassy path near its left-hand edge for about 300m, gradually descending. The path comes to a stile which you cross to continue through a wood. In about 100m the path curves round to the right.

A narrow path continuing ahead here appears to be an alternative route – the landowner may be attempting to divert the official footpath, as has already happened a little further on. If you do continue ahead (with a wire fence on your left), you come in about 200m to a hand-drawn “Footpath” sign pointing to the right. This takes you out into a field beyond the vineyard which you go past on the official route; turn left and continue the directions at [•] below.

For the official route, follow the path round to the right, which in 15m comes to a path junction marked with a low wooden post. Turn left here to cross a small ditch and continue through the trees to a stile. Go over this and keep ahead along the edge of a vineyard. Soon after passing this, there is a gap in the trees on the left where the alternative path emerges.

[•] Just after this, go through a metal kissing gate on the left into a small fenced-off field and leave it through a similar gate in the far corner. Bear left on the other side and go through a wooden kissing gate into a field. Turn right and go along its right-hand edge, later downhill. Near the bottom corner, go through a kissing gate and down a small flight of steps. Turn right onto a track and follow it between tall hedges, then through a gate to join a tarmac lane at a bend by the buildings of Salmans Manor².

The walk route bears right here, but a small detour along the lane to the left will give you a fine view of a particularly attractive oast house conversion on the right, and a large mill pond on the left.

Salmans Manor to Penshurst (1¾ km)

Take the path heading north-east from Harden Cottage, across the River Eden to the Warren. Continue on a track towards Penshurst, then on the B2188 into the village.

With the converted oast house on your left, follow the tarmac lane briefly as it curves round to the left, but where there is a “Private Road” sign ahead, turn right onto a wide track with a bridleway marker, heading SE. Where this comes to a tall hedge, turn left through a metal kissing gate onto a narrow fenced path. Follow this around two edges of a large field and through another kissing gate onto an enclosed path, which leads to a footbridge over the River Eden³.

On the other side turn half-right and go across a patch of grass. Do not go through a wide gap into a field with a brick pillbox, but cross a stile to its right and go up the left-hand edge of another large field, which in 300m leads onto a concrete lane by some houses. Now simply follow this lane for 600m until it comes out onto the B2188 by a school on the outskirts of Penshurst.

Turn left and follow the road into the village, coming to a junction with the B2176 in 200m. Quaintways tearoom, a possible lunch stop, is on the right here, while the Leicester Arms Hotel is just up ahead on the right.

If you are doing the Penshurst Place walk, or want to detour off the Main Walk to visit the house, follow the instructions below.

Extension to Penshurst Place (+500m)

Continue on the B2176 past the Leicester Arms. Where the road bends sharply right, keep ahead through the stone and brick archway and go alongside the access road to the house (later with a glimpse of the gardens through a locked gate in the high brick wall on your left). At the end of the wall, turn left as indicated towards the House Entrance on the far side of the car park. After visiting the house and gardens, return to this entrance building.

If you are doing the Penshurst Place walk, go to §12 for directions to Leigh Station.
If you were just making a detour from the Main Walk, return the same way to the B2176 and turn right up the steps leading to St John the Baptist Church to resume the walk.

Penshurst to Hill Hoath (3½ km)

Go through Leicester Square into the churchyard and follow the Eden Valley Walk past the west front of Penshurst Place and back across the B2176. Turn back towards the village for a short distance, then turn right onto the old coach road to Wat Stock. Continue across a minor road and northwards through a wood towards Hill Hoath.

You can save about 300m by heading north-west out of the village on the B2176, but the recommended route is much more attractive. If you do take this short cut, turn left into the lane to Salmans Farm after 200m and resume the directions at [•] below.

Turn right out of Quaintways or the Leicester Arms to head NE on the B2176. Before the road bends sharply right, turn left up some steps to go past some picturesque cottages in Leicester Square⁴. Go under an archway into the churchyard of St John the Baptist Church⁵ and bear left to go past its entrance.

Continue round the left-hand side of the church and leave the churchyard through a metal kissing gate, with a fine view of Penshurst Place behind the hedge-topped stone wall on your right. Bear slightly left away from this wall, heading NW across the grass towards a metal kissing gate 200m away, leading out onto the B2176. Turn sharp left onto the road and go back towards Penshurst for 125m. Just after a 30mph road sign, turn right down the lane to Salmans Farm, signposted as a public bridleway.

[•] Continue along the lane⁶, in 500m crossing the River Eden. Soon afterwards, fork right up a track, with a huge array of polytunnels in the fields on your left. Continue on the main track for 1½ km, soon with fine views over the Eden Valley on your right. At Wat Stock, keep ahead through some ruined farm buildings, following the track as it bends to the right past a pond.

Soon afterwards, take the opportunity to look back at the other side of the large barn⁷ which you passed at Wat Stock.

150m after the right-hand bend, turn right off the track to go through a gate into a field. Head diagonally across the field on a grassy path and leave it through another gate to come out onto a minor road. Turn right and go along it for a short distance, then cross a stile on the left to go onto a wide path through a wood.

Continue along this attractive woodland path for 400m, where it leaves the wood through a kissing gate. In a further 50m, the path forks and you have a choice of routes.

If you want to bypass the attractive Chiddingstone village, shortening the walk by about 1½ km, follow the directions below.

To bypass Chiddingstone Village (+600m)

For the short cut, keep ahead at the path junction. In 200m bear left onto a track which leads through Hill Hoath Farm. At a T-junction by some cottages, bear right onto a track which soon meets the lane coming up from Chiddingstone. Turn left here, passing an attractive old cottage.

Where the lane ends, keep ahead on a track (the waymarked route of the bridleway, a narrow path to its right, appears to have been abandoned). Veer to the right of a metal fieldgate to go onto an earth track, passing a stile on your left.

Continue the directions at §7.

Through Chiddingstone Village (2 km)

To go through Chiddingstone, fork right before reaching Hill Hoath onto a footpath heading north across fields to the village. Turn left onto its main street to reach the Castle Inn. If Chiddingstone Castle is open, go through its grounds to the lane on the far side; otherwise, stay on the road and turn left at the crossroads. Follow this lane south to Hill Hoath.

To visit Chiddingstone village, fork right at the path junction, as indicated by a sign on a tree to your right. In 200m another path joins from the left and there is a stile in the hedge on your right. Go over this and immediately turn left onto a wide path curving gently uphill (not the wide path heading E across the field).

On the far side of the field continue on a path between hedges. This leads down to Chiddingstone's main street⁸, where you turn left. If you wish, you can make a short detour to see the Chiding Stone⁹.

Detour to the Chiding Stone and back (+300m)

30m along the road, turn left down a signposted path to the Chiding Stone, where there is an information panel. The path to it is a dead end and you will have to return to this point.

Continue W along the village street, passing the Village Stores and its tearoom on your left and St Mary's Church¹⁰ on your right. Just before the road turns to the right, you come to the Castle Inn on your left. There is a pedestrian entrance to Chiddingstone Castle in the wall ahead, although there is a £1 charge for entrance to the castle grounds and tearoom.

If Chiddingstone Castle is closed, or you prefer not to enter the grounds, you can skirt around them by continuing on the road, a slightly longer route. At a crossroads after 500m, turn left onto a lane. This soon passes the main entrance to the castle, which is the exit on the main route. Continue the directions at [•] below.

If the castle is open, go through the gate and follow the path as it curves round and crosses an arm of the lake on a footbridge. The entrance to the house and its collections is up ahead; for the tearoom, turn left and go round to the back of the house to find the entrance in the far corner. You can also wander around the grounds (which are not very large), including some pleasant woodland paths beyond the lawn.

Afterwards, return to the front of the house. With the house behind you, turn left and follow the driveway as it curves round to the right past a vehicle barrier. The driveway leads to a lane, where you turn sharp left, almost doubling back.

There are some more convenient exits from the castle grounds which come out onto this lane (where you would turn left) closer to Hill Hoath. They appear to be for the use of residents only, but you could try asking for permission to use them.

[•] Stay on the lane as it heads S for 650m, passing the other exits from the castle grounds. At the hamlet of Hill Hoath, follow the lane round to the right at a junction, passing an attractive old cottage.

Where the lane ends, keep ahead on a track (the waymarked route of the bridleway, a narrow path to its right, appears to have been abandoned). Veer to the right of a metal fieldgate to go onto an earth track, passing a stile on your left.

Continue the directions at §7.

Hoath Corner to Hill Hoath (2 km)

From Hoath Corner, take the lane heading west for a short distance and turn right onto a footpath which goes through Trugger's Gill to Stock Wood. Turn right at a path junction and follow this footpath through woods and fields to reach Hill Hoath.

Go up to the road junction. The continuation of the walk route is the lane down to the left, but if you want an early lunch stop, follow the main road to find the Rock Inn¹ just around the corner on the right.

After visiting the pub, return to the road junction and take the lane heading W, towards Markbeech. In 150m, turn right at a footpath sign to go down a path between fences. After passing some gardens and crossing a stream the path continues along the right-hand edge of two fields, heading NW.

Just before the far corner the path veers right and goes down into a small wooded glen, then back up into another field. At first, follow the right-hand field edge; where the trees end, bear right across the field to find a path on the far side leading into another wood.

200m into this wood, you come to a T-junction with footpath markers where you turn right. Follow this potentially muddy path as it bends left to head NE again. Pass to the right of a horse jump and continue on a path between hedges, now with fields on both sides.

At a path crossing with more horse jumps, go over a stile on the right. Continue in much the same direction on a well-trodden path, with views of the North Downs ahead. Eventually the path comes to a metal fieldgate and you go over a stile on its right.

If you are doing the Chiddingstone Castle walk, or want to detour off the Short Circular Walk to visit this house or Chiddingstone village, follow the instructions below.

Extension to Chiddingstone Castle (+1 km)

To head for Chiddingstone, veer right down a small patch of grass to cross another stile. Turn right onto an earth track (the Eden Valley Walk), which leads into a short lane past some houses and an attractive old cottage. At a T-junction, turn left and follow this quiet country lane N. In 450m you pass Cherry Orchard Cottage on your right-hand side, next to the castle walls, but the official entrance to the house is a further 200m along the lane. When you reach this, turn sharp right to go up its driveway. There is a £1 charge for pedestrian entrance to the grounds. If you just want to visit its tearoom, you need to go all the way round to the back of the house. After your visit, return to the front of the house.

If you are doing the Chiddingstone Castle walk, go to §11 for directions through the village and on to Penshurst Station.
If you were just making a detour and want to continue to Hever, the simplest option is to return the same way to Hill Hoath and make your way back onto the Eden Valley Walk. Alternatively, you could follow the route taken by Book 1 Walk 19 and loop round through the village, later turning right to go back through Hill Hoath Farm. Either way, continue the directions at §7.

If you are continuing directly to Hever without visiting Chiddingstone, then strictly speaking you should go down to the stile on the right and turn sharp left onto the Eden Valley Walk, almost doubling back, but it is simpler just to go straight ahead through the gap used by horses and turn left onto this earth track.

Hill Hoath to Hever (2¼ km)

From Hill Hoath, follow the Eden Valley Walk westwards to reach Hever.

This section follows the route of Book 1 Walk 19 in reverse.

Head W on the earth track, which soon goes up a small rise and through a sandstone rock cutting. After descending, the path goes alongside a field for a short distance. Just before the end of the field, fork right at a path junction. Stay on this path, ignoring several wide grassy paths laid out with horse jumps. The path continues down a flight of steps and across a stream, then zig-zags right and left between fences to reach a lane.

Cross over and continue on a similar path opposite, which later goes past a cottage and comes out onto a private road at a junction. Veer right, crossing this road, then turn left to go through a gap onto a grassy path running alongside it, initially SW and later bending right to head NW. Stay on the path as it goes into some trees and later crosses the road on a wooden footbridge. Shortly afterwards the path bends left to go alongside the grounds of Hever Castle (which is hidden behind trees). Eventually the path crosses a stream and goes up a slope to enter the churchyard of St Peter's Church¹¹. Go past the church and out through its lychgate to Hever Road, with the King Henry VIII pub opposite.

If you are doing the Hever Castle walk, or want to make a detour to visit the castle, follow the instructions below.

Extension to Hever Castle and back (+1 km)

Turn right onto the road. Just past the churchyard, bear right to go through a gateway to the entrance kiosks. The moated castle and its formal gardens are some 400m further on. After visiting the castle, return to the road by the King Henry VIII pub.

If you are doing a Circular Walk back to Cowden Station, continue the directions at §9.

Hever to Hever Station (1½ km)

Continue to follow the Eden Valley Walk, initially along a road and then south-west on a track. At a T-junction, keep ahead on a lane. After crossing the railway bridge, turn right into a driveway; this leads onto a path which drops down to Hever Station.

Stay on Hever Road as it turns sharp right by the pub, and follow it for 450m to a T-junction. Turn right, then in 50m go over a stile on the left onto an enclosed path, signposted as the Eden Valley Walk. Follow this path for 500m to come out onto a minor road at a junction.

You could turn right to Hever Station, as indicated by the road sign, but the suggested route is to keep ahead on the road towards Cowden. Go over the railway bridge (with the station visible on your right), then in 40m turn right into a driveway, still following the Eden Valley Walk. Keep to the right past the entrance to several houses. As you approach the station, fork right onto a path leading down to the platform, which is the one for trains to London.

Hever to Mark Beech (3 km)

Take the footpath opposite the pub, heading south. Go across a lane and continue on the footpath opposite, but turn right before Meechlands Farm onto a footpath leading to the Greyhound pub. Head north along the road for a short distance, then turn sharp left onto a footpath which goes under the railway and through Oak Wood to Bramsell's Farm. Turn left onto a road to reach Mark Beech.

On the bend in Hever Road by the King Henry VIII pub, take the driveway heading S, signposted as a footpath. After passing Hever Primary School, keep ahead on a path, which leads to a minor road at a bend. Bear left onto the road for 50m, then veer right up the continuation of the footpath, through a kissing gate into a large field.

Continue to head S, keeping fairly close to the left-hand edge of the field. The shortest route is to go through the trees ahead near the corner of the field, but the path here can be awkward and you could veer a little way to the right where there is a gap. In the next field, aim for the left-hand end of the hedge opposite, where it meets some trees. Go over the first of two stiles here and turn right onto a narrow path between the hedge and a wire fence.

Follow the path for 300m, where it leads into the beer garden of the Greyhound pub (which is usually closed in the afternoon). Turn right onto Uckfield Lane, then in 125m turn sharp left onto an enclosed footpath, to the left of a house called Wedgwood.

In 350m the path goes under a high brick railway bridge and bends left on the other side. Follow the path S through Oak Wood for 750m, climbing gently. After going alongside a more open area on your left for about 125m, and where the main path veers down to the right, fork left onto a narrow path. This goes between fields and later farm buildings before coming out onto a minor road.

Turn left and follow the road E for 350m into Mark Beech¹². Just after passing a church on your right you come to a road junction; on your right is the Kentish Horse pub (the last refreshment stop before Cowden Station).

Mark Beech to Cowden Station (1¾ km)

From the pub in the centre of the village, go through the churchyard onto a footpath heading south-west. Go down through some fields, then bear left to go through a strip of woodland. Head south-east, taking a path which later runs parallel to the railway. This goes past Cowden Station and up to a road; go under the railway bridge and turn left for the station entrance.

Go a little way down the driveway leading to the pub's car park and turn right into the churchyard of Holy Trinity Church, which you passed earlier. Go past the church and keep ahead on a faint grassy path leading to a stile in the hedge opposite. On the other side, cross over a track and turn half-left to head SW across a large field, aiming for a wide gap to the left of the trees 125m away.

Through this gap, veer left to go gently downhill alongside a line of trees. In 250m go over a stile in the hedge on the left into the adjacent field and continue in your previous direction on the other side of the hedge. In the bottom corner of the field cross a stile and continue on a path through a wood.

The path gradually curves round to the left, passing an unusual old cottage in a clearing on the right. Shortly afterwards, keep left at a path junction by a large beech tree, now heading SE. Later, ignore a path on the right leading down to a footbridge over a stream.

At the next path junction, with a post containing two footpath markers, fork right. Continue on this path for 400m, now with the railway (which has emerged from a tunnel) in a cutting on your left. After passing Cowden Station, the path veers up to the left and you go over a stile to reach a road. Go under the railway bridge and turn left for the station.

The railway here is single track, so take care to catch a train heading in the right direction. As you go through the entrance hall onto the platform, trains to London are going from left to right.

Chiddingstone Castle to Penshurst Station (3 km)

Head east along the main street to Larkin's Farm and continue in the same direction across the brow of Hampkin's Hill. Turn left in front of Vexour, initially along a field edge and then through trees to join the farm drive down to Vexour Bridge. On the other side, take the right-hand of two footpaths, heading north-east, then fork left to head north across several fields. Go ahead at one path crossing, then turn right at a path T-junction. Follow this footpath to Penshurst Station (which is actually in the hamlet of Chiddingstone Causeway).

After visiting the castle grounds, return to the front of the house and turn right along a wide path, heading E. This leads to a bridge over the lake and then curves round to the left, leaving the grounds through a gate by the Castle Inn.

Head E along the road, passing some attractive buildings⁸ on your right, including the Village Stores and its tearoom. Opposite them is St Mary's Church¹⁰, and up ahead you could make a short detour to see the Chiding Stone⁹.

Detour to the Chiding Stone and back (+300m)

125m from the Castle Inn, turn right down a signposted path to the Chiding Stone, where there is an information panel. The path to it is a dead end and you will have to return to this point.

Continue along the road for a further 500m, climbing gently and eventually reaching a road junction in front of Triangle Oast.

If you are in a hurry you could take the left fork and stay on this road to Vexour Bridge (continuing the directions at [•] below), but the recommended route has some attractive views and is only 100m longer.

For the main route, take the right fork and then turn left off the road just past the junction, at a footpath signpost. This leads to a path heading E across Hampkin's Hill, with fine views on both sides¹³. At the far end of the field, turn left along its edge and follow it down to the corner of the field, where you bear right down a narrow path into the trees. This soon comes out onto a tarmac driveway; turn left and follow this down to rejoin the minor road you left at Triangle Oast.

[•] Cross over the River Eden on the attractive Vexour Bridge. On the other side, bear right and cross a stile to the left of a metal fieldgate. There are two faint grassy paths heading across the field; take the right-hand path heading NE. This skirts past a loop of the river and comes to a fieldgate in the far corner of the field. Go through this and across a footbridge into the next field. Aim for a stile in a line of trees on the far side, 150m away. Cross over this and continue along the field edge, with a wire fence on your left.

In 200m ignore a stile on the left and keep ahead through a gap in the trees into the next field. The path curves gradually round to the left and in another 200m comes to a stile in a wire fence. Cross this and turn right on the other side to head E along the field edge. Cross another stile and keep ahead for a short distance, now with a wood on your right.

The path leads into a large field where you turn left. Follow the field edge for 150m and then turn right to head E across the field towards a wooden post, with a mobile phone mast ahead on your left.

This was the path in use when checked, although the OS map shows the right of way as cutting diagonally across the field towards the wooden post.

Continue along the left-hand edge of the next field. In the corner, go out via a stile to the right of a wooden gate into a small car parking area in front of Penshurst Station. The platform on the near side is for trains to London via Redhill, but you can also return to London in the other direction, changing at Tonbridge for a fast service via Sevenoaks.

If you want some refreshment before the journey back, cross the footbridge and go out to the B2027. The Little Brown Jug is on the other side of the road.

Penshurst Place to Leigh Station (3¼ km)

Take the Eden Valley Walk on a track heading north-east towards Well Place Farm. Before reaching the farm, follow the footpath up a field to the left. At the top, turn left to head north on a long straight track. Stay on this branch of the Eden Valley Walk as it turns right along a tree-lined avenue and eventually out to a minor road. Turn left and follow the road down to a bridge under the railway. Go up one of two tarmac paths on the right to Leigh Station.

After visiting the house and gardens, exit along the left-hand side of the car park. Where the cars turn right towards the village (the way you came in), turn left onto the private road to Well Place, signposted as a public footpath. Continue along this road for 500m, passing a lake on your left.

Just before the road starts to ascend, turn left through a squeeze gate into a field. Go along the field edge parallel to the road, then through another squeeze gate. Follow a wide grassy path diagonally up the next field, heading NE.

At the top of the field, do not go out onto a track, but instead bear left in front of the gate onto a grassy path along the top field edge (with a fine view of Penshurst Place away to your left). Continue in this direction for just under 1 km, sometimes along tree-lined avenues, at other times along the right-hand edge of large fields. At the end of the last field, keep right and join a wide grassy path heading NE.

For the final 1½ km you now follow (in reverse) the start of Book 1 Walk 15, Leigh to Tunbridge Wells.

Continue in this direction for 1 km, initially along more tree-lined avenues and then turning slightly left across a field. On the other side of the field keep ahead on a wide track leading down to a road and turn left onto it. In 250m you come to a bridge under the railway, with two tarmac paths (one on each side of the bridge) leading up to the platforms of Leigh station. Platform 1 (on this side) is for trains to London via Redhill, but you can also return to London from Platform 2, changing at Tonbridge for a fast service via Sevenoaks.

Note that there is no footbridge linking the two platforms. As the Redhill–Tonbridge service is only hourly, check the timetable displayed here before deciding which platform to head for.
If you want some refreshment before the journey back, the Fleur-de-lis pub is about 250m further along the road, at the junction with the B2027.

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» Last updated: February 22, 2010