West Malling Circular Walk

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Walk Map

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Walk Options

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13. Main Walk, from West Malling (20½ km)

1. Shorter Walk, from East Malling (18¼ km)
2. Alternative Circular Walk, from East Malling (16 km)
3. Short Circular Walk, omitting the Medway (11¾ km)

Walk Directions

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If you are doing the Shorter Walk or Alternative Circular Walk (from East Malling station), start at [?] in §B.

1. West Malling Station to East Malling Station (2¼ km)
• Leave the station on its northern side. Head east on Lucks Hill for 300m, then take a footpath on the right along field edges. Continue along Mill Street into East Malling, preferably through its recreation ground at the far end. Go through the churchyard at the end of Church Walk and turn right onto a footpath leading to a level crossing over the tracks at East Malling station.
1. Arriving from London, do not cross the footbridge but leave the station by an exit near the London end of Platform 2. Go down the short approach road and turn right at the bottom onto a road (Lucks Hill). Cross over carefully to use the pavement on its left-hand side, soon passing under the A228 dual carriageway.
2. Ignore a path branching off to the left. Shortly afterwards go back across the road with great care (there is restricted visibility on the inside of this left-hand bend) onto a side road, signposted as a public footpath. Make your way past a vehicle barrier and head towards a fieldgate. In front of the gate turn left onto a narrow tree-lined path, the continuation of the right of way.

   When last checked the field beyond the gate looked as if it was being cleared for a future housing development, as on the other side of Lucks Hill.

3. After the footpath emerges into a second field continue along its edge to a lane (Broadwater Road). Cross over onto the continuation of the footpath, just off to the right. Follow this fenced path between farm fields for 400m, parallel to the railway off to the right. At the end keep ahead on a track leading out between houses to a lane (Mill Street).
4. Turn right and follow this street round a bend to the left, passing some attractive cottages. In 200m you pass a converted mill on the right and cross East Malling Stream?. In a further 300m, now with a high brick wall on the left, you can avoid some road walking by going through a gate in this wall into East Malling's recreation ground.
   • For a slightly more direct route you could carry on to the crossroads at the end of Mill Street and go straight across New Road into Church Walk.
5. Inside the recreation ground turn half-right to head towards the left-hand end of some tennis courts. Skirt around them and continue past East Malling Institute's car park. Go through a gap to leave the recreation ground through a pub car park, passing its beer garden on the right. Cross New Road in front of the King & Queen pub onto a patch of grass containing the War Memorial and continue along Church Walk, the cul-de-sac opposite Mill Street.
6. At the end of this short street keep ahead on the path through the churchyard, passing to the right of St James the Great church?. At the far end go past metal barriers and immediately turn right at a waymarked footpath junction. In 200m you reach a level crossing over the railway tracks, with the platforms of East Malling station just off to the right.
2. East Malling Station to the North Pole (pub) (3¼ km)
• • If starting the walk here, go up to the level crossing over the tracks at the Maidstone end of the platform.
  Cross the tracks and follow the footpath to The Rocks Road. Continue on the footpath a little way off to the right, heading south along field edges. At the far end turn right onto Sweets Lane, then turn sharp left at a crossroads onto a footpath through Oaken Wood. In 800m turn right at a footpath junction to go around the western edge of the wood. Turn right onto Barming Road and left onto Red Hill to come to the North Pole pub.

1. Starting from East Malling Station

1. If arriving from London to start the walk here, the suggested route is to take the path at the Maidstone end of the platform to a level crossing over the railway tracks (ie. ignore the steps down to the road at the London end, the main exit).
   • If instead you do take the main exit, turn left onto the road to go under the railway bridge and immediately turn left again into The Rocks Road. In 300m turn right onto a signposted footpath and resume the directions at [?].
2. Go through a white-painted wooden gate and cross the tracks carefully (bearing in mind that non-stop trains will be speeding through the station). Continue on the enclosed footpath between houses and paddocks, heading S. At the end turn right onto a lane (The Rocks Road), briefly heading back towards East Malling. In 50m turn sharp left into a driveway, signposted as a footpath.
3. After passing the property (a pair of converted oast houses) keep right. Go past a wooden fieldgate onto a long straight path heading S, initially with a tall hedge on the right. Later the path switches to the other side of the hedge, swings right and left, and comes out onto a minor road (Sweets Lane).
4. Turn right and go along this quiet lane for 250m. Just before reaching a crossroads turn sharp left onto a track with a ground-level footpath waymarker, passing a concrete vehicle barrier and entering a large area of coppiced woodland.

   In all the stretches of this walk through coppiced woodland, be aware that there might be path diversions when tree felling is taking place.

5. In 300m the path turns half-left in front of a boundary hedge, with park homes on the other side. Follow the path round to the right to continue alongside the properties. At the end of the development the path bears slightly left and resumes its long straight course through the coppice, heading S.
6. In 300m turn right at a signposted path crossing onto a new public footpath (not shown on older OS maps). This route takes you to the western edge of the wood, where some mature trees (standards) have been left amid the coppice. The path swings round to the left at the corner of the wood and soon straightens out. Keep ahead where the path meets the driveway from a house and follow this out to a lane (Barming Road).
7. Turn right onto the lane, ignoring the continuation of the new footpath opposite. In 200m turn left at the T-junction with a main road (Red Hill) and go along its grass verge for 100m, passing the beer garden of the North Pole pub? on the left. This is the suggested lunch stop on the Short Circular Walk and a possible early stop on the others.

If you are doing the Short Circular Walk (omitting the entire Medway loop), go to §G.

3. The North Pole to Wateringbury (Mill Oast House) (2 km)
• Go across Red Hill onto Teston Road. In 250m turn left onto a footpath heading south-west and then south through Hoath Wood. Continue past orchards and the grounds of Wateringbury Place to the A26 (Tonbridge Road). Cross the main road and go down Love Lane to Mill Oast House.
1. Cross the main road carefully and go along Teston Road, the cul-de-sac opposite the entrance to the pub's car park. In 250m, after the last house on the left, turn left at a footpath signpost onto another long straight path through coppiced woodland, heading SW.
2. In 300m bear left where another footpath merges from the right by the remains of a large fallen tree. Continue along the waymarked path, ignoring a side path to the left and another to the right. You then need to fork left at a Y-junction in front of a large tree to stay on the right of way. Follow this woodland path gently downhill, now heading S.
3. At the edge of the wood go past some low posts to continue on a fenced path, with an orchard on your right. In 150m the path veers right and goes around the outside of a copse, still descending. The path curves round to the left to reach a major path junction, with more orchards ahead on both sides.

   At this junction a metal fieldgate in the copse reveals that there was in fact a narrow woodland path cutting through it. This might have been the original right of way but the OS map now shows it skirting around the outside, as described above.

4. Take the grassy path ahead between hedges, heading S again. At the end of the hedge continue down a long straight path with a chainlink fence on the right, behind which a thick belt of trees shields the extensive grounds of Wateringbury Place. At the end keep ahead past some houses to the A26, where there is a Local History Society plaque about PLUTO? on the garden wall.

   If you want to abandon the walk there are frequent buses to Maidstone or Tonbridge along the A26. The nearest stops are 250m away, on the left.

5. Cross the main road carefully and take the minor road opposite (Love Lane), which soon drops downhill. At the bottom of the dip it crosses a stream (coming from a waterfall in the garden on the right) in a culvert and comes to a cluster of converted oast houses at an old mill site.
4. Mill Oast House to Tutsham Hall (2½ km)
• Turn sharp left onto a byway heading east along the side of a small valley to the B2015 (Bow Road). Turn right and follow the road downhill. Opposite the Railway pub turn left into Bow Hill. Cross the river on Bow Bridge, joining the Medway Valley Walk (MVW). Follow the MVW on the south side of the river: across water meadows, along the bottom edge of Waregrave's Wood and up across a field to Tutsham Hall.
1. Opposite Mill Oast House turn sharp left off Love Lane onto a signposted byway, a path which curves round to the right above a picturesque valley containing an old orchard. At the end follow the path down to the left and climb up a lane on the other side of the valley to the B2015 (Bow Road). Turn right onto the road and follow it downhill.
2. Unless you are considering a refreshment break in The Railway pub (on the right-hand side at the bottom of the slope), use the pedestrian crossing to switch to the other side of the road. After passing the entrance to Wateringbury station turn left into the minor road (Bow Hill) opposite the pub, going over the level crossing and joining the Medway Valley Walk? (MVW).
3. Unless you want a refreshment break in River Kitchen (down the slope to the right in the former Riverside Restaurant), cross the River Medway on Bow Bridge. The third possible refreshment place here is off to the right inside Medway Wharf Marina, the Ramblers Rest Café.
4. Just past the entrance to the marina turn left off the road by a MVW signpost. Go through a metal kissing gate and across a potentially muddy area to the corner of a fenced meadow. Go through a small metal gate into this water meadow and veer left onto a broad grassy path heading E, gradually moving away from the wire fence on your left.
5. On the far side go through a metal kissing gate in the tree boundary and continue across another meadow. In 200m a plank footbridge gets you across a boggy area. At the end of the meadow a boardwalk and another footbridge takes you into Waregrave's Wood, close to the river on your left. Follow the woodland path along its bottom edge, usually with one or two streams to negotiate along the way.
6. Leave the wood through a metal side gate and go up a small slope into a large field. Follow a faint grassy path curving gently up to the right, passing a footpath marker post by an isolated tree and with increasingly fine views of the river valley as you climb. On the far side go through a metal side gate and straight across a parking area in front of a barn conversion.
7. Follow a tarmac driveway over a small rise and then past some farm buildings and cottages. Opposite the ivied Tutsham Hall? there is a footpath junction where the MVW veers off to the left, along the manor house's long driveway.
5. Tutsham Hall to Teston Bridge (1¾ • 1 km)
• For the main route via West Farleigh, take a footpath heading east across fields and through a belt of trees. Veer right to reach the Tickled Trout pub on the B2010 in West Farleigh. Return to the field below the B2010 and keep right to go down across fields to a lane. Follow the lane out to the B2163, cross the road and turn left onto a permissive path alongside the road to reach Teston Bridge.
  • For a short cut bypassing the pub, stay on the MVW as it goes along a lane on the hillside above the river, rejoining the main route shortly before reaching the B2163.

The main route goes up to the suggested lunch pub in West Farleigh, where there is also a convenient picnic spot. If you are not planning to visit this pub you could take the short cut in [?].

1. Main route, via the Tickled Trout (1¾ km)

1. Ignore the gate and follow the drive round to the right in front of a large barn, leaving the MVW. At the end of a small parking area turn left onto a long straight grassy path between fences, signposted as a footpath. At the end go through a gate and carry on across a field (with no clear path), heading towards a footpath signpost on the far side.
2. Keep ahead at the signpost, across another field. As the ground ahead drops away you will be able to see the exit, a small metal gate in the tree boundary. Follow a short grassy path through the undergrowth, curving round to the left and coming to a pair of metal gates.
3. Go through the right-hand gate and up a slope into a meadow. There is a striking Queen Anne house ahead on the right and the OS map shows the right of way heading directly towards a gate in the boundary wall just to the left of this house, Smiths Hall?.
   • If this direct route is too awkward you could follow an unofficial grassy path curving around the right-hand side of the meadow to the same exit.
4. Go through the gate and turn left onto the B2010 (Lower Road) to come to the Tickled Trout, the first building on the left-hand side.

   There are benches on the small crescent-shaped patch of grass opposite Smiths Hall, making this a convenient picnic spot.

5. To resume the walk retrace your steps through the gate into the meadow below Smiths Hall. Follow a clear grassy path gently downhill across two meadows, going through a wide gap in the tree boundary between them.
6. At the bottom of the second meadow go out through a side gate and keep ahead on a lane, briefly rejoining the MVW. Follow it round a right-hand bend to a T-junction with the B2163.

2. Short cut, bypassing the pub (1 km)

1. Turn left and go through a wooden gate next to the cattle grid, staying on the MVW. Follow the driveway across the grassland, curving round to the right with fine views across the river valley.
2. You pass a WW Ⅱ pill box and then have to negotiate another cattle grid. Carry on past the white-painted row of Mill Cottages and some more houses in a dip, with a large pond on the right.
3. After crossing a stream flowing from the pond towards the ruins of Tutsham Oil Mill? the lane winds its way back uphill past some large old trees. Follow it round a couple of bends to a T-junction with the B2163.
3. At the T-junction cross the main road carefully and go up a few steps in the bank opposite. Do not go through the gate ahead but turn sharp left onto a permissive path in the belt of trees beside the road. This avoids a bit of awkward road walking but you soon have to rejoin the B2163 in front of the medieval Teston Bridge?. Cross this narrow road bridge carefully, using the refuges when necessary to avoid the traffic.
6. Teston Bridge to the North Pole (pub) (2½ km)
• Go over the level crossing on the B2163 and turn left onto the A26. In 150m turn right onto a footpath leading to Teston church. Turn left onto Church Street, then turn right in the centre of the village onto Malling Road. In 500m fork right into an unsurfaced lane (Livesey Street). In 450m fork right onto a bridleway at North Lodge, then turn left onto a new public footpath through woodland. In 475m turn left onto a short link path leading back to Livesey Street and turn right to come to the North Pole pub on Red Hill.
1. As you cross the river there is a fine view of Barham Court? ahead on the right, 500m away. The B2163 now has a pavement and the simplest route is to continue along it (leaving the MVW, which goes along the riverbank towards Maidstone), but for a brief respite you could go through the gate on the left into Bridge Meadow, entering Teston Bridge Country Park?.
   • There are picnic tables in the meadow, and a refreshment kiosk and toilets in the car park. If you take this small detour, return to the B2163 through the main vehicle entrance.
2. Go over the level crossing and turn left at the T-junction ahead onto the walkway alongside the A26. The continuation of the walk is a signposted footpath on the other side, 150m from this junction. If there is too much traffic to attempt a direct crossing of this wide main road, use the traffic island a little further on and double back along the pavement on the other side to the footpath.

   … 100m past the footpath turning, just beyond the road junction ahead.

3. Take the signposted footpath away from the A26, a narrow fenced path. In 50m go across a residential street onto its continuation, just off to the right. This brings you out onto Teston's small village green, with Ss Peter and Paul church? on the right.
4. Veer left across the grass to the street on the other side and follow it out to a crossroads, with Teston Village Stores on the left. Turn right onto the main road (Malling Road), steadily uphill and soon passing an elegantly converted property emblazoned with lettering proclaiming its former existence as the Alfred Reader factory?.
5. The turning off Malling Road is a further 400m away. After the pavement ends there is a slightly awkward stretch where you need to take care but in 75m you can escape into Fairlawn Close on the right, which runs parallel to the main road for 100m. Immediately after rejoining it fork right into Livesey Street.
6. Go along this “Unsuitable for Motors” lane for 450m, with a few houses on the left and woodland on the right. After climbing gently for most of the way it dips down and splits in front of a wooden fieldgate with a sign for North Lodge.
7. It looks as if you need to take the unappealing rutted track on the left (the continuation of Livesey Street, which does lead to the North Pole pub), but an inconspicuous blue waymarker confirms that you can fork right through the gate. Immediately after passing North Lodge turn left at a waymarker post onto a narrow path climbing through the trees, a new public footpath (not shown on older OS maps).
8. In 125m keep ahead where another path merges from the right. In a further 350m, at the bottom of a small dip, turn left at a three-way footpath junction. This narrow path drops down, bends right and comes to a T-junction where you turn right, rejoining Livesey Street.
9. Follow this track past an outbuilding and then the large gardens of some properties on the woodland edge. In 250m the track leads into the car park of the North Pole pub?, with the opportunity for a mid-afternoon refreshment stop before you repeat a short stretch of your outward route.
7. The North Pole to Well Street (2½ km)
• Go across Red Hill onto Teston Road. In 600m turn right onto a bridleway going past Kings Hill Sports Park pavilion into Warren Woods Nature Park. Follow permissive paths through the wood to join a public footpath heading north along its western edge to a road junction. Keep ahead along a lane (Well Street) for 300m.
1. … Go along this quiet lane for 600m, ignoring a footpath off to the left at the end of the houses. Shortly after passing another footpath signpost on the left, and before reaching a concrete vehicle barrier across the lane, turn right onto a signposted bridleway.
2. Go past a jumble of vehicle-blocking rocks onto a path between hedges, passing some football pitches and continuing between Kings Hill Sports Park pavilion and its car park. Go straight across an access road onto a path into trees, entering Warren Woods Nature Park? by an information panel exhorting you to follow an Outdoor Trim Trail.

   The walk route follows a permissive path shown on the Nature Park's information panel. You might come across some “Private Land” notices in the trees but these confirm that recreational access is permitted.

3. In 50m fork left off the bridleway onto one of these permissive paths. In 250m turn left at a T-junction, passing an information panel about the Nature Park and a small picnic area off to the left. The woodland path goes through a dip and climbs back up the other side. At the top go past a metal kissing gate and turn right at a T-junction onto a long straight path near the western edge of the wood.
4. The path comes out into the corner of a small open area, with wooden paling on the left marking the park boundary. Go around two sides of this area to the opposite corner. With a commercial orchard visible through a gap in the trees ahead, turn right onto a public footpath just inside the wood.
5. In 300m the footpath comes out at a road junction. Keep ahead on the “Unsuitable for HGVs” lane (Well Street) for a further 300m, passing some attractive properties on the right. Immediately after passing a large old house on the left there is an easily-missed gap in the hedge with a footpath signpost.

If you are doing the shorter ending (to East Malling), go to §J.

8. Well Street to Manor Park Country Park (1½ km)
• Turn left off Well Street onto a footpath (and later a byway) leading to Broadwater Road. Turn left onto the road for a short distance and take the bridleway on the right leading to Lavenders Road. Cross the A228 and go straight ahead into Manor Park Country Park.
1. To head for West Malling turn left through the gap in the hedge. Follow a broad grassy path across a large farm field, heading towards the buildings of Broadwater Farm in the distance. In 200m turn right at a path crossing with a yellow waymarker post. The path turns left almost immediately to resume its previous direction (as a byway), with orchards off to the right.
2. The path goes past a row of tall trees screening the farm buildings and eventually joins a farm track leading out to a lane (Broadwater Road). Ignore the continuation of the track opposite and turn left onto the lane. In 75m, just after passing a house on the right, turn right through a gap in the trees (with an inconspicuous bridleway signpost).
3. Follow the path past the side of the property and then bear left onto a farm track across the middle of a field. On the far side go straight across another farm track and then bear right onto a path along the edge of the field, parallel to a lane on your left.

   This is a rerouted public footpath, shown as going across the field on older OS maps. Previously you would have had to follow the bridleway out to the lane (Lavenders Road), with some additional road walking.

4. In 200m veer left through a gap in the field corner and zig-zag left and right on a tarmac path to join Lavenders Road. Cross the A228 on the road bridge and go along the lane for 150m, ignoring paths off to both sides. Where the lane bends right at a road junction go straight ahead through a side gate into Manor Park Country Park?.
9. Manor Park to West Malling Station (2¼ • 1¼ km)
• For the main route via the town, keep ahead through the parkland to come to the park café. Veer right and follow the waymarked ‘Lake Loop’ to the northern end of the lake. Turn left to cross a stream and go out to St Leonard's Street. Turn right and continue along West Malling's High Street. Turn right into Swan Street and go along it for 500m, then turn right again into Station Approach.
  • You can bypass the town centre by veering right inside the park and rejoining Lavenders Road at the far end of the parkland. Follow it to its T-junction with Swan Street and turn right to come to Station Approach.
    

The main route goes past the park café, then – unless you switch to the direct route – several more cafés and pubs in the town. If you are not stopping for refreshment you could take the direct route in [?].

1. Main route (2¼ km)

1. Inside the park keep ahead on a broad grassy path near the left-hand edge of a meadow (Chestnut Paddock), with a wire fence on your left. In 300m go through a metal kissing gate into the corner of the overflow car park and cut across it to come to the Manor Park Café, a possible refreshment stop.
2. Unless you want to detour to a Norman tower, head N away from the café on a surfaced path past picnic tables in Douce's Meadow. Take any of the paths through the trees on the left (one has a ‘Lake Loop’ waymarker) which go down to the Lake and turn right onto the lakeside path.

3. Detour to St Leonard's Tower (+350m)

1. From the café go across the main car park and out along the park's driveway. In 100m turn left onto a waymarked footpath which curves round to the right and goes past a row of cottages to a road, with St Leonard's Tower? atop the grassy knoll opposite.
2. For a closer look go through a small wooden gate off to the right into a grassy area, where there is an information panel. You could then take a path up the slope and around the left-hand side of the tower, but the gate into its interior is kept locked.
3. To resume the walk retrace your steps along the footpath past the cottages. Go straight across the driveway onto the start of the lakeside path, soon rejoining the main route.
4. On the lakeside path there is a fine view of Douce's Manor? across the water. Keep left at path junctions to stay alongside the lake. At its northern tip there is a plank bridge across the Ewell Stream which is the route into the town.
   • To bypass the town, follow the path alongside the stream and round to the right. Leave the park through a gate and turn right onto Water Lane. Turn left at its T-junction with Lavenders Road and switch to the direct route at [?·c] below.
5. For the route via the town cross the stream, go up steps in the bank opposite and follow the tree-lined path along the edge of Ice House Meadow. Leave the park through a gate and turn right onto St Leonard's Street.
6. Follow the street round a couple of bends, passing St Mary's church? at the head of the wide High Street with its fine Georgian buildings. Some possible refreshment places are the Five Pointed Star, Joiners Arms and the Malling Jug on the left-hand side, plus a Costa and The Hungry Guest café on the right.
7. Turn right into Swan Street. Two more places are Rose's Coffee & Juice on the right and The Swan pub / restaurant on the left. Further along this street you pass St Mary's Abbey? on the right, then Lavenders Road at the corner of the abbey grounds.
8. Continue along Swan Street for a further 150m. Just before the railway bridge turn right into the long approach road to West Malling station. At the left-hand end of the station building there is an entrance onto Platform 1, for trains to London.

2. Direct route (1¼ km)

1. Inside the park veer right onto a grassy path near the right-hand edge of a meadow (Chestnut Paddock). In 150m go through a gate and continue along the perimeter path beside another meadow (Abbey Field), with Lavenders Road behind the tree boundary on your right.
2. In 200m, shortly before reaching a wooden bench, veer right onto an easily-missed narrow path through the trees which drops down to Lavenders Road. Turn left onto the lane, taking care as there is no pavement until you pass Water Lane on the left after 50m.
   • If you miss this inconspicuous exit you can simply follow the perimeter path out to the main exit on Water Lane and turn right to get back to Lavenders Road.
3. Follow Lavenders Road all the way to its T-junction with Swan Street, towards the end passing the grounds of St Mary's Abbey? behind a high stone wall on the left.
4. Turn right and go along Swan Street for 150m. …
   
10. Well Street to East Malling Station (1½ • 1 km)
• Continue briefly along Well Street and then bear right onto a footpath. For the main route via the town, follow the path under the railway embankment and past houses to Mill Street. Turn right and go along the road (or through the recreation ground) to reach a pub at the crossroads in the town centre. To complete the walk go up the High Street to the station.
  • You can bypass the town centre by turning right off the footpath from Well Street before reaching the railway and going down Chapel Street directly to the station.
    
1. To head for East Malling ignore the footpath and carry on along Well Street for 50m. Where the lane curves left, bear right into a driveway (which is also a public footpath). Follow it down a slope and past a few cottages.
2. Continue past the right-hand side of a pond (at the head of East Malling Stream?) into a wooded area. After climbing gently above a series of small ponds for 200m, and at the end of a wire fence on your right, there is a waymarker post at a footpath junction.

The main route goes past a pub on the way to the station, but if you are not stopping for refreshment you could take the direct route in [?].

3. Main route (1½ km)

1. Keep ahead at the path junction, now with an abandoned orchard on your right. In 200m the path comes to a junction in front of the railway line where you turn sharp left. Follow the path down a slope, under the railway and back up the other side.
2. At the top go through a wooden kissing gate to continue on a wide fenced path between houses. In 75m go straight across a residential street and along the continuation of the footpath for a further 100m.
3. At the end turn right onto Mill Street. In 100m, …
   • … turn left for the pub.
4. …
5. To complete the walk turn right out of the King & Queen pub, cross Mill Street and go up the narrow High Street for 200m.
6. After passing under the railway bridge turn left into a side road to find the steps leading up to Platform 1 of East Malling station, for trains to London.

4. Direct route (1 km)

1. Turn right at the junction onto a long straight fenced path between an abandoned orchard and a wood. In 300m the path emerges into the corner of a triangular field and you continue along its edge, now with a hedge on your right.
2. In the far corner go through a wooden kissing gate and along a path between houses to a road (Chapel Street). Turn left and follow the road downhill.
3. Just before it goes under the railway bridge at the bottom veer right across …
   

Walk Notes

1. East Malling Stream has its source in Well Street and flows into the River Medway at Aylesford. There used to be six watermills along this short river.
2. St James the Great, East Malling dates from the 11^thC, with changes and additions made in the 14^thC. It is listed Grade Ⅰ.
3. The North Pole pub dates back to 1826 and its name may reflect the contemporary interest in Arctic exploration. In that year the Admiralty sanctioned one of the earliest attempts to reach the pole; the expedition led by the British naval officer William Parry reached 82°45′N in 1827, a record for the northernmost latitude which stood for 49 years.
4. Operation PLUTO (Pipe Line Underwater Transportation of Oil, or Pipe Line Under The Ocean) was a World War Ⅱ project to supply fuel to the Allied forces in Normandy after D-Day. The pipeline at Wateringbury was part of an additional route via Dungeness to Boulogne, added as the troops advanced. It was a major engineering feat at the time but only partly successful, supplying just 8% of the fuel used in 1944-45.
5. The Medway Valley Walk runs for 45 km, between Tonbridge and Rochester. The waymarked route leaves the river between Bow Bridge and Teston Bridge to go via Tutsham Hall, even though there is a public footpath along the riverbank.
6. Tutsham Hall is a Grade Ⅱ listed manor house dating from the late 18^thC or early 19^thC, possibly incorporating part of an earlier house.
7. Smiths Hall (shown as West Farleigh Hall on older OS maps, its name during much of the 20^thC) is a fine example of a Queen Anne country house, built in 1719. The gardens and grounds of this Grade Ⅰ listed private house are open to the public twice a year on NGS Open Days.
8. Tutsham Oil Mill crushed flax to produce linseed oil and cake (cattle feed). It operated until it was partly destroyed by fire in the 1880s.
9. Teston Bridge was constructed out of local ragstone in the 14^thC. The central arch was raised in 1793 to improve navigation for barges. It is a Grade Ⅰ listed ancient monument.
10. Barham Court was described by the antiquarian Edward Hasted as “the greatest ornament of this part of Kent”. William Wilberforce was a frequent house guest and Lady Barham is said to have inspired and supported his campaign to abolish slavery. It was refurbished after a major fire in 1932 and subsequently converted into offices and apartments.
11. Teston Bridge Country Park opened in 1978. It consists of 32 acres of meadow between the River Medway and the railway line.
12. Ss Peter and Paul, Teston was built in 1736, a complete replacement for a much older church. It is listed Grade Ⅱ*.
13. The Alfred Reader factory manufactured cricket and hockey balls from 1928 to 2012, the last of several sites in Teston where these have been made since 1808. After the business was relocated the building was incorporated into a private housing development.
14. Warren Woods Nature Park is part of the Kings Hill development. These 46 acres of native woodland opened to the public in 2011.
15. Manor Park Country Park was originally part of the Douce's Manor estate, with the lake in its landscaped grounds created by widening the Ewell Stream. These 52 acres were bought by Kent County Council in 1973 and became a Country Park.
16. St Leonard's Tower is believed to be an 11^thC Norman keep, but little is known about its history. The uppermost storey was demolished in the English Civil War to prevent the Royalists using it as a lookout post, and at some point the lower windows were blocked up. It is listed Grade Ⅰ.
17. Douce's Manor is an 18^thC manor house, listed Grade Ⅱ. In World War Ⅱ it was used as the Officers Mess for airmen based at RAF West Malling; a Heritage Centre in its wine cellar displays artefacts from that period.
18. St Mary the Virgin, West Malling dates from the 11^thC. Its Norman tower remains but the rest of the church has been rebuilt several times over the centuries (and a spire added to the tower).
19. St Mary's Abbey was founded as a community of Benedictine nuns in the 11^thC. It passed into secular hands after its dissolution by Henry Ⅷ but the Anglican order was able to return to the site in 1916 after it was restored by a charitable trust. St Mary's Abbey with the Cascade (an ornamental waterfall flowing out of its stone wall on Swan Street) was painted by JMW Turner in c.1791, as commemorated on a blue plaque.

» Last updated: October 23, 2025

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