Kent Ramblers: Walk 406

Kent Ramblers: Walk 406

Westerham and Chartwell

Length: 5.1 miles (2h 30m)

OS Map: Explorer 147 (Start at grid reference TQ446540)

There are several car parks in and around Westerham. The largest, Darent car park, is on the eastern edge of town past Quebec House. Wherever you park, make your way to The Green, dominated by a large sculpture of Winston Churchill.

Head up the High Street to highest point then continue downhill until junction with Croydon Road (B2024) on right. Turn left up narrow Lodge Lane and at end take footpath on right. Keeping left at any junctions continue to bridge over River Darent. Follow track round to right and immediately after house on right take path steeply uphill between fences. At top pass through kissing gate into copse then second kissing gate into woodland.

Continue through woodland, eventually descending towards a house. By this time you are following the Greensand Way and will continue to do so until you reach French Street. Turn right in front of house and follow broad path until junction of paths with post bearing many waymarks, not all of them pointing in the right direction.

Bear left and follow Greensand Way, keeping left where route is unclear, to reach clearing at junction of multiple paths with welcome bench. Bear right to bench, turn left past it and take left fork after a few metres. Follow Greensand Way through woodland, passing remote cottage then descending to junction of paths by gateway to April Cottage on right. Go forward uphill soon reaching Hosey Common Road.

Bear right across road and take path on other side steeply uphill. As path levels out, turn left at waymark post. Continue without change of direction, soon descending to Mapleton Road at entrance to Chartwell where refreshments can be obtained if open.

Take path opposite, climbing between fences, to reach Hosey Common Lane. Go straight across on broad and sometimes muddy track, avoiding side paths until track bears left on approach to French Street and gates to gardens are visible. Here Greensand Way goes sharp right but for this walk you turn sharp left into woodland, soon meeting drive to house. Turn left then right in front of house and continue through woodland to meet Hosey Common Lane again. Turn right until end of fence surrounding Evergreen Acres Farm on left then turn left through woods and soon meet Hosey Common Road.

Go straight across and take path on right leading into woods. Follow this path downhill, avoiding side paths that lead uphill, eventually emerging through gate into open land. Turn sharp right, climbing steeply until there are fine views ahead of North Downs. At junction of paths and waymark post, take path slightly right of straight ahead, soon descending to fence. Go through gate, continue downhill and at bottom bear right to bridge over Darent. Head along Mill Street to A25 then left back to Green or right to large Darent car park.

Points of Interest

Hill Fort

The iron age hill fort is now heavily wooded and difficult to inspect. Briefly in 1961 parts were cleared of trees and an archaeological investigation undertaken. This revealed clearly the construction of the ditches around the site but very few artifacts were found, suggesting that the fort was little used.

It may be coincidence that in 1927 a hoard of iron age coins was found on Hosey Common but equally they could be contemporaneous with the fort. The fourteen coins, made of gold, silver and copper, were contained within a naturally hollowed out sphere of flint. The find was dated to around 100 BC.

Chartwell

For many years the home of Winston Churchill, Chartwell offers not just the opportunity to tour the house with its displays of Churchillian memorabilia but also an exhibition of his paintings, a large garden with black swans on the lake, a woodland walk with fine bluebells in spring, an adventure trail for the children and of course the tea-room/restaurant and shop.
Belongs to the National Trust.

Quebec House

...was the childhood home of General James Wolfe who died in the Battle of Quebec while commanding the forces that seized the town from the French in 1775. The house belongs to the National Trust and its opening times depend on the season.

Westerham

					Green

The statue of Sir Winston Churchill was sculpted by Oscar Nemon and stands on a plinth given by Marshall Tito of Yugoslavia in 1969.

Public Transport

Westerham is quite well served by buses, for example from Sevenoaks.

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