Knole Park to Ightham Mote, Kent
A country walk through Knole Park to Ightham Mote
Ancient history and glorious views feature big in the Garden of England. This circular walk takes in National Trust houses, immaculate parkland and far-reaching views in a part of Kent that's the archetype of England's green and pleasant land. The route follows part of the Greensand Way, a long-distance path along a ridge that looks out over the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Better still, all this unspoiled greenery is less than half an hour by train from London.
Start/end point: Sevenoaks, Kent (35 minutes from London by train)
Distance: 10 miles, 4-5 hours
When to go: All year. The route's free-draining, sandy soils mean that it rarely gets too muddy.
Difficulty: This is an easy route to follow on clear, well-marked trails across undulating terrain with only a few hills (but plenty of stiles) to climb. Build in time to visit either (or both) of the National Trust houses en route.
See the map for this walk here: https://www.outdooractive.com/en/route/hiking-route/wkndr-knole-park-to-ightam-mote/204230718/
You’ll need to create an outdooractive profile to view the route, then hit ‘Open in App’ on your mobile phone to follow the route using GPS.
Directions: From Sevenoaks station, take the main exit, turn right and head uphill. Bear right at the traffic lights to the centre of this well-to-do market town. Take a detour through the market square and admire the town's handsome architecture before fuelling up on good coffee and sausage sandwiches at Darcey's Kitchen (68A High Street). Then continue to St Nicholas Church's impressive stone tower, opposite which turn left through gates into the National Trust's Knole Estate.
After the bustle and traffic of town, be prepared for a pleasant surprise as the drive opens into Knole Park. This wide, open expanse stretches to around 1,000 acres and is dotted with woodlands and stately trees that shelter herds of fallow deer. Where the drive veers left, keep going straight ahead on the well-trodden footpath uphill (clearly signposted Greensand Way). At the top of the rise stands Knole House, a former archbishop's palace dating from the 1450s and said to contain 365 rooms. You could pop in now (or save it till later, as you'll be coming back this way) to ogle its collection of tapestries and over 300 portraits by the likes of Gainsborough and Van Dyck.
To be honest, you could spend a whole day here exploring Knole House and its parkland, but for now follow the Greensand Way around the house to the right and past the high stone wall that surrounds its immaculate gardens. Where the wall ends, keep going along the Greensand Way and continue on a paved path. Where this hits an intersection, keep straight on a track through the trees until you reach the park's perimeter. Exit through the gate and cross the lane before continuing dead ahead on a footpath through the woods and on into a paddock.
As the path skirts this field, a view opens up to the right across the Weald towards the distant smudge of the South Downs on the horizon. You're now on the edge of the Greensand ridge, which the path follows for the next few miles. Head through the gate in the corner of the field and (avoiding the track downhill) keep going along the Greensand Way, past beechwoods to the left that in springtime are filled with the sweet scent of bluebells.
Cross a country lane and continue beyond, admiring the view to the right across a patchwork of woods and fields towards Tonbridge. Where the path splits, bear left and follow the trail as it undulates beneath a canopy of hazel and beech. Just before the next lane, keep your eyes peeled on the right for the sculpture of a reclining tiger, which caused a police incident in the wake of Tiger King when it was reported by a hysterical passer-by.
Cross the next lane and reconnect with the view as the path runs along the ridge. Before long, a kissing gate leads into the National Trust's Ightham Mote Estate. Keep going until the path widens into a gravelly track, which eventually ends near an oast on a small country lane. Turn left up the lane and look over the wall at Ightham Mote itself. This exceptionally well-preserved, medieval manor house is one of the best examples of its kind in the country, and definitely worth a visit. For access, continue up the lane and take the path on the right once you cross a small stream.
If you're not stopping, turn left at the stream onto a bridleway and follow this to where the path forks (just before you reach a pond on your left). The right-hand option heads up via steps through woods and a hazelnut orchard, after which it opens into a little piece of Provence. The neat rows of lavender bushes fill the fields with fragrance in high summer, when skylarks rain their song down almost incessantly from above.
Pass through the plantation and follow the path to a small road. Cross over and (ignoring the bridleway straight ahead) take the footpath obliquely to the left through an avenue of apple trees. At the other end, cross another lane and continue ahead on a bridleway (past another impressive oast) through a series of copses and paddocks to Godden Green.
The highlight of this step-back-in-time hamlet is Bucks Head, a gorgeous country pub with oak beams and comfy sofas, plus winter log fires and a sun-filled summer garden. The seasonal menu is excellent, with burgers, steaks and Sunday roasts (there's always a veggie option too).
When it's time to push on, take the track just past the pub (signposted Old Stables) and follow this into the woods. At a T-junction with another trail, bear left and continue back to Knole Park. Pass through the gate and on through the deer park to the house, after which it's a simple case of following your footsteps into town and down to the station.
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