Blossom & Bluebells on the North Downs, Kent

Experience the sight and scent of bluebells and blossom on this 12 mile walk across gentle hills on the edge of the Medway Valley.

This day walk is a quick hop from London, and this can only accentuate the contrast between the city and the rural surroundings of Sole Street.

From the station we cross arable fields and enter the orchards surrounding the charming village of Cobham, where we will pass The Leather Bottle. The pub is briefly mentioned in Dickens’ Pickwick Papers as a ‘clean and commodious village ale-house’.

Leaving Cobham we’ll then make our way along lanes to Cobham Wood and pass the striking Darnley Mausoleum, an area now managed by the National Trust and grazed by highland cattle as part their landscape management plan.

Further on we’ll walk through Great Wood and then Ranscombe Farm Reserve, renowned for its wild flowers, before joining the North Downs Way. Here the route affords far reaching views over the Medway Valley and beyond, shortly after this we’ll stop for lunch.

We’ll continue to follow the North Downs Way climbing slowly uphill to a heavily wooded ridge where the path is flanked by coppiced trees and bluebells for at least one kilometre. Hopefully we can take this section slowly to savour one of Spring's 'star turns'.

Changing our direction onto the Wealdway, we’ll walk across arable fields to Luddedown, where wild flowers thrive on the organic farm that surrounds the village. Passing the village cricket ground we’ll make our way to the village of Henley Street, and from here back to Sole Street station. Time permitting we can enjoy a pint in the Station Inn while we wait for the train home.