Despite dressing for the forecast of strong and cold winds I was today sweltering in spring-like warmth. Leaving Wrotham after a 0900 drop off I walked past St George's Church, believed to be one of the first in England to be dedicated to our patron saint. I noticed that there were some war graves in the church yard and went in to examine them closer. There are 5 of them, 4 from the first world war and one from the second, including one from the RAF from 1918. I am curious why they are here in Wrotham, was there a hospital nearby, I wonder? Sergeant E. C. Hood of the RAF was from 40th Training Depot Station which was in what is now South East Croydon, less than 20 miles away by air; a crash during training perhaps?
Today's cafe stop was a bit of a guilty pleasure because the only opportunity was only a mile and a half in. This was the visitor centre at Trossley Country Park. I was their first customer after opening at 9:30 and, given by the choices, I suspect the daily cake delivery was yet to arrive. Not to worry though, I had a delicious slice of apple pie, which would not have been my first choice given a wider selection, but it didn't disappoint.
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| Trossley Park Visitor Centre |
The visitor centre is an award winning eco-friendly building constructed from the park's own Sweet Chestnut timber. It has a water recycling system, natural ventilation (gaps in the windows and doors? I have lived in a few houses like that) and a living green roof.
The walking here was easy going along the top of the downs ridge in the now familiar woodland of mixed deciduous and the occasional Yew trees and I shared the route with usual variety of dogs and dog walkers.
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| North Downs Way or "E2" |
For the first time on the route I spotted the European Union sign "E2" on a finger post way marker. I now understand that this designates a Pan European long distance footpath with E2 creating a 3010 mile footpath that is intended to run from Galway in Ireland to France's Mediterranean coast and currently runs through Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, Belgium, Luxembourg and France. It takes in the West Highland Way, the Pennine Way, the North Downs Way and others. I like the idea but who would walk such a path, or is that not the point?
There was clear evidence of the management of the woodlands with felled timber at the side of the track awaiting collection. I fully appreciate the need to manage the timber for the benefit of the woodland and its wildlife. However, I do not appreciate the damage the vehicles have done to the track and the unhelpful signs instructing me that I am to stay on the track when said track is now knee deep in mud.
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| Timber awaiting collection |
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| Stay on the Path? You are joking, right? |
Knee deep may be an exaggeration as I did not intend to test the depth, which reminds me of a tea mug that one of my old work colleagues used to have "I am always in the s..t, only the depth varies". Needless to say that I wandered off the path and bushwhacked through the woods avoiding the slurry pit. Sorry Mr Landowner but if you want me to walk responsibly you have to fulfil your responsibility too. I assume the signs were there to keep me safe during logging operations however there were no such operations in progress today.
At a small hamlet called Upper Bush I passed the third of the milestones informing me that I am now over halfway to Dover. I wanted the mid-way point to be where I crossed the River Medway in order to make a catchy title but it wasn't to be (mid-way over the Medway?).
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| Milestone number 3 |
I have come to the rather belated but perhaps obvious (had I thought about it sooner) conclusion that the
whole route will be dominated by motorways or busy dual carriage ways at best. There is no let up; this is not a wilderness walk. But lets enjoy the countryside
and the engineering. Today's engineering feat was in the form of the Medway Crossing where the M2 motorway and the High Speed Rail link from Europe to St Pancras (HS1) cross the River Medway. It is quite a sight, or an eyesore depending on your outlook. I found it quite a wonder to look at but walking across on the service road, 116 feet above the murky tidal waters of the river, was purgatory.
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| The Medway Crossing of the M2 and HS1 |
There are in fact 3 bridges here. The first was a single motorway bridge built in 1963 which was joined by a second road and a rail bridge in 2003. The footpath is on the service road of the South East bound M2, separated from the 70 mph traffic by a simple steel mesh fence. It is deafeningly loud and hard on the feet. There are signs advertising the services of The Samaritans and the occasional bunch of dead and dried flowers tied to the railings marking someones demise, as if to keep you moving forward. Despite the views of Rochester to my left I was very glad to get off it.
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| The footpath and service road across the Medway |
Thankfully I did not have a train pass whilst I was on the bridge. A plaque on the northern side commemorated the UK rail speed record of 208 mph which was made here in 2003.
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| View from the Medway Crossing |
At the southern end of the bridge the route passes over Borstal, a village, now part of Rohcester and home to the first prison for young offenders established in 1908 and still serving a similar function today as HMP Rochetser. The prison was built on one of those Victorian forts that we passed on stage 3 at Reigate.
Just as with sections of the NDW in Surrey, managed by Surrey Wildlife Trust I am now seeing large tracts of chalk grassland being managed by Kent Wildlife Trust. One such area is Nashenden Down Nature Reserve where they are creating 90 acres of new chalk grassland, presumably by rescuing it from years of intensive agriculture and returning it to a "natural", albeit highly managed, state.
Blue Bell Hill picnic site is a similarly managed chalk grassland area and served very well as my rendezvous and pick up point.
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| Blue Bell Hill picnic site |
Next up is Blue Bell Hill to Lenham which I hope to do on Wednesday 22nd, transport willing.
AW
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