Knockholt to Hayes Length: 16km (9.9 miles) Toughness: 4 out of 10
09:58 Sevenoaks train from
Victoria, calling at several stops in south-east London including Bromley South (10:26), to arrive at
Knockholt at
10:45.
If you just miss that train, or if you donât mind taking a chance, you could catch the
10:13 Ramsgate train from
Victoria, changing at Orpington (arr 10:36, dep 10:40) on to the slower service above.
Return trains from Hayes to Cannon Street are at xx:02 and xx:32 (journey time 41 minutes). Change at Lewisham for Waterloo East and Charing Cross.
Both stations are within London Travelcard Zone 6
This is a fine rural walk through fields, woods and valleys in Londonâs âGreen Beltâ, with an opportunity to visit Charles Darwinâs home, Down House (English Heritage) in the afternoon. If you choose to do this, you will probably run out of daylight to complete the walk but could catch a 146 bus from Downe Church to Bromley South station, leaving at 20 minutes past each hour (journey time 18 minutes).
Todayâs walk reverses the familiar Hayes to Knockholt walk for several reasons:
a) Instead of finishing with the same 4km as the Knockholt Circular ending, this walk reverses that stretch to give a new feel to it.
b) There are no tea places near Knockholt station, whereas Hayes offers several options.
c) The recommended lunchtime pub in Cudham comes slightly earlier in the walk.
d) Those wishing to visit Down House can do the bulk of the walk before breaking off and then have an easy onward bus journey available.
The recommended lunchtime stop is the
Blacksmithâs Arms in Cudham (01959 572678), though you could carry on for another 30 minutes to the Queenâs Head or the George and Dragon in Downe.
For the moment, the link to the
Walk Directions takes you to the original Hayes to Knockholt version of the walk. It is hoped to get the reversed directions up here by Sunday, but even if that isnât possible, the walkâs author will be there to ensure that no-one goes wrong while following the existing directions backwards.
T=swc.82
It's not far from Coolings, a little way off the route on Otford Lane, TN14 7EA. Tel: 01959 533120
https://website 605991373686031826491 pub.business.site/
We left London Bridge in sparkling sunlight, the first sunny Saturday since I donât know when. So it was a bit disappointing to emerge at Hayes into fog. This kept being on the verge of burning off, the disk of the sun appearing through the gloom from time to time, but not till after Downe did it clear completely. Crossing the valley to Cudham was lovely wisps of mist drifting up into the blue sky. It was then sunny while we were having lunch but the sun was obscured by âenvious cloudâ to the west once we emerged, though with reasonably clear skies above. So fog then sun then bright.
Six of us lunched at the not overly busy pub in Cudham, where we discussed the decline of restaurants in rural France. The other diners nicely waited for me, a late orderer, to get my food and we then also waited for a late arrival to get hers. In the afternoon a few of us went astray through over attention to our conversation and inattention to our gismos, but we still arrived at Coolings Nursery at 3.45 or so. There we met some others emerging from tea and heading for the pub in Halstead.
A mere five to ten minutes walk through the vast garden centre got us to tea where we waited in a fairly long queue while all the remaining chocolate cake was sold to other customers. But hey, the pistachio and whatsit sponge was an interesting experience. We then set off at about 4.20 to walk in the dark to Knockholt station, where we met the pubbers for the 5.13 (?) train home.