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![\"map](\"https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/map_033.jpg\")
Volunteer
\nDistance: 4 miles (1 hour 50 minutes)
\nOS Map: Explorer 147 (Start at grid reference TQ571459)
\nPark in car park at Haysden Country Park (1.80p for four hours and £4.00 for longer). If approaching from A21 southbound, leave at Tonbridge exit and follow signposts for Tonbridge. At first roundabout, turn left (signposted Country Park) past West Kent College. Turn for Haysden Country Park is soon on right and is well signposted. The road is narrow. After half a mile, turn right into entrance to Park. The speed humps are severe, so go very slowly.
\nLeave farthest corner of main car park (before the overflow car park) and take arched Shallows Bridge gradually approaching railway. After crossing another arched footbridge (Rainbow Bridge) turn left then immediately right along track signposted “Haysden Lake” straight towards A21 high above. On reaching embankment, go straight up it and down other side then forwards under A21 towards lake.
\nFollow path alongside the lake, with railway on your right. At junction with path through railway arch on right, bear left to lake edge. At end of lake, following main path, bear left over James Christie bridge and turn right along long straight stretch of path – part of the “Straight Mile” (see Points of Interest).
\nAt end of the Straight Mile, bear right over bridge over stagnant water then left towards bridge made of green girders. Cross bridge and take path northwards towards embankment. Go over embankment, under railway and continue past gate into Green View Avenue. Continue to Leigh village green, bear right round green and turn right into Powdermill Lane. Soon take public footpath on left by some railings. Soon turn right past house then through kissing gate and right through woodland. At end of woodland go through kissing gate and take path between fences followed by two more gates. Cross right hand edges of three fields cross footbridge over A21.
\nContinue along path, initially with woodland on left. Cross left hand side of field and pass isolated house on left. Carry straight on over three footbridges and climb with glimpses of large house called Avalon (formerly Meopham Bank) on left.
\nBefore you get to lodge on drive to Avalon, take stile on right leading into drive of house. Cross drive and go through gap immediately to right of two garages opposite. Follow path along right hand side of field to road.
\nTurn left and carefully follow road until you reach right turn signposted Powder Mills. Walk full length of this road and turn left into Hunter Seal. Keep left and take the footpath on left when Hunter Seal bears right.
\nFollow path alongside lake to junction. Take right turn signposted Haysden Country Park. Turn left across Lucifer Bridge, again signposted to Haysden Country Park. Cross another bridge almost immediately and reach clearing. Don’t take first right (the cycle track) but second, soon turning right again to re-join cycle track. Turn left to Barden Lake. Turn left and walk round lake to far-left (southwest) corner. Bear left under railway back into car park.
\nThe canal on your right was built in the 1830s by the \n\t\t\t\t\t\tPenshurst Canal Company in an attempt to straighten the \n\t\t\t\t\t\tMedway to make it navigable upstream from Tonbridge.
\t\t\t\t\t\tThe enterprise caused a huge dispute with the Medway \n\t\t\t\t\t\tNavigation Company whose supply of water for the \n\t\t\t\t\t\toperation of its locks was threatened. There were \n\t\t\t\t\t\texpensive legal proceedings and fights between workers \n\t\t\t\t\t\tfrom the two companies. The chief instigator of \n\t\t\t\t\t\tthe venture, James Christie, was bankrupted by \n\t\t\t\t\t\tescalating costs and fled to America leaving the canal \n\t\t\t\t\t\tnever to be completed.
Known as Meopham Bank until a few years ago and still \n\t\t\t\t\t\tshown as such on most maps, Avalon was once the home of \n\t\t\t\t\t\tartist John Frederick Herring Senior (1795 to 1865), \n\t\t\t\t\t\trenowned for his paintings of horses. The house, \n\t\t\t\t\t\tpossibly designed by Septimus Burton (brother of the \n\t\t\t\t\t\tmore famous Decimus Burton who designed many houses in \n\t\t\t\t\t\tTunbridge Wells and also the Palm House at Kew Gardens), \n\t\t\t\t\t\twas then known as Meopham Park.
\n![\"\"](\"https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/images/P033a.jpg\")
Created between 1974 and 1980 by the removal of a 4m \n\t\t\t\t\t\tlayer of sand and gravel which was itself 2m beneath \n\t\t\t\t\t\tsoil and other deposits.
\nBoth the 82-mile \n\t\t\t\t\t\tWealdway from Gravesend to Eastbourne and the\n\t\t\t\t\t\tEden Valley Walk from \n\t\t\t\t\t\tnear Edenbridge to Tonbridge pass through Haysden \n\t\t\t\t\t\tCountry Park. Kent Ramblers has published guides \n\t\t\t\t\t\tto both (see below).
\nHaysden Country Park is within walking distance of \n\t\t\t\t\t\tTonbridge Station. Alternatively you could start \n\t\t\t\t\t\tand finish the walk at Leigh which has a railway station \n\t\t\t\t\t\tand is on the 210 bus route to Tonbridge.
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