HOME 

This Route is covered in detail below this descriptive section

Map: Ordnance Survey Explorer Series 147

Louise managed to find Plaxtol this week, by way of the Plough Inn at Ivy Hatch.

We had a meal there despite it being almost booked solid for Father's day. It is recommended in many good food guides and appears to be French run. The Inn is old and very cosy inside. An extension allows for it to accommodate it's restaurant. I have to say we thought it over priced and the food thoroughly anglicized French.

They did make us welcome though, which impressed me, as I was dressed in T-shirt, shorts and trekking sandals amongst a throng of blue blazers and floral print dresses.

We parked close to the post office in Plaxtol before marching off through Fairlawne. There is a great panorama from the top of Fairlawne before you and to the left. At the bottom there is a series of artificial ponds and landscaped grounds which give on to a delightful pasture full of sheep.

Just before we reached Shipbourne Common we saw a notice that the garden of Ivy Cottage was open to the public today. It is owned by a bird artist called Ian Bowles and his studio was also open. They only open for two days a year, so it was a chance discovery. They are open again next Sunday, the 27^th June 1999. The garden is planted to attract the birds he paints. We did buy a couple of small items which were nicely painted. A calendar which will be sold by the Medici foundation later this year was one item. Some of his work is a bit chocolate boxy, with birds perched by brightly coloured flowers, but the more naturalistic works are fine. The calendar was commissioned by the Medici Foundation who have a gallery in Mayfair.

Soon after we passed Shipbourne Church and Chaser Inn. A church has stood on the site since 1120AD and is mentioned in Textus Roffensis, referring to the diocese of Rochester. The present church was built in 1881, of what looks like a rich red sandstone. The inside walls are unusually adorned by a series of reddish-pink plaster reliefs with stylised floral motifs. The roof is typical of many Christian churches, resembling an upturned boat. The long distance Greensand Way actually runs through the churchyard.

Much of this walk is through fairly intensive agricultural land, consequently there are fewer wild flowers, but we came across a rough field with yellow Meadow Vetchling (lathyrus pratensis) and a huge Common Spotted Orchid (dactylorhiza fuchsii) with a flower spike 12.7cm (5") tall. Tiny Forget-me-nots (myosotis) lined a section of the field, as did the thistles further on.

Past the houses in Riding Lane, a field on the right had the lovely pale blue of the flax crop in flower. Later on , from around Coldharbour, we saw a lot of white Field Rose (rosa arvensis) and yellow, lightly scented Honeysuckle (lonicera periclymenum) growing in the woods and hedgerows. Foxgloves (digitalis) and Elderflowers make an infrequent appearance.

Tinley Lodge farm has a few buildings which are truly beautiful, with a long wooden clad barn and a red-brick farmhouse with two oasts attached.

Further we passed the long cottage which has the most wonderful rose garden, with tall roses of many colours.

The only other flowers I can recall were some yellow Silverweed (potentilla anserina). The view to West Peckham is quintessentially Kentish, with orchards, vineyards, farms and oasts dotted on the hillside opposite. The walk was delightful and quiet, with plenty of shade for a hot day and many viewpoints. Walking in trekking sandals posed no problem in June, but I expect some stretches will get a bit muddy in winter. The weather was not hot, just cloudy and mild.

Distance: 14km (8.68 miles).

From Plaxtol Church (circa 1649) head west towards Ivy Hatch on the Plaxtol Rd.

After 150 metres turn left over a stile into Fairlawne Park. Head for a post standing to the left of the enclosed stone gateway. When you reach the post,turn half right along a sheep path on the outer edge of the monument. Soon you follow the low ridge towards a group of four to five maple-like trees.

About 130 metres before the boundary wall another post can be seen to your left between five horse chestnut trees and a square enclosed sapling.

Over a stile the next post can just be seen straight ahead with Fairlawne Park to your right. Near the far boundary of the field turn half left into a narrow section to enter a park via a wooden gate in the corner.

Turn left on the main path to pass a large pond and a red iron bridge on your right.

Go through the gate just past a long wooden building and continue over the pasture to the far side glimpsing some houses from Shipbourne ahead. Pass between newly planted trees, protected from the sheep to a footbridge and cross to Shipbourne.

An enclosed path with a beech hedge on your left takes you onto a drive which you follow in the same direction.

This takes you onto Shipbourne Common. Turn right passing the tennis courts on your right. This will take you to the A227, facing the church and the Chaser Inn.

Cross over to Shipbourne Church and go through the kissing gate at the back of the church, taking the path that goes half left in a south westerly direction.

After about 180 metres the path crosses into another field through a line of trees.

Keep to the same heading (south west) along a broad path through a long field.

When you come to a gap between two copses follow the outer boundary of the left copse. This heads to a stile in the hedge before a road. Cross over what is the Hildenborough Rd to a stile on the other side and continue in the same direction.

Head for the far corner of the field (south east east). Climb over a wooden stile by a wooden gate. Cross over a lane through an iron kissing gate into a field.

Follow the left hand boundary of the field passing a wooden hut on your left and continue to follow the left boundary of the next field and cross a rickety stile into the next field, still following the same boundary.

Enter a wood at the end and continue inside it's left hand boundary. A sheep fence runs to the left and laurel, holly and hazel line the right of the footpath.

Cross a stile at the end into Riding Lane and turn left. Walk for about 300 metres passing four or five large red brick houses on the right.

A footpath takes you left by dirty white wooden railings, with signs to Fairhill Court, Garden Cottage and The Granary. Around 150 metres on you come to a tall Wellingtonia fir tree with more signs to the Granary etc. Take a stile on your left onto a woodland path. This enters a Christmas tree plantation (Norway Spruce). Turn right, heading south and cross over the stile at the field boundary.

Next go half left just to the right of a small oak tree towards a gate. Over the stile make for the left of a lone storm damaged oak tree ahead. Beyond that cross another stile and head for the far right corner of the next field. Here you enter a wood and follow a path with a fence on your right, beyond which is a large pond.

At the junction turn right along the broad track and when you reach a dirt track (Coldharbour Lane) turn left along the tree lined track. Pass through a metal gate and carry on towards Tinley Lodge Farm following it's drive round to the right.

Cross over to the footpath to the left of the farm pond. Ignore a main footpath after 20 metres and keep to the enclosed path which soon enters a bower created by the wood.

Go through a wooden gate and continue along the path ahead.

Soon you come to another junction of paths with a long pretty cottage to the right and views over to a large manor house ahead. Take the main stony path going left (north east) and eventually go through a wooden gate to the A227 (Ightham Rd), turn left and after 12 metres, enter a woodland path on the right.

You reach a junction with a pond on the right. Turn right and continue right in a south easterly direction. The path becomes a bridleway and goes uphill. At the top of the rise there is another pond on the left as the path narrows. A sign warns of deep water.

After passing the pond, the track slopes down gently for about 0.8km (1/2 mile) before meeting a broad crossing track. Turn left along this track and follow it in a north-easterly direction, ignoring paths off to the left until you meet another broad crossing track. Go over that to follow a footpath heading east. This will take you to Puttenden Rd. If you have missed the footpath to the top corner of the wood, simply join the footpath just inside the wood and head left.

At the top corner, cross the road to a bridleway opposite. A large pond lies to the right and you walk along this enclosed way until you see a footpath sign clearly marked off to the left leading into the wood. Follow these signs going north east just inside the boundary of the wood and crossing a ride until the path emerges into a field with delightful views toward West Peckham.

Turn left, keeping the wood to your left until just over half way down a post shows the way to the next stile half right in the opposite hedge. Continue in the same direction until you reach a footbridge over a small stream. Cross that and turn left into a long narrow meadow, following the line of pylons.

A stile takes you onto Hamptons Rd, opposite a fish farm. Turn left and take the next footpath on your right beside Popes ? Farm. After 1/2 km, take a stile which leads off to the left crossing to a lane into a small paddock. Shortly after, take another stile in the left hedge into a large field. Keep right following the boundary of a farmhouse.

At the corner of the boundary another path leads off to the left heading north west.

Stick to this path until just before the School Lane, where you cross a stile to the right and head for a solitary oak tree in the field. From there the path veers left and enters the lane over the last stile. Turn right and walk up the lane to Plaxtol.