Kent Ramblers: Walk of the Month

April: Preston Hill Country Park

Distance:          2.3 miles (1 hour)

OS Map:           Explorer 147 (Start at TQ529633)

Click map to enlarge and click again to enlarge further

The Kent Downs National Landscape call this the Unknown Country Park and there’s no reason to argue with that.  There are no facilities here apart from a couple of conveniently placed lay-byes on the main road for parking and a few information boards.  If you visit, you are likely to have the place to yourself apart perhaps from a small herd of go.  The views across the Darent Valley are superb.  Early on a sunny morning in late October there can hardly be a better place in Kent from which to appreciate the autumn colours.  The figure of eight route described here, about 2.5 miles in total, is well waymarked and well maintained.

The two lay-byes are marked A and B on the map; the route described here starts at A.  If heading south along the 225 (Shoreham Road), having passed Castle Road (signposted for Lullingstone Park Visitor Centre) look for the Castle Farm sign on the right.  Immediately on the left are two lay-byes, a small one with a bus stop which should be left clear and a larger one where you can park.

From lay-bye go back past bus stop and take track on right opposite entrance to Castle Farm.  Cross bridge over railway and go through kissing gate to left of larger gate.

For first and smaller loop of walk, turn left immediately and follow gradually rising path offering increasingly fine views across the Daren Valley.  Just follow waymarks, in due course turning right quite steeply uphill and right again along top of open area.  Descend gradually to information board close to kissing gate mentioned above.

Turn sharp left uphill past boards and continue to follow waymarks.  At first point where there is any choice of tracks, keep right and follow track round to left.  At next junction of tracks where what is probably the track you didn’t take last time joins from left, turn right with open field over hedge on left.  At end of field go through gate to information board and turn right downhill.

When track is about to turn left (it leads to lay-bye marked B on the map), go through gate on right and turn right.  Soon reach sign offering choice between steep and level routes and make your choice.  The routes soon merge again along track contouring along bottom of open area.  Go through gate and left along downhill track.  When track bears left at bottom, go through gate on right and along path, leading back to information board where you started.  Turn left down to gate then over railway bridge back to road.

If starting from lay-bye at B, which is larger than the one at A, go through the gate and up track, soon bearing left and climbing steadily with good views.  When track turns right, go straight forward through gate and follow instructions at start of previous paragraph.

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