{"id":"69393a667202e9abd62bd047","title":"Shoreham Station And Upper Austin Lodge","path":"walks/routes/recommended/shoreham-station-and-upper-austin-lodge","contentMarkdown":"# Kent Ramblers Walk 3\n\n![](https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/images/banner_003.jpg)\n\n## Points of Interest\n\n### Dunstall Priory\n\nThe English home of the playwright Lord Dunsany \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t(1878-1957) who at one time had five plays running \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tsimultaneously on Broadway. The family also \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\thad an estate at Dunsany in Ireland.\n\n### Pilcher Monument\n\n![](https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/images/P003a.jpg)\n\nOpened in 2006, the monument marks the site of \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tpioneering experiments in manned flight undertaken by \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPercy Pilcher in 1896 and 1897, initially using gliders. \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHe later designed and built a powered triplane but was \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tkilled in a gliding accident in 1899 before he had the \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\topportunity to test it. Had he lived he might have \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tbeaten the Wright Brothers to the first successful \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tpowered flight.\n\n### Concrete Structures\n\n![](https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/images/P003c.jpg)\n\nYou will pass two or three of these on the walk. \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThey are the remains of unusual stiles dating back \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tbefore, possibly well before, 1964 when they were \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tmentioned in a London Transport book of \"Country Walks\".\n\n### Public Transport\n\nThe walk is ideal for travelling by train to Shoreham \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tStation on the route from Victoria to Maidstone or St \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPancras and City Thameslink to Sevenoaks.\n\n### Fox and Hounds\n\nThis pub at Romney Street which you may find marked \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\ton your Ordnance Survey map is no longer open.\n\n### Austin Lodge Valley\n\n![](https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/images/P003b.jpg)\n\nThis charming valley, now dry, was probably formed in \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tthe white chalk of the North Downs during the most \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\trecent glacial period. There were no glaciers here \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tbut the climate was cold enough to freeze any moisture \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tin the chalk, making it impermeable to water so that \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tduring periods of surface thaw the water would form a \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tstream that cut the valley into the chalk. In \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tmodern times the chalk is permeable to water so that \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tstreams cannot form. As the chalk gradually \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdissolved and washed away there were left behind flints \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\twhich had been suspended within the chalk and clay \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tformed from silt deposited with along with the shells of \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\ttiny sea creatures when the chalk was laid down in clear \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\twater. This 'clay with flints' forms the \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\trelatively thin soil of the valley.\n\nAutomatically migrated from https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/walk_003.htm on 2025-12-11 09:24","contentHtml":"

Kent Ramblers Walk 3

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Points of Interest

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Dunstall Priory

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The English home of the playwright Lord Dunsany \n\t\t\t\t\t\t(1878-1957) who at one time had five plays running \n\t\t\t\t\t\tsimultaneously on Broadway. The family also \n\t\t\t\t\t\thad an estate at Dunsany in Ireland.

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Pilcher Monument

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Opened in 2006, the monument marks the site of \n\t\t\t\t\t\tpioneering experiments in manned flight undertaken by \n\t\t\t\t\t\tPercy Pilcher in 1896 and 1897, initially using gliders.
\t\t\t\t\t\tHe later designed and built a powered triplane but was \n\t\t\t\t\t\tkilled in a gliding accident in 1899 before he had the \n\t\t\t\t\t\topportunity to test it. Had he lived he might have \n\t\t\t\t\t\tbeaten the Wright Brothers to the first successful \n\t\t\t\t\t\tpowered flight.

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Concrete Structures

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You will pass two or three of these on the walk.
\t\t\t\t\t\tThey are the remains of unusual stiles dating back \n\t\t\t\t\t\tbefore, possibly well before, 1964 when they were \n\t\t\t\t\t\tmentioned in a London Transport book of "Country Walks".

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Public Transport

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The walk is ideal for travelling by train to Shoreham \n\t\t\t\t\t\tStation on the route from Victoria to Maidstone or St \n\t\t\t\t\t\tPancras and City Thameslink to Sevenoaks.

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Fox and Hounds

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This pub at Romney Street which you may find marked \n\t\t\t\t\t\ton your Ordnance Survey map is no longer open.

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Austin Lodge Valley

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This charming valley, now dry, was probably formed in \n\t\t\t\t\t\tthe white chalk of the North Downs during the most \n\t\t\t\t\t\trecent glacial period. There were no glaciers here \n\t\t\t\t\t\tbut the climate was cold enough to freeze any moisture \n\t\t\t\t\t\tin the chalk, making it impermeable to water so that \n\t\t\t\t\t\tduring periods of surface thaw the water would form a \n\t\t\t\t\t\tstream that cut the valley into the chalk. In \n\t\t\t\t\t\tmodern times the chalk is permeable to water so that \n\t\t\t\t\t\tstreams cannot form. As the chalk gradually \n\t\t\t\t\t\tdissolved and washed away there were left behind flints \n\t\t\t\t\t\twhich had been suspended within the chalk and clay \n\t\t\t\t\t\tformed from silt deposited with along with the shells of \n\t\t\t\t\t\ttiny sea creatures when the chalk was laid down in clear \n\t\t\t\t\t\twater. This 'clay with flints' forms the \n\t\t\t\t\t\trelatively thin soil of the valley.

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Automatically migrated from https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/walk_003.htm on 2025-12-11 09:24

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