We aim to walk about 5-6 miles with a pub lunch en route. In the darker months, we will focus upon the Kent countryside or London area, but may go further afield in the summer.

For upcoming Events see below.

The weather being so uncertain, I'm thinking of calling our Group

"Ramblers & Gamblers"

• January :      Thames Path South :  river & ice on pavement!
• February :    Bethnal Green : childhood, canal & Vicky Park
• March :        Notting Hill : films, carnival, music & market
• April :          Shuttle Riverway : woods, meadows, Bexley village
• May:            Birchgrove : golf, woods, bluebells, horses (led by Sandra)
• June :           Shuttle Riverway : woods, heat, Avery Hill
• July :            Cobham : extreme heat/short walk, mausoleum (led by June)
• August :       Tenterden : hills, valleys, lake, styles
• September :  Bluebell Hill : views, hills, woods, ancient monuments
• October :      Elham : village, views, hills, ploughed fields, farms
• November:   Cobham : woods, country park, longer walk
• December:   Scadbury : short walk, woods, bears, Xmas meal

All with great company, chats, & excellent pub meals

Recent Walks

Click below to see description of previous walks.

• 26/09 Darenth Valley : Chipstead
• 26/08 Avery Hill
• 26/07 Scadbury
• 26/06 Oare Creek, Faversham
• 26/05 Cobham
• 26/04 Regents Canal
• 26/03 Highgate
• 26/02 London Pubs
• 26/01 Thames Path North
• 25/12 Scadbury
• 25/11 Cobham Wood + Shorne wood
• 25/10 Elham
• 25/09 Bluebell Hill
• 25/08 Tenterden
• 25/07 Cobham Wood & Mausoleum

Chipstead to Otford & Return

(Darenth Valley Path) September 2026

The walk postponed from a hotter, earlier date was well attended. Parking outside the Bricklayers Arms, seated on a bench overlooking the lake, the others joined us. Sadly the lake was screened from view when we walked along the path northwards, then over fields under a heavily graffitied underpass below the motorway to the Rose & Crown junction. A short road walk took us to the Donnington Manor Hotel, where we were somewhat bemused by the elephant & Buddha statues (venue for Indian weddings?). Out then across fields to the “point of no return”. Instead of crossing the railway bridge into Otford, we swing 90⁰ following the railway lineSE then under the railway line & motorway. 

There we skirted the fence between 2 fields where sheep could choose between tall, but spiky & dry stalks or a short green sward.  (The grass is always greener on the other side.) We then “walked the gauntlet” of a winding country road with no pavement into the village of Dunton Green, (known only to me formerly via a signpost on the A21). Again, we caught glimpses of another lake through the trees as we fringed the Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve.  At the Bradbourne Vale Road we left the alternative Darenth Valley approach to join up with our starting point.  This entailed road walks, initially through the busy Riverhead interchange.  Then we were onto the quieter Chipstead Lane.  To be honest, this became a bit of a slog into the top end of the Chipstead village, so we were more than glad to reach the pub again for lunch.