Walk 56: Sholden and Fowlmead Country Park
Distance:
7.5 Miles (3.5 Hours)
OS
Map: Explorer 150 (Start at grid reference
TR356525)
Park
in Sholden village or use the Deal-Canterbury “Diamond” bus, hourly,
2-hourly Sunday. Check Fowlmead
Country Park
opening times before setting out.
From
the bus stop immediately off the main A258 road walk downhill to the
village hall (VH). [On Sundays the bus does not go round the village so you
will have to get off on the main road and walk down Sholden New Road or
The Street to the village hall.] Cross diagonally R and take the bridle path,
Marsh Lane. Pass greenhouses on the L and FP on the R and eventually the
path bends L, with dykes on both sides. At the next junction, turn
L towards the Nature Park South Wall. Cross by a gate and bridge
and turn R up a slope. At the top, turn R (signposted Lydden
Wood), and make for the wood across a cycle track. At the next
signpost, follow Badgers Mount. At the next junction, the path
bears R along a gravel path, then L. At the next junction again follow
Badgers Mount sign across 2 cycle tracks. Now follow the sign to
the Visitor Centre, downhill.
With
your back to the Visitor Centre turn slightly L then along the pavement
up to the main Park entrance. (You can shorten the walk here by
turning L and following the concrete track back to Sholden New Road.)
Turn R along the main road to The Coach and Horses pub. Cross here
and walk between the pub and the car park until you see a gate on your R
and one straight ahead. The path goes to the R of this gate, between
hedges to a bridge on your R over a stream. Cross and go half-R between
electricity poles over 2 more bridges. Now go L, over a duck board, to a
kissing gate in the corner, Dorothy’s millennium gate and turn L along
a narrow FP to the road.
Turn
L and pass The Crown and after the pub garden take a path on your R.
Take this path diagonally L to a road. Cross and turn L for a few
paces before turning sharp R between bushes, up to a concrete road.
After a few paces, opposite gates of a small factory, take the narrow FP
between fences on your L and between some greenhouses. At the next
stile, the FP goes diagonally R towards the former colliery railway,
over a stile, then a plank bridge, and up steps to the new road.
Cross
this road and follow a fence around to the L, with the fence and reed
beds on your L, until the path turns R through trees and shortly meets
an open field by a telegraph pole. Cross a stile and walk diagonally L
across the field to another stile which you don’t cross. Turn
your back to the stile, walk away from it up the track towards trees in
the distance and some power lines. Halfway up this field take a
track to the L, and keep L of the hedge to a stile at the bottom which
you cross. The path goes straight on but it may be swampy here and
it’s better to arc around to the R. Cross a stream and walk
roughly in the middle of the next field, keeping the hedge on your R.
Later see a pipe on your L going over the stream. Continue straight on
towards the field boundary where there is a crossing over the stream on
your L. In the next field, walk diagonally R to a stile in the
corner. Climb some steps and turn R, (ignore a bridge and path in
the hedge on the R). Turn L at the next path and continue uphill to the
main road.
Sholden
New Road is opposite; if you cross the main road, take great care!
Should
you need a drink or food, take the path on the R between the
cricket field and houses, and at the next road, turn L to The Sportsman
pub.
This walk was
originally published on a calendar produced by White Cliffs Group.
Thanks to Gordon Sencicle for originally devising this route,
Andrew Boultbee for the photograph, Diana Blackwell for checking the directions
and Andrew Boultbee for the idea.
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Fowlmead Country Park
Created
on the site of spoil from the former Betteshanger Colliery, there is a Visitor Centre with
exhibits showing the history of the Kent coalfields and fossils from the
coal. There are toilets, snacks and drinks.
Our book of Ten
Favourite Walks in the Kent Countryside has routes for ten more
walks like this one.
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.
If you find that the directions and map
for this walk are incorrect in any way, please report the problem to info@kentramblers.org.uk.
Map based on Ordnance
Survey mapping released into the public domain under the OpenData
agreement.
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