Kent Ramblers: Walk 61

Brenchley and Mile Oak

Distance:   4.5 or 3 Miles (2h 15m or 1h 30m)

OS Map:   Explorer 147 (Start at grid reference TQ525594)

Click map to enlarge and click again to enlarge further

Park in small car park in Brenchley.  If approaching from Matfield it is down short lane on right just after old forge and just before Bull Inn.  There are toilets.  If car park is full, there are more parking spaces near the church.

Emerge from car park into High Street and turn left.  On reaching war memorial, turn right up Holly Bank.  At top turn left but almost immediately take path up steps on right into orchard.  Soon go through gate on right and then bear left along drive past houses.  Enter orchard, turn right and after a few metres left along grassy track.

After 100 metres immediately before meadow begins on right, turn right down path with orchard on right and meadow on left.  Go through gate and follow path across former golf course, soon between fences.  Continue to bottom of hill and follow path round to left of copse.  At T-junction turn right downhill.  After lowest point, head uphill again and just over brow of hill take path on right between fences down to Waterman’s Lane.

Turn right and after just a few metres take path on left across field.  At end of hedge sticking out into field path branches – bear right across field then along edge of garden to track.  Turn left and follow, soon bearing right, to reach Mile Oak Road.

Turn right and, just past Mile Oak sign, take path on left.  Go up drive of house, through gate, along edge of back garden and over stile into field.  When you reach ditch in middle of field, turn right alongside it until, just after junction with another ditch, cross first ditch on left and follow right hand bank of second ditch to Knowle Road.  (Path as marked on OS map follows rather different route across the field.)

Turn left down lane to junction.  Turn right along path beside fence then across field to footbridge.  Cross next field, initially towards house then bearing left along far field edge to footbridge.  Across bridge, turn left along field edge then track to Pearson’s Green Road.

Turn right past several houses until you reach a clearly signposted path on left.  Down steps bear right across field to top right corner (if ploughed you may prefer to go along right hand edge).  Turn right along track uphill through meadow making for buildings at top of hill and emerge onto Crook Road.

Turn left for 300m the turn right along driveway leading past Temple Farm and Little Crossletts (there is a small concrete footpath sign in verge).  Follow past house into open field, bear right and follow right hand edge of field, becoming path between hedges after large dung heap.  Go over stile into garden of house, turn right along drive then, just before metal gates, go left along right hand side and then back of garage.  Follow path down steps, over stile then down to Furnace Lane.

There is now a section of road walking.  Take especial care and be sure to walk on the outside of blind bends.  Continue to lowest point of road and then as it turns a corner and starts to climb take a path on right just after a small lay-by.  Keep right and cross end of lake (Furnace Pond – a relic of the Weald’s ancient iron industry).  Through gate, turn right uphill through orchard.  Bear slightly left across track to pass yellow waymark.  As you near a wood at top of orchard, bear left straight across orchard to a lane.  Turn right and take path on left immediately after bungalow on left.  Follow along field edge down to where old railway sleepers have been laid to avoid the mud.  Once across the sleepers go steeply uphill to stile at top and along path that brings you out opposite the church in Brenchley.  Cross the green and bear right along High Street past Bull Inn to car park entrance.

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Points of Interest

Brenchley

Brenchley originally prospered through the cloth trade, then became a centre for the iron industry and later hops.

Orchards, once in decline, are now seeing a substantial revival and you will pass many recently planted apple trees on this walk.

Castle Hill

There are the remains of a medieval ringwork castle as indicated on the map.  Ringwork castles were typically built in the 11th and 12th centuries as alternatives to Motte and Bailey castles – the choice being based on topography and geology rather than wealth or status.  A typical ringwork consisted of a simple earth bank, often topped with a wooden palisade, surrounded by a ditch (from which the earth had been taken to create the bank).  At this site the main bank was around 70 metres wide and there was a second, smaller bank outside the ditch.  There would have been wooden buildings within the defences.

Furnace Pond

Water from this pond once pond once powered one of the largest iron works in the Weald employing over 200 men.  In 1614 its owner, John Brown, was granted the monopoly of making iron and brass guns for the navy.

Public Transport

Brenchley can be reached by bus from Tunbridge Wells.

In addition to the walking routes on our web site we have published three popular walking guides:

Guide to Tunbridge Wells Circular Walk and other walks in the area

Guide to the Kent Coast Path: Part 1, Camber to Ramsgate

Guide to Three River Valley Walks in West Kent: Darent Valley Path, Eden Valley Walk and Medway Valley Walk

Please report any problems with this walk to info@kentramblers.org.uk.

Ramblers' volunteers in Kent work tirelessly to ensure that our paths are as well protected and maintained as possible.  Of course we also organise led walks but most of our members are independent walkers who simply want to support our footpath work.  Please join us and become a supporter too.  You need us and we really need you.