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  • Tenderden – Secret Lake.

    Equipped with my new hiking app, completely unaware how to use it or if it was any good, I headed on my first recorded walk to test how functional a hiking app really is. Before this walk, I was not a consistent walker and would opt for the car, even just to go the shops. I didn’t walk for pleasure and only engaged on staycations, normally all over wales but also Cornwall, Norfolk and New Forest. I’ve spent many a days out in woodlands and nature reserves but these were for and with the children. Now they are older, I’ve rebirthed my love of the outdoors and the freedom to explore new places so much so that I now strongly recommend it to anyone on any healing or self discovery journey. A year later and I couldn’t do without my weekly walks and now when driving, I get excited at the sight of those green public footpath signs and can’t wait to head back out on the trails.

    3.66 mile, mainly flat walk with styles and diving boards.
    The parking postcode for this route is 📍Preston Lane, TN30 7DD. I found a place to park along the wider stretch of country lane right next to the stunning house with pond shown above. Directly opposite the house is a gate onto the public footpath running through a field leading to another field of grazing cows. Thankfully they didn’t mind me passing through and stayed at a distance. I love all forms of animals but the cows in their own field I do worry about passing.

    Beyond the second field, the public footpath passes through private property, their own pond and horses in view from the adorable abode. I imagined what it would be like to open your windows and doors everyday to the views and sounds around me, absolute heaven!

    Taking a left at the end of this footpath continuing on the next heading south, you will approach the Secret Lake.

    The Secret Lake is a refreshing oasis and part of a protected area within the High Weald National Landscape. Completely secluded and a pin for a place to go and relax, read or write.
    Heading back north along the High Weald heritage trail you will reach the woodlands with wooden bridges over a small winding stream offering different walking routes.

    be sure to check the gates for signs, as some of the fields off the trial are private with no public right of way. On my visit there was a small area where the ground was unstable and some sort of land had slid or sank. A gentle reminder of the power of nature.

    I followed the path to the right on my app looking for an opportunity to head back to the car feeling satisfied I could use the app and plan longer walks. Entering the farmers enclosures at the opposite end of entry following the path back to the car leading to the car.

    My first experience with the hiking app was better than I anticipated and it’s definitely helped me have confidence knowing I wasn’t somewhere which wasn’t a public right of way.
    Have you tried a walking or hiking app?
    For media content on this walk, check out our socials.

  • A Kent Countryside Walk – Sevenoaks, Ightham Loop.

    This walk is just short of five miles through countryside and woodlands with spectacular views across Sevenoaks. I completed the route in September and to date, its still one of my favourite walks. It turned out to be a route that has it all.

    The points of interest along this route are:

    • View of Ightham Mote
    • Nature pond in Martins Woods
    • Views across Kent Downs
    • 19th Century hop pickers accommodation
    • One Tree Hill
    • Shingle Hill Wood
    • Rooks Hill
    • Hop house
    • Farm animals

    This route is well pathed but does have some steep hills and woodland steps.

    I started the walk at The National Trust Ightham Mote car park – Sevenoaks TN15 0NT. Its free parking for National Trust members and £3 for non members. The ticket machine is cash only. There is a map in the car park with walking paths and trail names. I use a hiking app to follow the paths I want to take and record the route but the map is helpful for people that don’t use an app. Another reason I like the app is when you add pictures to your route it pin points where they were taken as shown in the above photo.

    Taking the walking path left out of the car park, you’re instantly met with the woodlands trail giving sneaky views into Ightham Motes beautiful gardens, which nearly had me buying a ticket. The woodlands and gardens were filled with loud chirping and singing yellow tits, fleeing across the path as I approached. This section is small and it’s not long before coming to a gate onto a country lane. Crossing the lane on the left is the nature pond of Martins wood, thriving with life and the healing sound of trickling water is exactly what I love to come across on my walks.

    I followed the path left of the pond for further views of Ightham mote, passing an adorable and equally old house with warning signs for their much loved cats. Ightham mote is a unique 14th century moated manor house, gardens and estate that has been remodelled over 700 years with remaining Jacobean staircase and Tudor facade. It is one of the oldest medieval manor houses to survive in England, an absolute pleasure to see.

    Following the lane taking a right at Mote farm, it leads you down a path between tall hedged fields till you reach the open countryside with amazing vast views. This is where I meet the first set of farm animals on this route. Adult pigs with large enclosures overlooking the hills watched upon by a lone country cottage. The pigs were friendly and curious as I sat talking to them like they are wildlife. I find being around animals extremely calming and love getting to see them when out and about. I could have sat with them all day, but I pushed on.

    Passing the pigs and lone cottage following the path to the right, you are led into Ightham Mote woodlands. Moss covered boulders scatter the ground leading the way to another vast view point.

    Past the view point you enter One Tree Hill via makeshift woodland steps of recycled bricks and wooden handrails for those slippery days. The trees are bigger and older in this section of woodlands with many intertwined exposed tree roots. I love photographing these and the micro world around us. Within this section of the route there are even more view points across Kent and additional farm animal enclosures. Along the country lane breaking through the fields were some sheep and horses sharing space. Further on the route there is a well positioned bench overlooking a field holding ponies and donkeys. Next to this is the piglets enclosure with the young pigs sleeping in the sun. I spent a large amount of time sitting on the bench absorbing the view. The animals were circling their pen so I approached the gate to the field. With the donkeys leading the way, they came to the gate one at a time like a school dinner queue, it was like they knew I needed the interaction and were happy to oblige.

    Following the path straight will bring you along to the hop pickers accommodation. The building was used during the 18th to mid 20th century for the September hop picking season. Families would travel from London to get away and enjoy the countryside whilst earning extra money. Right after the hop pickers huts you will again pass the nature pond of Martins Wood. Retracing my steps back through the last stretch of woodlands before reaching the car and ending my walk before the car park closed.

    Some walks I start knowing I want to build miles. This walk was a slow paced one where the intention was to spend time in nature and I was not disappointed. There were multiple opportunities to extend the walk if you’re looking for something a little longer.

    Is the Ightham Mote loop a route you think you would enjoy?

  • Historic Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway.

    Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway is a fifteen inch gauge light railway on the Kent coast stretching 13.5 miles from Dungeness to Hythe. Having passed the Dymchurch railway station many years ago, I knew it existed, but never got round to visiting. What I didn’t know was the impressive history of this mini railway and its fleet of personally named trains. It was a destined adventure coming across it with time to spare to take a ride, granted it was late in the day but we saw the experience to be had. We started our journey at Dungeness station where a stone throw away from the entrance stands two lighthouses, one of them you can pay £5 to climb, learn its history and how the lighthouses work. There is welcomed and rare free parking for both the railway and lighthouses.

    New Lighthouse
    Old Lighthouse

    Having never been to Dungeness, driving through and absorbing the rather strange erie landscape with miles of shingle, miss placed houses and huts, I was slow to realise what a unique place it was followed by being in awe of it.

    Entering The End of the Line Restaurant where the ticket office and souvenir shop is conveniently sharing the same space, we got our tickets, a coffee and my obligatory fridge magnet. As it was drawing closer to the end of the day, there was only one more train on the timetable to leave. We accepted this would affect enjoying all that the railway experience has to offer and if arriving earlier, a full day could have been had. We settled for the 50 minute round trip to New Romney and was excited to ride a one-third full size historic locomotive.

    Ticket Office
    Shop

    The locomotive for our journey out was the magnificent Samson steam engine with US Crosby whistle built by Davey Paxman & Co in 1927. looking absolutely stunning in Prussian blue this powerful and beautiful engine took us through miles of stunning landscapes and surprisingly cheeky glimpse of town people’s back gardens.

    Our carriage was fitted with traditional manually operated sliding doors and windows which reminded me of the old slam door trains I used to get to school. Hanging my head out the window like I did in my youth with the sounds of the train speeding along the track, countryside in view and the smell of a hard working engine, a truly wonderful enjoyable experience. An experience I suspect many Marsh Academy children had as the railway was contracted by Kent County Council to transport kids to and from Romney Marsh but sadly ceased in 2007. However, it does still hold a post office licence for rail postal service.

    Samson

    We arrived at New Romney station with 10 minutes to spare before our train started its journey back. We exited Sampson’s carriages to see many of the thirteen superb fleet of steam and diesel locomotives. The miniature theme continued through the station with petite platforms, mini passenger bridges and signs seeping adorableness.

    Also located at the New Romney station is the Model Railway Exhibition. Sadly we didn’t have time to explore this but it’s potentially the largest model railway in England and has been running since 1978. We spent our free 10 minutes invading the drivers space admiring every angle of the Green Goddess, the steam engine in LNER Apple Green with a small chime whistle build in 1925, that will take us back to Dungeness.

    Screenshot

    The return journey with Green Goddess was equally as impressive as we sped along at 25mph. Admiring the vast reaching sights I imagined the journeys of past times and the people that took them. From soldiers, materials and equipment in World War Two, after the railway was requisitioned by the war department, to royal, school and general public transport. The Railway is a truly wonderful piece of history. It carried the title of “smaller public railway in the world” from 1926 to 1978 and “the only armoured miniature train in the world” being created to guard the railway during the war.

    Overall we throughly enjoyed our short trip with Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway and would highly recommend it. It’s an all generational day out, even the dog can go along for free. It’s fantastic for engine or locomotive fans as you can get up close, talk to the drivers, covered in soot, and feel the engine really working on your ride. Don’t be like us, plan ahead to make the most of a full fun day out, but if you only have a couple of hours to spare, it’s still worth it.

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