Cowroy one

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Cowroy here.

I walked this route today (February) from Tunbridge Wells to Cowden - it took me 3.5 hours plus a break I'll explain it as though I went from Cowden (as that's the title) but the photos are generally looking the other way! The route is suitable for dogs up to the size of a retriever / labrador. A very large dog would struggle with the 'squeezes' in the stiles left for our dog friends. The route was unsuitable for wheel chairs or push chairs as there are numerous obstacles (stiles, steps, fallen trees). The narrowest gap in a fence was 50cm and the lowest height to go under was 1.5m (fallen tree)

The route is largely flat with a couple of short slopes (e.g. at the end of Tunbridge Wells Common which is 15 degrees for about 100 yards). It is an excellent walk with a dog as it is very quiet, it is almost completely off-road, there are only a few fields where they need to be on their lead according to the signs (though only one had sheep in today) and the majority of the walk is next to a watercourse meaning they have water to drink and (at other times of year) cool down in.

If you start at Cowden then you have largely farm fields to walk to until Ashurst at 4.5 miles which has a railway station. The route has some arable fields which could get quite muddy, depending on the season, but fine in February. There are many stiles of which I had to lift the retriever over only the first one at the end of the golf course, a slightly more intelligent dog would be easy to find and would probably work out a way through.

You will have to cross the busy (and fast) B2026 but the visibility is good before you walk through the riding school which seems to have been created on top of the public footpath. There are various stiles and even a bridge with bars (see pictures) which you need to clamber over. You will have to walk along the grass verge of the very busy and fast A264 as you come into Ashurst. There is a pavement when you get to the railway bridge but you need to keep well on the verge and in single file for this dangerous bit.

After Ashurst the walk is more of a mixture of farmland and woodland and quite varied. You will have to down some steps and up again as you get close to Burrside house to cross a small road. You will continue up the hill and come out on to a small, quiet road and which you walk down the hill about 600m to Groombridge. This is the only road walking on the route and the road is quiet although care should be taken.

Groombridge has a pub on the route, 6 miles from Cowden, 4 miles from Tunbridge Wells, The Crown Inn, which serves food. From here you walk to beautiful Groombridge Place via the entrance to South Farm which has a stand selling honey, marmalade and all sorts... cash needed for the honesty box.

Behind the less beautiful sewage works the path is uneven and contains one of the 50cm gap you need to squeeze through.

Following this path along the river you will have bridges with steps up and down (as there are throughout the walk) and some of the many kissing gates. 8 miles from Cowden and 2 miles from Tunbridge Wells you walk past the lovely pub at High Rocks. There is also a station here but it's for the steam railway which goes between Tunbridge Wells and Groombridge.

There is a lovely path along the river (you have to cross the quiet road by the pub) and then you end up at a housing estate where the developer seems to have built over the right of way but you can walk past the houses to walk briefly along the pavement before turning up the steep hill onto Tunbridge Wells Common. From here here you follow the paths taking care to cross the busy roads (one has a zebra crossing) to get to Tunbridge Wells railway station.

Overall this is a lovely walk particularly with a dog that likes a river. The route is safe as long as care is taken on the grass verge at Ashurst. There are no access issues and it easily followed on OS Maps etc.

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