# Kent Ramblers: Walk 61

![](https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/images/banner_061.jpg)

![map 061](https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/map_061.jpg)

Distance:     6.1 Miles (3.0 Hours)

OS Map:      Explorer 136 (Start at grid reference TQ679417)

Park in small car park in Brenchley.  If approaching from Matfield it is down short lane on right just after old forge and just before Bull Inn.  There are toilets.  If car park is full, there are more parking spaces near the church.

Emerge from car park into High Street and turn left.  On reaching war memorial, turn right up Holly Bank.  At top turn left but almost immediately take path up steps on right into orchard.  Soon go through gate on right and then bear left along drive past houses.  Enter orchard, turn right and after a few metres left along grassy track.

After 100 metres immediately before meadow begins on right, turn right down path with orchard on right and meadow on left.  Go through gate and follow path across former golf course, soon between fences.  Continue to bottom of hill and follow path round to left of copse.  At T-junction turn right downhill.  After lowest point, head uphill again and just over brow of hill take path on right between fences down to Waterman’s Lane.

Turn right and after just a few metres take path on left across field.  At end of hedge sticking out into field, path branches – bear right across field then along edge of garden to track.  Turn left and follow, soon bearing right, to reach Mile Oak Road.

Turn right and, just past Mile Oak sign, take path on left.  Go up drive of house, through gate, along edge of back garden and over stile into field.  When you reach ditch in middle of field, turn right alongside it until, just after junction with another ditch, cross first ditch on left and follow right hand bank of second ditch to Knowle Road.  (Path as marked on OS map follows rather different route across the field.)

Turn left down lane to junction.  Turn right along path beside fence then across field to footbridge.  Cross next field, initially towards house then bearing left along far field edge to footbridge.  Across bridge, turn left along field edge then track to Pearson’s Green Road.

Turn right past several houses until you reach a clearly signposted path on left.  Down steps bear right across field to top right corner (if ploughed you may prefer to go along right hand edge).  Turn right along track uphill through meadow making for buildings at top of hill and emerge onto Crook Road.

Turn left for 300m the turn right along driveway leading past Temple Farm and Little Crossletts (there is a small concrete footpath sign in verge).  Follow past house into open field, bear right and follow right hand edge of field, becoming path between hedges after large dung heap.  Go over stile into garden of house, turn right along drive then, just before metal gates, go left along right hand side and then back of garage.  Follow path down steps, over stile then down to Furnace Lane.

There is now a section of road walking.  Take especial care and be sure to walk on the outside of blind bends.  Continue to lowest point of road and then as it turns a corner and starts to climb take a path on right just after a small lay-by.  Keep right and cross end of lake (Furnace Pond – a relic of the Weald’s ancient iron industry).  Through gate, turn right uphill through orchard.  Bear slightly left across track to pass yellow waymark.  As you near a wood at top of orchard, bear left straight across orchard to a lane.  Turn right and take path on left immediately after bungalow on left.  Follow along field edge down to where old railway sleepers have been laid to avoid the mud.  Once across the sleepers go steeply uphill to stile at top and along path that brings you out opposite the church in Brenchley.  Cross the green and bear right along High Street past former Bull Inn to car park entrance.

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## Points of Interest

### Brenchley

![](https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/images/P061a.jpg)

Brenchley originally prospered through the cloth 
						trade, then became a centre for the iron industry and 
						later hops.

Orchards, once in decline, are now seeing a 
						substantial revival and you will pass many recently 
						planted apple trees on this walk.

![](https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/images/P061b.jpg)

### Castle Hill

There are the remains of a medieval ringwork castle 
						as indicated on the map.  Ringwork castles were 
						typically built in the 11th and 12th centuries as 
						alternatives to Motte and Bailey castles ' the choice 
						being based on topography and geology rather than wealth 
						or status.  A typical ringwork consisted of a 
						simple earth bank, often topped with a wooden palisade, 
						surrounded by a ditch (from which the earth had been 
						taken to create the bank).  At this site the main 
						bank was around 70 metres wide and there was a second, 
						smaller bank outside the ditch.  There would have 
						been wooden buildings within the defences.

### Furnace Pond

Water from this pond once pond once powered one of 
						the largest iron works in the Weald employing over 200 
						men.  In 1614 its owner, John Brown, was granted 
						the monopoly of making iron and brass guns for the navy.

### Public Transport

Brenchley can be reached by public transport from 
						Tunbridge Wells ' service 297 runs every couple of hours 
						but not on Sundays.

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