The North Downs Way. Kev Reynolds
architectural glories here are enough to tempt a delay, but pushing on takes the walk to Patrixbourne (whose church demands a brief visit), then across Barham Downs to Womenswold in the back country, continuing through pleasant but undownlike agricultural land to reach Shepherdswell. From here a final eight mile walk makes an exploration of gentle East Kent farmland that culminates in a remarkably easy entry into Dover, whose castle overlooks the town from a prominent site that has been fortified for nearly two thousand years.
Where to stay
A wide range of accommodation is available all along the North Downs Way, ranging through a handful of campsites, youth hostels and camping barns (independent hostels), to more frequent private bed and breakfasts (B&Bs), country pubs and a few high-priced hotels (for those who crave extra comforts). On each stage of the walk described in this guide an indication is made where, at the time of research, such accommodation could be found, but anyone planning to tackle the route end to end is advised to go online to visit www.nationaltrail.co.uk/northdowns and download current accommodation details.
During research for this edition, the YHA had only two hostels on or near the NDW. These were at Tanners Hatch (Stage 2) and Canterbury (on Stage 10a). Advance booking is advised for both, especially during school holidays and at weekends – details of addresses, facilities and telephone numbers are given in the YHA guide which comes free with membership – see Appendix A for the YHA National Office, or try www.yha.org.uk.
A welcome B&B on Detling Hill (Stage 7)
The decline in the number of YHA hostels along the North Downs Way is partly compensated for by the establishment of independent hostels or ‘camping barns’, of which there are currently three in the route's vicinity: at Puttenham (Stage 1), Coldblow east of Detling (Stage 8), and in Canterbury (Stage 10a). A handbook listing hundreds of independent hostels throughout the UK is published by The Backpackers Press, but for further information see www.independenthostelguide.co.uk.
Waymarking and accessibility
As a National Trail, managed jointly by Surrey and Kent County Councils with support from Natural England, the North Downs Way is adequately waymarked with arrows bearing an acorn symbol, and is well maintained and checked for obstructions. Since the first edition of this guide was published, scores of stiles have been replaced by kissing gates, direction signs made more evident, and the way improved and re-routed in certain places to make a safer crossing of some roads.
1 The NDW is clearly waymarked with the acorn symbol of a National Trail
2 Signposts appear at major junctions
3 Green metal footpath signs are common in Kent
4 This signpost at Wrotham indicates that the NDW is linked with the E2 European Trail
Walkers can expect reasonable conditions along the whole route. However, although it follows a series of defined rights of way, some sections are on bridleways shared with cyclists and horse riders and can be very muddy in inclement weather, while in other places the route travels along byways used by motorised traffic where extra care should be taken.
Colour-coded waymarks clarify the right of use of these various designations: yellow arrows indicate footpaths (walkers only); blue arrows show a bridleway (walkers, cyclists and horse riders); red arrows indicate a byway (all traffic).
When to go
No season need be out of bounds for the walker along the North Downs Way, so long as suitable clothing be worn, so whether you plan to walk the whole route end to end, or pick out isolated sections for day walks, consideration should be given first and foremost to conditions underfoot. Comfortable, well-fitting and weatherproof footwear is essential to the enjoyment of the walk, for you need to be prepared for all weathers at all times of the year. In summer no less than winter, rain and wind can have a chilling effect, especially when walking across unsheltered downland, and your choice of clothing should take this into account. Warm and waterproof outer garments ought to be carried or worn on every stage of the long walk.
Conversely, don't forget the effects of too much sun – so include a brimmed hat to protect head and neck, and use suncream too. A basic first aid kit to deal with cuts, scratches and blisters ought to be carried in the rucksack, together with food for the day, plenty of liquid refreshment, and Ordnance Survey maps for the area. Although a compass is not essential, one could be helpful in the unlikely event of your getting lost – as long as you know how to use it, that is.
Getting there – and back
Farnham and Dover are both served by rail from London: Farnham services come from Waterloo, Dover's from Victoria or Charing Cross. A good many other country stations are located near enough to the North Downs Way to give reasonably easy access, and will be especially useful for anyone planning to tackle the route in day stages.
In Surrey these stations are at Guildford, Shalford, Chilworth, Gomshall, Dorking, Deepdene, Westhumble, Betchworth, Reigate, Merstham, and Oxted. In Kent they are at Otford, Kemsing, Borough Green, Halling, Cuxton, Eyhorne Street (Hollingbourne), Harrietsham, Lenham, Charing, Wye, Chilham, Chartham, Canterbury, Bekesbourne, and Shepherdswell.
Public transport information can be accessed by contacting Traveline at www.travelinesoutheast.org.uk or National Rail travel enquiries 08457 484950 www.nationalrail.co.uk.
Using this guide
For the purposes of this guide the route has been broken into 11 stages to cover the main walk from Farnham to Dover, with three additional stages for the northern spur via Canterbury. The shortest of these is just 7½ miles (12km), the longest 13¾ miles (22km), but since there's the possibility of finding accommodation at various intermediate points, it's not essential to stick to the itinerary set out here, and readers are advised to either shorten or lengthen most stages to suit their own needs.
Estimating timings
Although no indication of timing is given for any stage of the route, walkers should assume an average of 2–2½ miles per hour. When trying to estimate how long it will take to get from A to B, remember to make allowances for refreshment stops, photographic delays, and time taken to consult the map or guidebook, all of which are likely to add considerably to your total walking time. In hot, wet or windy conditions you will inevitably take longer, and if there are any ploughed fields to cross your pace will be much slower.
Accommodation and refreshments
The precise location of accommodation and refreshment facilities is not given, but a rough indication has been made to ease advanced planning. Where a bracketed distance, for example (+½ mile), is given in the panel at the beginning of the route description, this shows that accommodation or refreshments can be found half a mile off the NDW. A note in the text suggests the most direct route to take. (Should you intend to stop for refreshment in pubs or cafés along the way, please be considerate to the patrons and either remove your boots before entering, or cover them with plastic bags to avoid leaving a trail of mud behind you.)
Maps
Maps used in this guide are taken from the Ordnance Survey Landranger series at a scale of 1:50,000 (1¼ inches to 1 mile). While they show the route of each stage of the North Downs Way,