Description
This is a quieter and safer way to walk between Longfield Station (Hartley) and Gravesend. It also uses field paths which are more reliably restored after ploughing and has a much safer crossing point over New Barn Road.
This route quickly leaves Longfield (aka Hartley) to climb straight up the side of the steep valley with skylarks nesting in the long grass and views to the towers of central London from the top. As you pass around the edge of New Barn along the valley there is a good view north to the Thames.
The land gently falls towards quiet Southfleet along footpaths and a particularly quiet lane. You leave Southfleet on a footpath tucked beside Broadditch Duck Pond, at the junction with New Barn Road which is often busy, but the sightlines here are relatively good. There are some more field footpaths and a few sections of quiet lane to get across a pretty valley before the bridges over the HS1 line and the noisy A2.
Through Gravesend it avoids the busiest roads (unlike HarGra 1 and 2) and uses two "green" footpaths as well as going through a couple of parks. You could just walk past on the road, but it'd be a waste not to pop in and enjoy the greenery.
There is a long, fairly steep climb of about 200m leaving Longfield but otherwise it is fairly gentle. There are a few kissing gates, two flights of wooden steps and some potentially muddy bits across fields. If you are coming from Gravesend the footpath entrance off the lane off N. Green Rd at TQ 6243 7106 is somewhat hidden, the hedge appears to have grown up around the fingerpost.
There is a pub and farm shop at Broadditch Green, there is also a picnic spot here, hidden behind the duck pond, entrance just off the footpath. There are also occasional buses (474, 475, 489)
This is a quieter and safer way to walk between Longfield Station (Hartley) and Gravesend. It also uses field paths which are more reliably restored after ploughing and has a much safer crossing point over New Barn Road.
This route quickly leaves Longfield (aka Hartley) to climb straight up the side of the steep valley with skylarks nesting in the long grass and views to the towers of central London from the top. As you pass around the edge of New Barn along the valley there is a good view north to the Thames.
The land gently falls towards quiet Southfleet along footpaths and a particularly quiet lane. You leave Southfleet on a footpath tucked beside Broadditch Duck Pond, at the junction with New Barn Road which is often busy, but the sightlines here are relatively good. There are some more field footpaths and a few sections of quiet lane to get across a pretty valley before the bridges over the HS1 line and the noisy A2.
Through Gravesend it avoids the busiest roads (unlike HarGra 1 and 2) and uses two "green" footpaths as well as going through a couple of parks. You could just walk past on the road, but it'd be a waste not to pop in and enjoy the greenery.
There is a long, fairly steep climb of about 200m leaving Longfield but otherwise it is fairly gentle. There are a few kissing gates, two flights of wooden steps and some potentially muddy bits across fields. If you are coming from Gravesend the footpath entrance off the lane off N. Green Rd at TQ 6243 7106 is somewhat hidden, the hedge appears to have grown up around the fingerpost.
There is a pub and farm shop at Broadditch Green, there is also a picnic spot here, hidden behind the duck pond, entrance just off the footpath. There are also occasional buses (474, 475, 489)
Status
This route has been reviewed by 3 people.
There are no issues flagged.
Photos for Hargra three
Photos of this route will appear when they are added to a review. You can review this route here.
Information
Route status - Live
Reviews - 3
Average rating -
Is this route good enough? - Yes (3)
There are currently no problems reported with this route.
Downloads - 0
Surveys
We are working to build-up a picture of what routes look like. To do that we are asking volunteers to survey routes so that we can communicate features, obstacles and challenges that may make a route desirable or not.
Slow Ways surveyors are asked to complete some basic online training, but they are not vetted. If you are dependent on the survey information being correct in order to complete a route, we recommend that you think critically about the information provided. You may also wish to wait until more than one survey has been completed.
Help people know more about this route by volunteering to submit a survey.
- Complete the survey training.
- Submit a survey for this route.
Geography information system (GIS) data
Total length
Maximum elevation
Minimum elevation
Start and end points
Hartley (Sevenoaks)
Grid Ref
TQ6012168869
Lat / Lon
51.39627° / 0.30029°
Easting / Northing
560,121E / 168,870N
What3Words
tile.sugars.plots
Gravesend
Grid Ref
TQ6459174000
Lat / Lon
51.44108° / 0.36686°
Easting / Northing
564,591E / 174,000N
What3Words
zips.feeds.behind
Hartley (Sevenoaks) | |
---|---|
Grid Ref | TQ6012168869 |
Lat / Lon | 51.39627° / 0.30029° |
Easting / Northing | 560,121E / 168,870N |
What3Words | tile.sugars.plots |
Gravesend | |
---|---|
Grid Ref | TQ6459174000 |
Lat / Lon | 51.44108° / 0.36686° |
Easting / Northing | 564,591E / 174,000N |
What3Words | zips.feeds.behind |
Sorry Land Cover data is not currently available for this route. Please check back later.
reviews
Derick Rethans
26 Nov 2023I walked this on a cold and windy, but sunny morning from Gravesend to Longfield (I mean, Hartley).
The route out of Gravesend is along quiet residential streets (photo #1), skirting the insides of a few parks (photo #2) as well, before a public footpath that comes out on more residential roads (photo #3). After crossing the Morrisons carpark (great for picking up snacks!), it skirts the outside of the Cyclopark. Then it crosses the A2 alongside roads (photo #4) without pavement. The roads were not busy though, and you could jump into the verge if needed (photo #5).
It then proceeds crossing some fields (photo #6) (and another short road section). The paths were a little muddy due to a bit of rain in the last week. After going through a wood (photo #7) and along a pond (photo #8), you end up in Redstreet. From here, there is a fair bit of lane walking (photo #9, #10), but again, the roads were not busy, and it wasn't too far. Soon, the road turned into a lovely footpath up a hill (photo #11), where some "great" views of Gravesend showed up (photo #12). The other direction along a high bank was much nicer (photo #13), and after coming off the hill along a muddy path (photo #14), you end up in Longfield, where it is then a short stretch to the station.
Would have been a five star if it wasn't for the road/lane walking, but I believe this route is the best possible way to walk this slow way.
-
Share your thoughts
Daisy C
08 Sep 2023The highlight of this walk is, for me, the steep downland above Longfield where the tall meadows are full of wildflowers and singing skylarks and the views stretch all the way to central London.
I walked this route in chunks and those went in both directions while I was looking for a better way than the older two routes and also as it overlaps with a couple of other Slow Ways I have tested. It is so much quieter and nicer through Gravesend, and I was there during early evening rush-hour so there was a real time contrast showed just how much quieter.
On my final visit I talked to two locals around Southfleet who both said this route would be the best way between Southfleet and the A2 because the farmer is more reliable about restoring paths after ploughing etc. Perhaps also because it's prettier and further away from the low rumbling noise of the A2.
There's a rest point about half way along with picnic tables, a bus stop, a pub and a farm shop but I've only seen not sampled them. If you keep going a little further into Southfleet village there's another pub near the church. And be warned, some buses round here still only take cash.
-
Share your thoughts
Share your views about this route, give it a star rating, indicate whether it should be verified or not.
Include information that will be useful to others considering to walk or wheel it.
You can add up to 15 photos.
Other Routes for Hartley (Sevenoaks)—Gravesend See all Slow Ways
Review this better route and help establish a trusted network of walking routes.
Suggest a better route if it better meets our methodology.
Share your thoughts