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Eynsford Circular via Farningham walk

Ancient woodlands, low hills and riverside paths in the Darent valley.

Circular Kent

History

This is a list of previous times this walk has been done by the club (since Jan 2010). For more recent events (since April 2015), full details are shown.

Date Option Post # Weather
Sun, 28-Jan-24 a Sunday Walk – Eynsford Circular, via Farningham 13 sunny
Sean
Extra Walk 419a – Eynsford Circular, via Farningham (Short Walk 1)

Length: 14 km (8.7 miles). Toughness: 3/10

10:13 Sevenoaks train from Blackfriars, calling at almost every station in south London and arriving Eynsford at 11:06. Buy a return to Eynsford (from St Mary Cray if you've also got a Zones 1-6 Travelcard; from Swanley if you've got a Freedom Pass).

If it's more convenient you can take the 10:12 Rochester train from Victoria and change onto the Sevenoaks train at Bromley South or Swanley, but there's a 15-minute wait so it's no quicker.

Trains back from Eynsford to Blackfriars are half-hourly at xx:11 & xx:41. Change at Bromley South if you want to return to Victoria.

Cattle Screen This is notionally a ‘new’ walk in the Darent valley, but regulars will soon twig that it's a reworking of parts of the Farningham Road to Eynsford walk. It has rather too many tarmac stretches on the return leg but that might be no bad thing in winter. I'm also proposing the option which omits the potentially muddy woods in Lullingstone Park. Towards the end the walk goes through Eynsford village (bypassed on other SWC walks) where you might be able to explore the ruins of Eynsford Castle (free entry, if open).

I heard some grumbling about the lack of cider and chips when I recently posted a Sunday walk without a pub at the lunch stop. In order to atone for this deplorable faux pas there are three possible lunch pubs on this walk (one of which you go past twice), plus two or three more at the end in Eynsford.

You might find it hard to resist the temptation to stop at the first pub since the route goes right through the riverside beer garden of the Lion Hotel in Farningham, but the one closest to the walk's midpoint is the Fighting Cocks in Horton Kirby. As always, it's advisable to book if you want to be sure of something more than a bowl of chips. Both have picnic areas nearby if you prefer to bring your own provisions.

At the end of the walk there are three pubs in Eynsford, although sadly the Riverside Tea Room seems to have permanently closed.

You'll need to bring the directions from the L=swc.419.a page. If you're printing them from this page you can save a couple of sheets of paper by first clicking ‘Short Walk 1’ in Walk Options.

  • 22-Jan-24

    So grateful to Sean for posting these shorter walks👍

  • 28-Jan-24

    Joanna and I have booked a table for 4 in The Lion at 13:00, two spare seats first come first etc.

  • 29-Jan-24

    11 set off on a sunny day Up we went. Up, up, to where the eagles live(not that we saw any), along and down again through fields to Farningham. On the way, there were views of the valley and the castle.

    We stopped at the Lion where those who had booked sat inside and devoured a sumptuous repast. Those who hadn’t booked sat outside and looked at the river and the strange brick thing. Sadly, Mr Tiger found himself far removed from any surplus chips.

    4 intrepid walkers completed the Horton Kirby loop, a pleasant stretch along the Darent, but there was a hill on the way back.The others were not seen again.

    Snowdrops were out in force in churchyards and, a front lawn in Farningham had stunning display of what looked like celandine but my mate Billy Google says is Winter Aconite.

    Returning through Eynsford, the intrepid - by now - 2 bumped into 2 more who were doing their own version of the walk. So 13 then.

    The Castle Hotel was packed so the 2 found space in the 5 Bells, which was OK if a bit noisy. (Chatter not music). An intrepid 3rd dropped in. Then off to the station., following a gigantic skein of walkers from another group.