Kent Ramblers: Walk 85

Sissinghurst Castle & Frittenden

Distance:   5.4 Miles (2h 30m)

OS Map:   Explorer 137 (Start at grid reference TQ806383 )

Click map to enlarge and click again to enlarge further

Park in National Trust car park at Sissinghurst Castle.  There is a £4 charge for non-members.

On returning to the castle you can have a tea and if you are feeling energetic do a walk in the woods by the lakes (leaflet available from ticket office) where the bluebells in April/May are superb.

Follow the meandering path through the centre of the car park to the top, bear right to a gap in the corner and bear right across bottom of orchard to finger post in front of house.  Turn right down bridleway between hedges.  Follow all the way to Digdog Lane.

Go straight across and down Sand Lane.  Take path over first stile beside gate on left and bear right across field passing lone tree to stile.  Head straight across next field to another stile and across field after that to corner of protruding hedge.  Follow line of power cables ahead to first pole in middle of field then bear left towards steeple of Frittenden church, crossing a couple of fields before reaching village main street.

Turn right along main street past church and opposite school entrance take path alongside private drive to Hill Farm on right.  At first bend cross drive and take path over stile opposite.  Follow left hand edges of small field and large field.  At corner go over stile on left and along right hand edge of orchard to stile.  Follow left hand edges of two more fields and cross third to Sand Lane.

Turn right, pass Chanceford Cottage and take footpath by gate on left.  Follow left hand edge of field for 130 metres to fingerpost (it may be hidden by foliage from hedge but it is at a point where the field widens) then turn sharp right across field to two stiles.  Bear left across next field to stile in corner then right along field edge to T-junction of paths.

Turn left to corner of protruding hedge.  Keep hedge on your left to next bend and a footbridge.  Don’t cross the footbridge but turn right across field towards the right hand corner of a tall hedge.  Turn left along the hedge then right at the corner and along the right hand side of the field to Sand Lane.

Turn left and opposite Brissenden Farm take a concrete path on left past barn.  Bear right across field to pedestrian gate.  Cross next field to stile by tree.  Cross next field to bridge.  On other side head down left hand edge of field.  At corner bear slightly right to another bridge and across field to a lane.Turn right.  At junction, keep right.  Pass Bettenham Manor and when lane bends right take signposted track on left and follow back to Sissinghurst Castle.

Points of Interest

Sissinghurst Castle

The home of Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicholson...

...where they created their acclaimed garden.

Woodland Walk

Lots of bluebells in spring...

...and some fine lakes full of fish.

Frittenden

The prominent chimney on your right as you approach Frittenden was for a boiler to generate steam to operate machinery in a timber yard belonging to the village builder Charles Pearson.  Dates are not clear but it seems that the business was operating at least until just before World War I.

Public Transport

Getting to Sissinghurst by public transport is not easy.  There are buses from Maidstone to the village but there is then still over a mile to walk to the Castle.  There are buses from Tunbridge Wells to Cranbrook from where you can do a 10.2 mile circular walk that includes Sissinghurst Castle – this is described in the first of our guides listed below.

In addition to the walking routes on our web site we have published three popular walking guides:

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

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.