December: Old Pembury, Capel and
Tudeley
Length: 6.9 miles (3h 20m)
OS Map: Explorer 136 (Start at grid reference
TQ626429)
Click map to enlarge and click
again to enlarge further
Start from Old Pembury Church adjacent to Kent
College. There are a few parking spaces by the
church but not enough for the cars of a large group.
Head downhill from church past entrance to Senior
School to crossroads. Bear left across entrance to
Prep School to wooden gate. Go through into field
and bear left along path with college on left.
Cross footbridge over ditch and continue in same
direction, then bearing slightly right past oak tree to
stile. On other side bear slightly left across
field to another stile. Over this stile continue
in same direction to gate a few metres right of
protruding corner of wood.
Inside wood, turn left and follow path parallel to
boundary on left. At corner turn right and follow
path to bridge over stream. Climb steep bank at
far side and then take path inside wood but close to
fence on left. At stile emerge into field and
follow right hand edge to gate on right. Through
gate go ahead for 70 metres past pond on left then
through gate on left. Follow left hand edge of
orchard until fence on left turns a corner.
Continue ahead, bearing very gradually to right towards
fence on right and follow it to corner. Through
gate, follow right hand edge of field to pond ahead and
go through gate on right. Head across orchard,
keeping to right of house, down to Amherst Bank Road.
Cross road to gate and turn left along top of field
to gate into orchard. Bear left alongside pond for
60 metres then bear right downhill through orchard.
On reaching valley bottom follow path through gate into
wood along valley and then along left hand side of field
to Alder Road.
Go straight across through gate and along left hand
edge of field. At corner go through gate and along
left hand edge of next field. At next corner turn
right through metal pedestrian gate, don’t go into next
field but follow hedge along left hand edge of field,
round to left and along to metal pedestrian gate at far
end of field. Through gate follow path alongside
fence on right to track. Go forward, bear right,
go over bridge then stile and turn left with stream on
left. Soon cross back over stream, soon go
straight across drive and along path between fences.
At T-junction turn left. Entering field through
pedestrian gate, turn left along middle of long, narrow
field with triple oast house on left. On reaching
drive by another oast house with strange structure on
top, turn right and follow to Sychem Lane.
Turn left and after houses end take path on right
across middle of field. Nearing far side, bear
left past pond (not readily visible in scrub on right)
and then turn right to Church Lane.
Turn left and on reaching entrance to churchyard on
right take path past church. Just before gate
leading to newer burial area, bear right to stile into
field. Bear half right across field to protruding
corner then half right again along field edge with hedge
on right. At corner turn left and at next corner
turn right through wood down to Five Oak Green Road.
Turn left. At George and Dragon cross road to
path opposite and follow uphill across field to copse.
Turn right with copse on left to corner then left at
next corner alongside copse and straight across short
stretch of field to protruding woodland. Continue
to corner of field and bear right into next field.
Cross field then follow left hand edges of fields to
Sherenden Road.
Turn left for 80 metres then turn right along drive
at Bank Farm. After just a few metres go through
gate on left then bear right heading directly away from
road past large barn on right (well hidden behind tall
hedge in summer). Continue in same direction
through two hedges into field. Head across field
towards prominent Tudeley church. Past church go
down track to Five Oak Green Road.
Go straight across to gap in hedge and turn left on
permissive path along left hand edge of field. On
reaching corner turn left, cross Five Oak Green Road and
turn right along footway. At sharp corner cross
road very carefully and take footpath through scrub.
Follow path uphill, emerging in due course with woodland
on left an open fields on right. Keep going in
same direction to Knowle Bank. Here turn right
follow diverted path that takes three sides of a square
round the house and stables to emerge on asphalt drive.
Turn right and follow drive to Dislingbury Road (also
known as Half Moon Lane).
Turn left then right at first junction into Pembury
Hall Road. After 215 metres (soon after passing
lowest point of road) take path on left into woods,
emerging before long in the grounds of Kent College.
Bear left along asphalt drive and soon reach Pembury Old
Church on left. Go through churchyard to return to
parking area.
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Points of Interest
All Saints Church, Tudeley
The church is primarily known for stained glass by
Marc Chagall, commissioned by the then owners of nearby
Somerhill Sir Henry and Lady d’Avigdor Goldsmid, in
memory of their daughter who drowned in 1963.
Public Transport
The best place to join the walk by bus is in Tudely,
either by the church or by the Turmeric Gold Indian
restaurant. Service 208 runs between Tonbridge
Castle and Paddock Wood, roughly hourly from Monday to
Friday, less frequently on Saturday and not at all on
Sunday.
Please report any problems with this walk to
info@kentramblers.org.uk.
Ramblers' volunteers in Kent work tirelessly to
ensure that our paths are as well protected and
maintained as possible. Of course we also organise
led walks but most of our members are independent
walkers who simply want to support our footpath work.
Please
join us and become a supporter too. You need
us and we really need you.
Map contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright
and database rights 2023. Some paths on map are based
on data provided by Kent County Council but do not
constitute legal evidence of the line of a right of way.
In addition to the walking routes on our web site we
have published four popular walking guides:
Guide to the Wealdway
Guide to Tunbridge
Wells Circular Walk and other walks in the area
Guide to the
Kent Coast Path: Part 1, Camber to Ramsgate
Guide to Three
River Valley Walks in West Kent: Darent Valley Path,
Eden Valley Walk and Medway Valley Walk
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