A CIRCULAR WALK FROM EYNSFORD

(1) River Darent, Eynsford	(2) Eynsford Railway Viaduct	(3) Darent Valley

I did this walk with the walking group on 5th December 2009. We met up outside the Plough in the village of Eynsford, parking besides the River Darent, photo 1. The day had dawned very wet and rainy, in fact it had been raining most of the previous night too, however as we assembled the rain stopped and the clouds slowly began to clear. From the pub we headed up Riverside to Lullingstone Lane where we joined the route of the Darent Valley Path which we followed up hill over fields past the Eynsford Railway Viaduct, photo 2. At the top of the hill the route turns to the left, running past the Eagle Heights Bird of Prey Centre although there were no birds flying when we went past. As we gained height up the hillside good views opened up along the Darent Valley, photo 3.

(4) A Hilltop Tree	(5) Upper Beechen Wood	(6) Orange Fungi

Reaching the end of the field the route leaves the Darent Valley Path and turns briefly to the right before joining a footpath on the left that heads past an isolated tree growing on a hill top, photo 4, in a location that screamed lightning magnet. Continuing past the tree the route joins a path which runs alongside the edge of Lullingstone Park Golf Course. After heading through a band of tree the route joins a surfaced track that heads towards the golf club house before joining a path on the left which heads through the trees of Upper Beechen Wood, photo 5, and then besides a field to reach Redmans Lane. Here we all turned left for a short distance before joining a track on the right that heads past an isolated house before running between fields. Besides the path there were a couple of bright orange fungi growing, which were also about the size of oranges. At the end of the fields the route begins heading quite steeply downhill besides an area of scrubby trees to reach Cockerhurst Road. Here we headed down the road before turning to the right along Shacklands Road.

(7) View over the Darent Valley	(8) Shoreham Cross	(9) The Lee Old Church

We continued ahead past a junction on the left before joining a track on the left that ran along the edge of the valley with trees of Meenfield Wood on the right and the valley sloping away to the left from where there were once again good views over the Darent Valley, photo 7. By this time the sun had well and truly come out and in the relatively still air it soon became warm enough for me to take off my fleece, the weather feeling anything but a December's day. After short distance the path heads past the Shoreham Cross, photo 8 which was dug into the chalk hillside in 1920 as a memorial to the local men killed in action during the first world war. After a short snack break we continued along the hillside path to a clearing where we turned to the left and headed downhill towards the floor of the valley, photo 9, pausing briefly for a group photo which a passerby kindly took for us.

(10) Shoreham Cross	(11) Darent River, Shoreham	(12) Darent River, nr Shoreham

Reaching the valley floor we headed over Filston Lane and down Water Lane. At the end of the lane we followed a footpath on the left that ran beside a small tributary of the River Darent before turning to the right and crossing over the river near an old watermill. Here we joined a surfaced track that headed gently uphill towards the grounds of Darenth Valley Golf Course. Reaching the golf course we once again linked up with the route of the Darent Valley Path which we then followed almost all the way back to Eynsford. Joining a footpath on the left we headed between the fairways of the golf course to reach Station Road in the village of Shoreham. On the right we could see the Shoreham Cross on the hillside that we had walked passed earlier in the walk, photo 10. Reaching the road we headed to the left for a short distance before joining a footpath on the right which led to the church of St Peter and St Paul Church we turned left through a gate into the church yard to join Church Road, opposite Ye Olde George Inne. After all the rain the level of the river Darent, photo 11, was considerably higher than when I had last walked here in June 2006 and a number of nearby house had sandbags at the ready besides their front doors. We followed the river bank out of Shoreham, taking a footbridge over to the opposite bank by a small terrace of riverside cottages. Leaving the riverbank, photo 12, the route heads gently uphill along a path that heads diagonally over a number of field to reach Castle Road.

(13) A very funky chicken	(14) Gatehouse, Lullingstone Castle	(15) Eynsford Railway Viaduct

Here we joined a field edge path that ran parallel to the road for a while before briefly abandoning the route to visit the farm shop at Castle Farm where the funky chicken in photo 13 was strutting around. With a Christmas dinner awaiting at the end of the walk I resisted he temptation to try the lavender ice cream although by all accounts it was delicious. Rejoining the route we soon reached the information centre at Lullingstone Park where the route of the walk rejoins the River Darent, following a path that runs down to the grounds of Lullingstone Castle. The present manor house and gatehouse, photo 14, at the site where built in 1497. Heading down the driveway to the castle we then passed the site of the Lullingstone Roman Villa before rejoining Lullingstone Lane which we the followed back to Eynsford, passing under the Eynsford Railway Viaduct, photo 15.

Reaching the cars we had walked 9.64 miles. I had been a bit apprehensive about doing this walk due to the bad weather and had come dressed in my best waterproofs and even brought a flask of tea with me however the dramatic change in the weather made for a wonderful winters walk and many thanks must be given to Chris and Val for organising both the days walk and subsequent meal at the Plough in Eynsford which was also very enjoyable.

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