Chiddingstone to Penshurst Walk

An hour and a half walk from Chiddingstone to Penshurst Place, and back by a different route. Total distance about 4.5 miles. 1½ hours

Leaving Chiddingstone by a path to the east of the village, sign-posted "Footpath to Chiddingstone Hoath", continue south, past the New Rectory, over a stile and down a well-marked path to another stile and so on to an iron kissing-gate. Here the path joins the old coach road, which used to link Chiddingstone with Penshurst. Turn left along the old road through woodland, and where the track divides, keep to the left one, which soon joins a road. Here you turn right and continue for a while and cross a stile to the left. Go diagonally across the field until once again you join the coach road.

Here, you turn left to Watstock Farm, where, avoiding the road to the right, you continue through farm buildings. Hiding behind the buildings on the right, there is a fine half-timbered fifteenth century house. The track takes you straight through to Penshurst, with lovely views on the left over the Eden Valley. You will then cross a brick bridge over the river Eden not long before it joins the Medway at Penshurst, and soon you meet the main road, straight ahead, outside Penshurst Place.

At Penshurst village, just to your right, you can get refreshments, and in case you don't already know the village, you should take a look at the beautiful Church, approached through the charming little Leicester Square.

To return to Chiddingstone go back to the place where you joined the main road opposite Penshurst Place and then continue past for about a third of a mile uphill, then just after a house on the left, go up some steps to a stile. Continue beside a hedge on the your left, cross a farm track, leaving the Dutch barns on your left, and follow the path down to the river, where you turn right, to cross the Eden by a humpbacked footbridge. From the bridge you continue half right, cross a ditch and on to a gate with a stile alongside. Cross over the stile and continue right along the side of the field, over another stile and then along the right hand side of the field. You will arrive at a gate just by Wellers Town, which far from being a town is just a collection of cottages on either side of the road. Here you should turn right along the road for a few yards to a gate on the left. Pass through the gate and continue half right across the field ahead to a stile. To the left, in a wooded hollow, once stood the Manor House of Chiddingstone Burghersh, which by 1591 had "clean fallen down"; one can still see faint traces of the two great moats that surrounded the stately building. But to continue, go over a stile, diagonally across the next field to a stile in the hedge; and on beside a wire fence to regain your original path, where, of course, you turn right and so back to Chiddingstone

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However you spend your time, we hope you will enjoy your visit to the Castle Inn and Chiddingstone.