Chilham Circular walk

This delightful 9.7 miler on the Kentish Downs incorporates a variety of scenery and provided welcome respite from muddier, lower level walks recently, though the brown stuff wasn't completely absent today.

Shortly after leaving the station and crossing over The Stour, there's a steady ascent across fields and then along field margins, flitting between The Stour Valley Walk and other paths.

There's a nice section of woodland walking in Eggringe Wood, one of the muddier sections of the walk, before descending for a possible lunch break at the Sole Street hostelry, which was closed today. This walker chose to refuel with some delightful views across the Crundale Downs.

Refreshed, there's another section of woodland walking prior to a descent into Eggarton, and so on to Godmersham Park, the former home of Jane Austen's brother, Edward.

The finale is a walk across fields and then along a quiet B road into the pretty village of Chilham, with its Tudor buildings and stately home.

(The tit seen just prior to lunch is believed to be a Marsh, and not a Willow, though they are difficult to separate).