Lenham Walks

6 miles (9 km)

This Kent based village has some fine walking trails on which to explore the North Downs and the lovely Stour Valley countryside.
The settlement also includes a pretty square and a historic high street with a number of listed buildings. There's also a Grade I listed Tithe Barn, an early 1600s pub and a notable 14th century church to investigate.
This walk from the village takes you along a section of the Stour Valley Walk to Little Chart. There's some nice riverside trails and fine views of the surrounding countryside to enjoy on the way.
The walk starts in the village where the Stour Valley Walk also begins. You can follow the waymarked trail south east towards Stonebridge Green, Barnfield, Nettlepole Cottage and Ashen Grove Wood before coming into Little Chart. Here you will find some picturesque mill ponds and a cafe for refreshments. You can also link with the Greensand Way long distance trail here to extend your walk. You could follow it back towards Lenham via Pluckley, Egerton, Coldbridge Wood and Boughton Malherbe. The walk could also be extend by continuing west to Hothfield Common near Charing.

Postcode

ME17 2PG - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locations

Lenham Ordnance Survey Map - view and print off detailed OS map

Lenham Open Street Map - view and print off detailed map

Lenham OS Map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Lenham Open Street Map - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Pubs/Cafes

The Dog and Bull is an historic pub of some note. It was originally built in 1602 and visited by Queen Anne in 1704 - her coat of arms is still displayed above the door today. They serve fine food and have a pleasant courtyard garden for the summer months. You can find them on the Square at postcode ME17 2PG for your sat navs.

Dog Walking

The country and woodland trails make for a fine dog walk. The Dog and Bull pub mentioned above is also dog friendly.

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

Just to the north of the village you could pick up the long distance North Downs Way and the Pilgrims Way. These waymarked paths could be followed east to neighbouring Charing. Here you'll find an old windmill, a 14th century church and the 13th century Archbishop's Palace.
Just south of here there's also the fine old stately home at Eastwell Park and the lovely sculpture trail at King's Wood to try.
Head south east to Sutton Valence and you can pick up the Greensand Way. This major long distance walk follows the ridge of greensand rock through Surrey and Kent. Here you can also visit the ruins of the 12th century Sutton Valence Castle for some more local history. You can then climb up to the castle and enjoy wonderful views over East Sussex and the Weald of Kent.
Just to the west there's the neighbouring village of Harrietsham where you can pick up the circular bluebell woodland walk. The walk includes a visit to the noteworthy Ringlestone Inn, a beautiful grade II listed pub housed in building dating back to 1533 and originally used as a hospice for monks.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Kent Downs Walks and North Downs Walks pages.