2025 Walk Details

 

PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING BOOT COVERS/PLASTIC BAGS to put over your boots at the lunch stop - we only want to leave behind a good impression not mud on the carpet.

 

Maps and menus for the walks can be found in the members section

 

Swanley Village Walk for Monday, 1st September, 2025

 

Instead of an Extended Walk where we travel further afield, I have decided to do a walk closer to home. I have for some time wanted to do a walk around Swanley Village, looking at the Grade II listed buildings/structures and other interesting buildings.

 

The walk will commence from Swanley Village at the junction of Highlands Hill and School Lane. There is free parking along School Lane preferably along the left-hand side of the road from the junction. The walk will use footpaths, roads and public rights of way paths. In addition to information on buildings, there will be some historical information and a few ghost stories along the way.(See attached map of the route). The numbers are for my benefit and are the locations of the buildings. The information I will be providing is taken from the book by James S Robertson, “Swanley Village Then & Now, a History” and the notes of local historian Horace J. Balls, transcribed by the late Cllr. Geoffrey Blaxall.

 

There will be a lunch stop after the walk for those that wish, which will be at The Lamb PH, Swanley Village Road, BR8 7NN Tel. 01322-615161, their menu is attached. Their web site is www.lambinnswanley.co.uk

 

The pub can accommodate up to 30 people. Please advise me by Monday 25th August if want to come on the walk and, if you are stopping for lunch, your menu choice. My email address is robertbrickell50@gmail.com 

 

We will aim to be at the pub by 12:45 pm for a 1:00 pm lunch.

 

Please arrive by 9:45am.

 

The walk will start at 10:00 am.

 

The total walk distance is 4.2 miles.

Directions:  To avoid the narrow lanes from the M25/M20/A20 roundabout take the B2173, London Road, into the centre of Swanley and then the B258, Swanley Lane, towards Hextable. At Five Wents turn right into Highlands Hill and at the top turn left into School Lane.  

 

 

EXTENDED WALK for Monday 12th May 2025

 

The next extended walk is on Monday 12th May 2025 and will be a trip to London to walk The Regents Canal, 8.6 miles in total. The walk will start at Limehouse Basin and finish at Little Venice at Paddington, see attached road map with the canal route superimposed. I have also attached a Wikipedia map of the canal route.

We will need to meet at Swanley station about 9.20am to buy tickets. I would estimate that we would be back at Swanley station around 6 pm. The best option would be to buy a Travel Card to London as we will be returning after 4pm so an Oyster card may prove more expensive. If you have a rail discount card you will get a third off the price. You will also get a third off if three or more people travel together as a group. Please let me know whether you are coming and whether you would like to be part of a group. The discounted price is currently £11.85.

We will catch the 09.48 train to London Bridge and then the Northern Line to Bank where we will change to the Docklands Light Railway to Lime House which should be around 10.30am. We should arrive at Victoria Park for a banana break were there are public toilets at mid-day. We will aim to be at Camden market at 2.15pm for lunch. We will return from Paddington using the Bakerloo Line to Oxford Circus and Victoria Line to Victoria.

There are lots of options to eat at Camden or you could bring a packed lunch. I decided to use the Weatherspoon’s pub called The Ice Wharf earlier this week which was really good, see attached menu.

My email address, robertbrickell50@gmail.com  

 

 

EXTENDED WALK for Monday 7th April 2025

 The next extended walk is on Monday 7th April 2025 and will be a circular walk from The Queens Head, 25, High Street Downe, Kent BR6 7US. Tel: 01689 852145, see attached map of the route.  The pub have advised that we can use their car park but there is also parking available on the High Street.

The lunch stop will be at The Queens Head and their typical menu can be viewed on their website. Last year we asked for menu choices as usual only to find there were no pies of the day available so, we will make our choices on the day. We will aim to be at the pub by 1:30 pm for lunch. 

Their web site is https://www.queensheaddowne.com  Barry has indicated in the region of 15 of us give or take a few. Please advise me whether you are coming, by Monday 31st March if you are stopping for lunch as we still need to advice the pub of numbers. If you are not stopping for lunch please park in in the High Street. 

My email address, robertbrickell50@gmail.com  

Please arrive by 9:45am.

The walk will start at 10:00 am and will be led by Barry Everitt who has planned this walk.

The total walk distance is 7.13 miles. There are some undulations on the route.

Directions: From Swanley take the B2173 London Road out of Swanley to Junction 3, M25 and head south coming off at Junction 4 onto the A21 towards Orpington, at the 3rd roundabout take the first exit onto the B2158 for Farnborough Village and turn immediately first left into Shire Lane at the mini roundabout. Take the 4th turning on the left into High Elms Road, continue and at the T-junction with Cudham Road turn right and continue into the High Street, The Queens Head is on the right hand side

The post code is BR6 7US for satnav users.

 

 

EXTENDED WALK for Monday 3rd March 2025

The next extended walk is on Monday 3rd March 2025 and will be a circular walk from The Cricketers Inn, Wrotham Road, Meopham, Kent, DA13 0QA. Tel: 01474 812163, see attached map of the route.  The pub have advised that we can use their car park and there is car parking in Steele’s Lane adjacent the green.

The lunch stop will be at The Cricketers and their menu for the 7th February is attached. Hopefully the mains will still be the same for our date. We will aim to be at the pub by 1:30 pm for lunch. 

Their web site is www.thecricketersinn.co.uk  I have indicated in the region of 10-12 of us give or take a few. Please advise me of your menu choice, by Monday 24th February if you are stopping for lunch. If you are not stopping for lunch please park in Steele’s Lane, and meet in the Cricketers car park. 

My email address, robertbrickell50@gmail.com  

Please arrive by 9:45am.

The walk will start at 10:00 am and will be led by Martin Williamson who has planned this walk.

The total walk distance is 6.52 miles. There are undulations on the route.

Directions: Take the M20 towards Wrotham – first exit for A20 to Wrotham – take the A227, first exit onto Gravesend Road which changes to Wrotham Road and then South Street to Meopham Green. The Cricketers is on the left opposite the green.

The post code is DA13 0QA for satnav users.