North Downs Way:
Wrotham to Rochester
23 September 2007
With Lucy taking Henry to another dog show in Maidstone, Stephen and
George went for a third walk along part of the
North Downs Way, being dropped off in the village of Wrotham, sandwiched
between the M20 and M26.
![](../../images/2007/2007-09/2007-09-23-092431_small.jpg)
As we make our way along a tarmacked bit of the Pilgrims Way, a look onto the
Downs reveals a misty start to the day.
![](../../images/2007/2007-09/2007-09-23-093700_small.jpg)
Breaking mist towards the Medway valley
![](../../images/2007/2007-09/2007-09-23-100311_small.jpg)
We have now made the fairly steep ascent onto the top of the escarpment of the
Downs, and pass a small open-air theatre in Trosley Country Park.
![](../../images/2007/2007-09/2007-09-23-104914_small.jpg)
Having descended from the Downs, we are back on Pilgrims Way, here a bridleway
![](../../images/2007/2007-09/2007-09-23-110104_small.jpg)
The day is improving, but as the weather warms up, we have another ascent onto
the Downs to do
![](../../images/2007/2007-09/2007-09-23-110110_small.jpg)
George comes back to get me as we start the ascent onto the top of the
escarpment.
![](../../images/2007/2007-09/2007-09-23-111512_small.jpg)
From near Holly Hill, the height gives us the opportunity for a view over the
Medway valley, with Chatham in the distance. The straight line cutting across
the picture near the top on the left is the M2 motorway and High Speed 1 rail
line. The M2 is our end point, but it is still 2 hours away.
![](../../images/2007/2007-09/2007-09-23-113519_small.jpg)
Dappled sunlight as we make our way through Greatpark Wood.
![](../../images/2007/2007-09/2007-09-23-113842_small.jpg)
About to emerge from Greatpark Wood, the arrow says to go straight on, but a
small diversion is called for.
![](../../images/2007/2007-09/2007-09-23-114037_small.jpg)
Happily emerging from the woods for a while, we pass through formerly arable
fields, now used for pheasant farming.
![](../../images/2007/2007-09/2007-09-23-121958_small.jpg)
As the North Downs Way makes a loop around the large village of Cuxton, there is
a fair amount of undulation. Down and up...
![](../../images/2007/2007-09/2007-09-23-123312_small.jpg)
... and down and up...
![](../../images/2007/2007-09/2007-09-23-125411_small.jpg)
...and down and up. This photo doesn't quite capture the oddity of this
situation - the wooden direction post is sitting in the middle of this bare
field. It is serving a valuable purpose, and helps to ensure that the footpaths
that cross the arable field remain clear for walkers when the field is less
barren, but it did look odd!
![](../../images/2007/2007-09/2007-09-23-130033_small.jpg)
Having ascended to Upper Bush, descended to cross a road, crossed the railway
line from Strood through Swanley, we make our final ascent of the morning, and
the Medway is much clearer now.
![](../../images/2007/2007-09/2007-09-23-131013_small.jpg)
The final descent, down towards the Medway and the crossing of the railway and
M2.
This was a very wooded walk, and one with a surprising amount of up and down,
and I think we walked it rather faster than was perhaps ideal though much of the
walking was fairly easy going, and it made for a very pleasant morning.
Total distance on the GPS was 17.5 km (all on the Way) with 494m ascent, in 4 hours
5 minutes (3 hours 40 mins moving) - that means that about 31% of the
North Downs Way is now walked.
![revious North Downs Way walk - Westerham to Wrotham Previous North Downs Way walk - Westerham to Wrotham](../london_loop/hikerleft2.jpg)
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