Ramble to Rochester

Heading south away from the Higham Marshes towards the attractive village of Shorne we will make our way through Cobham Park and Great Wood to the unused Darnley Mausoleum. This once derelict folly is now owned by the National Trust, and the surrounding grassland kept in trim by fearsome looking, but docile, Highland cattle.

Picking up the North Downs Way we will pass through Ranscombe Country Park, on a clear day there are superb views from here of the River Medway and the North Downs beyond.

Crossing the Medway Bridges we will catch our first glimpse of Rochester with its castle and cathedral. It should be pointed out that these bridges also carry the M2, the Eurostar as well as the footway, but it's a trade-off to get a superb view down the River Medway.

On the outskirts of Rochester we will pass by Fort Borstal, a correction centre whose name became a general term for a youth custody establishment. As we near the Cathedral we will catch sight of several handsome buildings, including the elaborate Foord Almshouses.

The walk will end at Rochester Castle, from here you are free to explore the Christmas Market in the grounds of the Castle, the Cathedral, High Street, or head for the pub for some seasonal mulled wine. Charles Dickens took inspiration from several buildings in the High Street, but to the best of my knowledge none are featured in A Christmas Carol.

Image credits: View from North Downs Way near Longhoes Wood and No 150, 152 and 154, Rochester High Street by David Anstiss; Rochester Castle by Paul Gillett; Guildhall Museum, Rochester by Chris Whippet; View from the North Downs Way on the Medway Crossing by Dave Kelly; Rochester Castle: Looking towards the Medway Bridge from the battlements by Michael Garlick; Highland Cattle taken by event leader and contributed to the geograph.org.uk project. All licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0; Rochester cathedral by Gary Ullah licenced under CC BY 2.0; The Darnley Mausoleum by Agw19666 licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0