Bridging the gap on the North Down's Way

My recent week off from work, afforded the perfect opportunity to knock off a further section of the North Down’s Way long-distance footpath. The weather was dry and sunny, and with a stiff breeze to help keep temperatures down, turned out to be the perfect conditions for walking.

The section I chose was the next stage along from Cuxton; the position I reached in July, at the end of my previous walk. This time though I would be walking east to west, rather than the other way around; my choice  dictated by the availability and frequency of public transport at each end. 

I set off from home just before 8.30 am and walked down to Tonbridge station. There was a direct train through to Maidstone at 9.05 am, so I waited for that to pull in, before boarding.  The Medway Valley Line is one of the prettiest rail routes in the south east following, as its name suggests, the course of the River Medway as it winds its way up towards the Thames Estuary.

I wasn’t going that far, alighting instead at Maidstone Barracks; one of three rail stations in the county town. A footpath leads up from the Barracks station to the high-level bridge that carries the other rail line into Maidstone, over the Medway and also across a busy dual carriageway that leads up towards Chatham.

Maidstone East station was my goal, as it was from there that my pre-booked taxi would be waiting for me. That was the plan, but due to a misunderstanding with the person who took the booking, there was no taxi. Maidstone East is undergoing a major rebuild, with the former Victoria pub that once fronted the station, now completely flattened and nothing more than a memory.

The construction work also meant that the taxi rank had been moved, and when I eventually found it the handful of taxis parked up there had no record of any booking for Mr Bailey. A quick call to the taxi company revealed the reason why, but I still fail to see why, having booked a pick-up at 09.50, the operator should think I meant 09.50 in the evening.!

Weren’t these people familiar with the 24-hour clock? If I’d wanted collecting at ten to ten in the evening, I would have said 21.50, but obviously not in Maidstone! The taxi firm despatched a cab for me, more or less straight away, and the driver and I were soon speeding out of Maidstone and towards the bottom of Blue Bell Hill.

As someone who watches the pennies, I’m a very infrequent user of taxis, but by taking a cab I saved myself a three mile walk along a busy dual carriageway (A229), just to connect with the start of the NDW. These were

three miles I would rather spend walking across the downs or through woodland, rather than having my ears blasted by traffic noise and my lungs filled with exhaust fumes. The ride also saved me an hour and a quarter’s walking, so from all points of view, was money well spent.

The driver dropped me outside the Lower Bell pub, on the Old Chatham Road. It was slightly higher up than I’d intended on starting from, but it didn’t matter, and after getting my bearings, I soon managed to pick up the NDW. This first section was all uphill, but largely through woodland. The trees provided some welcome shade for the already intense heat of the sun, but a quarter of the way I followed a gap in the hedge for a look at the Kits Coty House.

This is a stone structure, dating from Neolithic times, which once formed the entrance to a long barrow, used as a burial chamber, and is one of the best-preserved examples remaining in this part of the country. After pausing briefly to take some photos, I continued back up towards the top of Blue Bell Hill, eventually reaching the picnic area and viewing point at the top of the escarpment.

I stopped there for a while taking in the panoramic views of the Medway Valley, far below, and also drank deeply from my “Chilly’s” water bottle, with its nice cool contents. The path follows a road along the escarpment, in a north-westerly direction for several miles, dipping in and out of areas of woodland. A track opposite a path leading up from the village of Burham, will take visitors to the Robin Hood pub. This isolated hostelry is hidden from the road, but a signpost gives a clue to its presence.

The time was just after 11.30 am, so I doubted the pub would be open. It was also far too early into the walk to be stopping off for a pint, however tempting it might be. I continued along the road, which slowly turns into more of a track. It also changed direction, heading now almost due north, and starting a slow descent as the same time.

Eventually I came out of the trees and was rewarded with a view of the Medway valley and the impressive Medway Bridges. The NDW makes its way towards these structures which
carry the M2 motorway and the HS1 high-speed rail line, across the River Medway. A shared footway for pedestrians and cyclists runs alongside the northside of motorway, separated by barriers and fencing.  From a height of 116 feet above the river, it affords spectacular views towards Rochester, two miles away, and of the boats on the Medway below.

I was relieved to be walking across in dry and warm weather, as the crossing feels very exposed. There are also several strategically placed signs, erected by the Samaritans, which serve as a poignant reminder that a number of troubled souls have chosen to end things by throwing themselves off the bridge. 

Once across, away from the immediate roar of traffic and out of the wind, I took a left hand turn onto the A228, which then crosses the M2 and HS1 by means of a bridge. Eventually I turned off into Ranscombe Farm Reserve, where I found a conveniently sited bench, sheltered from the wind by a small wood. It formed the ideal spot for me to stop and eat my packed lunch.  I was famished by this time, but there had not been a comfortable or indeed suitable place to stop beforehand.

My chosen spot was a nice little suntrap as well, as I rested my weary

legs and tucked into my cheese sandwiches. I also had a rewarding view out across the Medway, with the bridges still visible from my vantage point. I was glad to have brought a hat with me, given the heat from the sun but as I felt my arms starting to burn, I thought I’d better get moving again.

I re-joined the path and continued past the quaintly-named,  Merrals Shaw Wood and then Ranscombe Farm, before descending into a deep combe. The path then led slowly back up and across the main Rochester-Victoria rail line and then into a hosing estate on the edge of Cuxton. This was close to the hamlet of Lower Bush where I had entered the village on my previous walk back in July.

A mile’s walk along Bush Road took me past a row of shops and then into the centre of Cuxton. It was then a short hop to the station and the train back home to Tonbridge.  I only had a short wait for the train so, as before, there wasn’t time to call in at the White Hart pub.

That’s another 10 miles knocked off the North Down's Way, but there’s still a fair way to go, not least of which is the 25-mile section from Blue Bell Hill down to the River Stour and the village of Wye. I would like to complete this stretch by the end of the year so I will feel that at least I 

have accomplished something during this strangest of years. I will then be able to complete the NDW by continuing from Dunton Green, just north of Sevenoaks, to the end of the trail at Farnham on the Surrey-Hants border. 

This does of course,  depend on what "knee-jerk" restrictions the hapless UK government come up with because, as I sit here this morning, putting the finishing touches to this piece, "Mr Bumble" and his side-kick, Matt Hancock, "the boy blunder" are contemplating further draconian curbs on our civil liberties. Watch this space - preferably from 2 metres away!!