Kencat three

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Kencat here.

Designed to be a dog-friendly route, it is almost 2km longer than either KenCat 1 or 2 but considerably more off-road (around 75% off-road vs 25%). Mostly through woodland but also meadows, green lanes, a park and some quiet or very quiet roads.

Starting from Caterham (as that is how I made the initial test) it goes uphill along Waller Lane, which is steep but effectively pedestrian-only, and then avoids the residential streets of Caterham-on-the-Hill, first through a park, then along a quiet green alley/footpath and then along 'Green Lane' which I discovered via the CouCat routes. This comes out near, but does not actually pass, The Fox pub, the only potential mid-route refreshments. You then meander eastward across Coulsdon Common through woodland and some very steep meadows, up to and then around Kenley Aerodrome (public and popular around the edges). Hayes Lane is fairly busy and fast but hopefully this crossing has better sightlines than the alternatives. From the airfield it is downhill taking another somewhat indirect but green descent via Kenley Common, which has views across the valley, and then along two old trackways through woodland. It briefly joins KenCat 2 on Kenley Lane but quickly turns off onto Church Road, along pavements passing front gardens. This was recommended by a local as being safer than Kenley Lane which has no pavements and is lined by hedges, fences or steep banks. It may also have less traffic.

Caterham has a train station (with toilets) which is within the Oyster zone, several bus routes, a busy high street and apparently public toilets too. (NB there's a bus connection here to Blindley Heath, another SlowWays destination.)

There's a mid-route bus stop just a few metres down the northern junction with Coulsdon Road, refreshments at The Fox, see above, but no other facilities.

The Kenley end point is at the small and somewhat isolated station, but a few minutes beyond is a small parade of shops, pub, takeaway, etc and two bus routes

Designed to be a dog-friendly route, it is almost 2km longer than either KenCat 1 or 2 but considerably more off-road (around 75% off-road vs 25%). Mostly through woodland but also meadows, green lanes, a park and some quiet or very quiet roads.

Starting from Caterham (as that is how I made the initial test) it goes uphill along Waller Lane, which is steep but effectively pedestrian-only, and then avoids the residential streets of Caterham-on-the-Hill, first through a park, then along a quiet green alley/footpath and then along 'Green Lane' which I discovered via the CouCat routes. This comes out near, but does not actually pass, The Fox pub, the only potential mid-route refreshments. You then meander eastward across Coulsdon Common through woodland and some very steep meadows, up to and then around Kenley Aerodrome (public and popular around the edges). Hayes Lane is fairly busy and fast but hopefully this crossing has better sightlines than the alternatives. From the airfield it is downhill taking another somewhat indirect but green descent via Kenley Common, which has views across the valley, and then along two old trackways through woodland. It briefly joins KenCat 2 on Kenley Lane but quickly turns off onto Church Road, along pavements passing front gardens. This was recommended by a local as being safer than Kenley Lane which has no pavements and is lined by hedges, fences or steep banks. It may also have less traffic.

Caterham has a train station (with toilets) which is within the Oyster zone, several bus routes, a busy high street and apparently public toilets too. (NB there's a bus connection here to Blindley Heath, another SlowWays destination.)

There's a mid-route bus stop just a few metres down the northern junction with Coulsdon Road, refreshments at The Fox, see above, but no other facilities.

The Kenley end point is at the small and somewhat isolated station, but a few minutes beyond is a small parade of shops, pub, takeaway, etc and two bus routes