Length: 20.5km (12.8 miles)
Toughness: 6 out of 10 (a couple of big climbs, basically) T=3.24

10.09 (Margate-bound) train from St Pancras International to Ashford International, changing there (arrive 10.47, depart 11.02) for Sandling, arriving 11.13.

OR

9.40 (Dover Priory-bound) train from Charing Cross (9.43 Waterloo East, 9.49 London Bridge) to Sandling direct, arriving 11.13.

Buy a day return to Sandling (valid for High Speed if going from St Pancras, otherwise not).

For walk directions click here. For GPX click here. For a map of the walk and some brief notes on the route click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page. Once you are up on the downs you are basically following the North Downs Way, with one or two minor "improvements".

I know this walk was posted on Sunday just two weeks back, but for whatever reason only six turned up. Saturday walkers are made of sterner stuff.

This is, in my humble opinion, a near perfect downland walk, with mouthwatering escarpment views for most of the way, except for an "inland section" just after lunch. Fear not, though: glorious downland views return towards the end. In past years it has also been a eye-aching yellow carpet of buttercups at this time of year - see the photo page for this walk.

Lunch is usually at the Tiger Inn 5.8 miles into the walk. This is a deservedly popular pub, whose capacity is doubled if the weather is fine by outside seating. It serves food all afternoon so it may not be a bad idea to get there a bit after the main lunchtime rush. The back-up option is the Five Bells Inn in Brabourne, another wonderful pub that also does food all afternoon but which requires an extra tranche of road walking and a 800 metre addition to the walk to get to it.

For tea the Wye Coffee Shop and Kitchen is now open till 5pm, not 4pm as stated in the walk notes, but for most a more practical and desirable destination is the Tickled Trout pub, idyllically and conveniently situated by the river just across the bridge from the station. It has a garden from which you can paddle in the stream, if that takes your fancy. It does tea, even cakes sometimes. Nice food too.

Trains back from Wye are at 20 and 54 past till late. The 54 past train takes 1hr 28 minutes to Charing Cross, while the 20 past is a bit of a dawdler, going to Victoria in 1hr 46 minutes: but with a five minute change at Ashford (from one side of the station to the other, so be quick) you can get to Charing Cross in 1hr 32

Both trains have a 16 minute connection at Ashford to the high speed trains to St Pancras, giving a Wye to St Pancras journey time of 1 hour.

SWC Walk 24
20.5 km (12.8 miles) Difficulty 6/10
A lovely walk following one of the best sections of the North Downs Way with fine views for nearly the whole walk.
Trains
For the quickest journey, take the 10:09 Margate High Speed from St Pancras (Stratford International 10:16) and change at Ashford International for the 11:05 to Dover Priory (platform 5). This gets you to Sandling for 11:16.
For a cheaper slower journey, catch that same Dover Priory train from Cannon Street at 9:32 (London Bridge 9:36) direct to Sandling.
Sandling and Wye are on different Southeastern lines out of Ashford. A return to Sandling, the dearer option, is suggested. In practice this should be accepted from Wye but be prepared to pay the difference to Ashford if your luck's out.
Return from Wye at xx:55 and xx:19.
The xx:55 will take you direct to London Bridge (1hr34) or Cannon Street (1hr37).
The xx:19 will take you direct to Victoria in 1 hr50.
Wealthier walkers with their High Speed tickets can change at Ashford International for the connection to St Pancras (total journey time 1 hr).
Lunch
The Tiger Inn (01303 862130) in Stowting is a charming and friendly pub 9.2km (5.7 miles) into the walk. Open all day from noon.
Alternatively 2.2km (1.4 miles) further up the road you have the Five Bells Inn (01303 813334 in Brabourne. (This requires a detour, adding 800 metres (0.5 miles) to the walk length)
Tea
The Tickled Trout (01233 812227) in Wye is a popular pub stop, with a garden beside the River Stour. It is just across the bridge from Wye station.
Directions here
T=swc.24

SWC 24 - Sandling to Wye

Length: 20.5 km (12.8 miles)
Toughness: 6 out of 10

Either
London St Pancras: 10-08 hrs Margate service
Arrive Ashford International: 10-46 hrs
Leave Ashford International: 11-03 hrs Dover Priory service from Charing X
Arrive Sandling; 11-14 hrs

Or
London Charing Cross: 09-40 hrs Dover Priory service
Arrive Sandling: 11-14 hrs

Return

Wye to Charing Cross: 15-54, 16-53, 17-52, 18-51 Journey length 1hr 32 mins
Wye to St Pancras: as above plus 21 mins past the hour, changing at Ashford International. Journey length 1 hr

Rail ticket: returns from either Sandling or Wye are usually accepted. You pay a supplement for using the HS1 service from or back to St Pancras.

This walk is a favourite amongst many a SWC walker, being along a lovely section of the North Downs Way which is more akin to the South Downs Way. For large parts of the day you enjoy stunning views of Kent's countryside.

Lunch is taken at the usually excellent Tiger Inn in Stowting, 9 km into the walk. Best 'phone ahead with numbers (01303-862130.

The latter part of the walk up on the lovely Crundale Downs reverses TO Book 1, Walk 53 - Wye Circular, and you descend into Wye for tea at the Tickled Trout pub, next door to the railway station.
T=swc.24
Walk directions here: L=swc.24

20.5 km (12.8 miles)
Difficulty 6/10
A lovely walk following one of the best sections of the North Downs Way with fine views for nearly the whole walk.
Trains note change
The simplest and cheapest option is the 9:30 Dover Priory train from Victoria direct to Sandling arriving 11:16.
For a faster journey, take the 10:08 Margate High Speed from St Pancras (Stratford International 10:15) changing at Ashford pInternational onto the same Dover Priory train (11:05 platform 5).
Sandling and Wye are on different Southeastern lines out of Ashford. A return to Sandling, the dearer option, is suggested. In practise this should be accepted to return from Wye but be prepared to pay the difference to Ashford if your luck's out.
Return from Wye at xx:57 (High Speed ticket-holders change at Ashford International).
As well as being on the District Line, Cannon St Station is only a short walk from Bank (exit 6, cross road, to go right, down St Swithins Lane).
Lunch
The Tiger Inn (01303 862130) in Stowting is a charming and friendly pub 9.2km (5.7 miles) into the walk. Open all day from noon.
Alternatively 2.2km (1.4 miles) further up the road you have the Five Bells Inn (01303 813334 in Brabourne. (This requires a detour, adding 800 metres (0.5 miles) to the walk length).
Tea
The Tickled Trout (01233 812227) in Wye is a popular pub stop, with a garden beside the River Stour. It is just across the bridge from Wye station. They have recently taken to hosting live bands on Sunday afternoons. If that’s not your thing, try the Kings Head in Church Street (no garden), or the New Flying Horse, in Upper Bridge Street (has a garden).
Walk Directions here
T=swc.24

SWC Walk 24 - Sandling to Wye
Length: 20.5km (12.8 miles)
Toughness: 6 out of 10

9.40 train from Charing Cross (9.43 Waterloo East, 9.49 London Bridge) to Sandling, arriving 11.13

OR

10.08 Southeastern High Speed train from St Pancras International to Ashford, arriving 10.46, to connect with the above train departing 11.02.

Buy a day return to Sandling. This should be accepted between Wye and Ashford, but you may be liable to pay for this short hop.

For walk directions click here.

I had a request for this walk, which had a Sunday outing earlier in the year but has not had a Saturday outing for some time, I think. It is a simple walk along a very lovely stretch of the North Downs Way, - more like the South Downs here, with fine views for much of the walk (the exception being one section in the afternoon when you are away from the escarpment for a while).

Once you climb up onto the downs from Sandling you are following the North Downs Way, so you might be tempted to rely on waymarking. But in critical places it is not very clear and in at least one place open access now enables you to take a simpler route than the NDW - hence the walk directions in the link above.

Lunch is at the Tiger Inn in Stowting, a lovely pub that can be quite popular (hopefully less so now that summer is over). An equally nice alternative, which requires a bit of extra road walking is the Five Bells in Braborne. With either one it might be worth ringing to book a table when setting off on the walk, though both have outside seating too if it is fine.

Tea in Wye basically comes down to the Tickled Trout pub, which does serve tea and sometimes even cakes, and has a wonderful location by the river. Even more wonderfully it is just across the bridge from the train station.

Trains back from Wye are at

- 21 past, direct to Victoria, but slow - 1 hr 48
- 54 past, direct to Charing Cross - 1 hr 28

For both trains you can change at Ashford for St Pancras, the 54 having a slightly smaller waiting time there (13 mins versus 15 mins), both taking 1hr to London

Sandling to Wye SWC Walk 24
20.5 km (12.8 miles)
Difficulty 6/10

A lovely walk following one of the best sections of the North Downs Way with fine views nearly all the way.
Trains.
It is cheapest to travel from Charing Cross on the 9:10 Ramsgate train (Waterloo East, 9:13) changing at Ashford for the 10:35 to Dover Priory (platform 5). This gets you to Sandling for 10:46.
For a quicker journey, take the 9:37 Ramsgate High Speed from St Pancras (Stratford International 9:44) and change at Ashford International for the same 10:35 Dover Priory train. High speed costs about £5 more on a return. Railcard savings still apply, but not London zone reductions.
Sandling and Wye are on different Southeastern lines out of Ashford. A return to Sandling, the dearer option, is suggested. In practice this should be accepted to return from Wye but be prepared to pay the difference to Ashford if not.
Return from Wye at xx:57 and xx:21.
The xx:57 will take you direct to Charing Cross in 1hr:37
The xx:21 will take you direct to Victoria in 2 hr.
Or change from either at Ashford for the High Speed to St Pancras (total journey time 1 hr).
Lunch
The Tiger Inn (01303 862130) in Stowting is a charming and friendly pub 9.2km (5.7 miles) into the walk. Open all day from noon.
Alternatively 2.2km (1.4 miles) further up the road you have the Five Bells Inn (01303 813334 in Brabourne. (This requires a detour, adding 800 metres (0.5 miles) to the walk length)
Tea
The Tickled Trout (01233 812227) with a riverside garden just across the bridge from Wye station, is a popular pub stop.
The Devil’s Kneading Trough restaurant and the Latte e Miele (both mentioned in the notes) have closed.
Directions here
There have been difficulties reported with the alternative route offered at point 57 (see comments). You now have to keep to the NDW at that point. This is covered in the directions.
T=swc.24

1. London Cannon Street 09.45 or London Bridge 09.48 arrive Sandling 11.16. or

2. HS1 from London St Pancras International 10.08 (Stratford International 10.14) arrive Ashford International 10.46 and then from Platform 5 at Ashford Int take the 11.05 for Sandling arriving at 11.16.