The most outstandingly beautiful places to walk near London #2

The most outstandingly beautiful places to walk near London Kent Downs

When you need to escape the city, where do you head to?

You want to walk somewhere REALLY beautiful.

Somewhere that really makes you feel like you’re in the heart of a unique landscape.

The answer?

Try an official ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ (AONB).

There are eight close to London, possible to visit within a day. Wouldn’t it make a great challenge to visit each of them?

Over an occasional series of blog posts, I’ll be showcasing each one!

Today we are looking at:

No. 2: The Kent Downs

Here’s a taster of what to expect from this AONB, and six ‘must do’ walks to experience the best of the area.

Get there by train from:
Waterloo, London Bridge, East Croydon

1. You’ll definitely be able to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life here.

The fields near Dean's Farm

These lovely green fields are on a section of the North Downs Way; which of course is a fantastic way to explore this AONB.

2. If you’re lucky, the fields might be yellow:

Fields & Trees

Farm tracks

Best walk:
North Downs Way: Otford to Cuxton

3. The Wye Downs give beautiful views over Kent; the Wye Crown memorial is a major viewpoint:

Above Wye Crown

Best walk:
Time Out Book of Country Walks: Wye Circular (Volume 1, Walk 53)

4. The Wye National Nature Reserve includes such beauty spots as the Devil’s kneading trough:

Devils Kneading Trough

[Devil’s Kneading Trough by Alex (licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)]

Best walk:
Saturday Walking Club, Walk 24: Sandling to Wye

5. Kemsing Down also provides fantastic views:

View from North Downs Way towards Kemsing, Kent

[View from the North Downs Way Over Kemsing, Kent by Glen (licensed under CC BY 2.0)]

Best walk:
North Downs Way: Otford to Cuxton

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6. You’ll find yourself passing through many orchards and vineyards:

Fragrant

[Fragrant by ACK 1974 (licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)]

Best walk:
Saturday Walking Club Walk 41: Greensand Way: Yalding to Sevenoaks

7. Bluebell Hill is a place that’s loved by many:

Bluebell Hill, Kent

[Bluebell Hill,Kent by simon*** (licensed under CC BY 2.0)]

Bluebell Hill

[Bluebell Hill by Ben Allen (licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0)]

Best walk:
North Downs Way: Cuxton to Hollingbourne

8. Knole Park is a stunning deer park on the outskirts of Sevenoaks:

Knole Park

[Bluebell Hill by Garry Knight (licensed under CC BY 2.0)]

Best walk:
Saturday Walking Club Walk 41: Greensand Way: Yalding to Sevenoaks

9. Just walking out on the Downs is a great experience in any weather:

Storm over the Downs

[Storm over the Downs by David Hewson (licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)]

10.And of course, we can’t forget the white cliffs of Dover:

The White Cliffs of Dover

[Thie White Cliffs of Dover by Tobias van der Haar (licensed under CC BY 2.0)]

Best walk:
Time Out Book of Country Walks: Dover To Deal (Volume 2, Walk 30)

Find out more at:
Explore Kent
Kent AONB

Best six walks recap!

  1. Time Out Book of Country Walks: Wye Circular (Volume 1, Walk 53)
  2. North Downs Way: Otford to Cuxton
  3. Saturday Walking Club, Walk 24: Sandling to Wye
  4. North Downs Way: Cuxton to Hollingbourne
  5. Saturday Walking Club Walk 41: Greensand Way: Yalding to Sevenoaks
  6. Time Out Book of Country Walks: Dover To Deal (Volume 2, Walk 30)


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