Cowden and Markbeech
4 people attending
16 places left
A circular walk through the rolling West Kent Weald, through ancient woodlands, pretty villages and an Iron Age fort, stopping at a village pub towards the end.
We will walk to Cowden village and pick up the Sussex Border Path, following this up to the site of Dry Hill Iron Age fort over the border into Surrey, close to where the three counties of Kent, Sussex and Surrey meet. Dry Hill has a trig point at 172m and should afford nice views north to the Greensand Ridge and south to the Ashdown Forest. From here we head north east towards Hever and, now safely back in Kent, we pick up the Eden Valley Walk towards Chiddingstone. Heading south through Stock Wood, we climb back up to Markbeech to stop in the village pub for a pint, before heading back to the station.
What to bring
Water: bring at least a litre
Medicines: if you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments etc.
Rucksack: or any other bag
Footwear: hiking boots, sturdy trainers or wellies
Layered clothing: lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid layer (a micro fleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece)
Trousers: ideally not jeans which become heavy and cold in the rain, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry and on warm days shorts are OK
Waterproof jacket: breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry
Hat or cap: stay warm in winter and shaded in summer
Sunglasses: for any sunny day, even in winter
Sun cream: can be useful even on cloudy and winter days
Snacks: bring biscuits, energy bars, gels, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit for example and put them somewhere easy to get hold of
Lunch: bring a packed lunch unless otherwise stated
Food & drink
Bring a packed lunch and enough water for the day. We will stop at a pub around half a mile from the end of the walk for a beer.