{"id":"69394e1a7202e9abd62bd09c","title":"Keston Ponds And Padmall Wood","path":"walks/routes/recommended/keston-ponds-and-padmall-wood","contentMarkdown":"## Kent Ramblers: Walk 18 — Keston Ponds and Padmall Wood\n\n![](https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/images/banner_018.jpg)\n\n![Walk 018 Map](https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/images/Walk%20018%20Map.jpg)\n\nKent Ramblers Walk 18\n\nDistance: 2.1 Miles (1 hour)\n\nOS Map: Explorer 147 (Start at TQ419639)\n\nPark in the free car park off Westerham Road. Numbered circles on map represent concrete posts bearing red numbers that are part of an old nature trail.\n\nInitially the route follows the waymarked Three Commons Circular Walk (TCCW).\n\nGo up the steps at the south end of the car park and follow path above edge of small valley on left. Follow waymarks for Three Commons Walk. At T-junction where path on left leads to road, take a waymarked right turn along a broad track that descends into a hollow (don’t take bridleway on right). Follow the Three Commons Walk waymarks along the valley bottom, bearing left at a junction near the lowest point and then right after a couple of metres. When you reach Fishponds Road bear right across and follow the waymarks downhill to a T-junction. Turn left and cross a plank bridge to an asphalt path passing school on left.\n\nLeaving the Three Commons Circular Walk, go through gap on right to children’s playground. Don’t enter but turn right to skirt two sides of playground, emerging in open field at far corner. Cross field and take path into woods, bearing right downhill towards stream.\n\nApproaching bottom of path, turn left just before bridge and keep left uphill through Padmall Wood. At far end is open space and information board where you re-join the Three Common Circular Walk. Keep right of information board, over duckboards and across stream. Follow path, ignoring right turns, back to stream. Keep stream on right for a while, follow path sharp left at post “9” then sharp right to cross stream.\n\nPass concrete post “8” on right and pond on left. Follow track to reach lowest of Keston Ponds. Cross bottom of pond, then turn left along bank of pond and up steps to Fish Ponds Road.\n\nCross road and follow edge of next pond. At far end of pond, take path between two ponds and at far side turn right along bank of upper pond to Caesar’s Well. Climb steps back to car park.\n\n## Points of Interest\n\n### Keston Ponds\n\n![](https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/images/P018b.jpg)\n\nThe three obvious ponds were built as reservoirs to \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tsupply water to nearby Holwood House, once the residence \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tof William Pitt, later a seismological research \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tinstitution and recently converted into up-market \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tapartments.\n\n### Caesar�s Well\n\n![](https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/images/P018c.gif)\n\nA natural spring, the source of the Ravensbourne \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tRiver. So-named because of a myth that Caesar once \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tcamped nearby and was short of water for his men. \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHe spotted a raven frequently visiting the site and \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tcorrectly deduced that there must be a source of water \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tthere. Hence the names of both the spring and the \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\triver ('bourne' being a variation of 'burn' meaning \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t'stream').\n\n### Keston Bog\n\n![](https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/images/P018a.gif)\n\nThe point on the map marked with a red-circled L is \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tKeston Bog. This wetland environment is rare in \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tLondon and is a site of special scientific interest \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t(SSSI). It was here that Charles Darwin studied \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tthe sundew and discovered that it captures and digests \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tinsects to obtain the nitrogen that is so scarce in \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\twetland soils.\n\n### Padmall Wood\n\nThe wood is largely sweet chestnut and birch coppice. \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWood is harvested by cutting the trees back to ground \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tlevel every 15 to 20 years. The trees then \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tregenerate from the stumps and the cycle can be repeated \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tmany times.\n\nAutomatically migrated from https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/walk_018.htm on 2025-12-11 09:19","contentHtml":"

Kent Ramblers: Walk 18 — Keston Ponds and Padmall Wood

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Kent Ramblers Walk 18

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Distance: 2.1 Miles (1 hour)

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OS Map: Explorer 147 (Start at TQ419639)

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Park in the free car park off Westerham Road. Numbered circles on map represent concrete posts bearing red numbers that are part of an old nature trail.

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Initially the route follows the waymarked Three Commons Circular Walk (TCCW).

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Go up the steps at the south end of the car park and follow path above edge of small valley on left. Follow waymarks for Three Commons Walk. At T-junction where path on left leads to road, take a waymarked right turn along a broad track that descends into a hollow (don’t take bridleway on right). Follow the Three Commons Walk waymarks along the valley bottom, bearing left at a junction near the lowest point and then right after a couple of metres. When you reach Fishponds Road bear right across and follow the waymarks downhill to a T-junction. Turn left and cross a plank bridge to an asphalt path passing school on left.

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Leaving the Three Commons Circular Walk, go through gap on right to children’s playground. Don’t enter but turn right to skirt two sides of playground, emerging in open field at far corner. Cross field and take path into woods, bearing right downhill towards stream.

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Approaching bottom of path, turn left just before bridge and keep left uphill through Padmall Wood. At far end is open space and information board where you re-join the Three Common Circular Walk. Keep right of information board, over duckboards and across stream. Follow path, ignoring right turns, back to stream. Keep stream on right for a while, follow path sharp left at post “9” then sharp right to cross stream.

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Pass concrete post “8” on right and pond on left. Follow track to reach lowest of Keston Ponds. Cross bottom of pond, then turn left along bank of pond and up steps to Fish Ponds Road.

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Cross road and follow edge of next pond. At far end of pond, take path between two ponds and at far side turn right along bank of upper pond to Caesar’s Well. Climb steps back to car park.

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Points of Interest

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Keston Ponds

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The three obvious ponds were built as reservoirs to \n\t\t\t\t\t\tsupply water to nearby Holwood House, once the residence \n\t\t\t\t\t\tof William Pitt, later a seismological research \n\t\t\t\t\t\tinstitution and recently converted into up-market \n\t\t\t\t\t\tapartments.

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Caesar�s Well

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A natural spring, the source of the Ravensbourne \n\t\t\t\t\t\tRiver. So-named because of a myth that Caesar once \n\t\t\t\t\t\tcamped nearby and was short of water for his men.
\t\t\t\t\t\tHe spotted a raven frequently visiting the site and \n\t\t\t\t\t\tcorrectly deduced that there must be a source of water \n\t\t\t\t\t\tthere. Hence the names of both the spring and the \n\t\t\t\t\t\triver ('bourne' being a variation of 'burn' meaning \n\t\t\t\t\t\t'stream').

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Keston Bog

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The point on the map marked with a red-circled L is \n\t\t\t\t\t\tKeston Bog. This wetland environment is rare in \n\t\t\t\t\t\tLondon and is a site of special scientific interest \n\t\t\t\t\t\t(SSSI). It was here that Charles Darwin studied \n\t\t\t\t\t\tthe sundew and discovered that it captures and digests \n\t\t\t\t\t\tinsects to obtain the nitrogen that is so scarce in \n\t\t\t\t\t\twetland soils.

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Padmall Wood

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The wood is largely sweet chestnut and birch coppice.
\t\t\t\t\t\tWood is harvested by cutting the trees back to ground \n\t\t\t\t\t\tlevel every 15 to 20 years. The trees then \n\t\t\t\t\t\tregenerate from the stumps and the cycle can be repeated \n\t\t\t\t\t\tmany times.

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Automatically migrated from https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/walk_018.htm on 2025-12-11 09:19

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