Orpswa one

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 60.00% of reviewers

I started this route at Orpington Station and used Tesco's en route (there are other shops in the High Street just off the route). After crossing Court Road at the traffic lights and passing the Fire Station there was a little more street walking to get to the Chelsfield Lane/Skeet Hill Lane junction where the footpath starts (signed to Crockenhill). The route is fairly easy to follow, there are footpath signs although the lettering is rather faded! At Bleak House Farm I kept to the left (north) of the hedge following tractor ruts which led to the path across a field to Crockenhill. The path opposite Tylers Green Road has wide views to the north west. At Stones Cross Road, I took the second path (opposite the War Memorial) which leads to the railway and after passing under the A20 there's a footbridge to Southern Place. Turning right into St. Mary's Road and next right into Everest Place brought me to Swanley Station. In all a pleasant walk across fields with several stiles to cross.

I walked this route on a beautiful summer's day and enjoyed it very much despite the busy beginning through Orpington suburbia. The middle section is suddenly very peaceful and enjoyable, with beautiful wild flowers, quiet paths and some very friendly cows. There were only a few very short sections on quiet lanes. There is a pub and a post office just off route in Crockenhill but I didn't try either.

Navigation point 1:
I worried about the bit near Bleak House Farm but it was fine. Coming from Orpington I kept on a well marked track with hedge on my right until I got to a 90 degree field corner then a small zigzag through two hedges into a third field. A farmer waved at me, so I assume it wasn't trespass. I turned to see what the other way was like but at that time it was high vegetation, not easy to walk.

Nav Point 2. Schrodinger's quarry path!
It is both open and closed, the OS maps are out of date. Checking the Bromley and Kent online PRoW maps shows 2 paths, the OS is in the quarry, the less direct one other is still there.

I was running late, used a more direct footpath which came into Swanley station north entrance. It was pleasant + shorter. I'd choose it again, but all 3 has section which aren't overlooked but are close to housing and show signs that people linger there sometimes. Map of all three routes used in reviews attached. Route 2 and 3 both save 1km.

If you use my short cut you can walk right through Swanley station without a ticket to get to the meeting point. Which is lucky as it's a long way round otherwise. And if you're Slow Way-ing on to/from Sidcup or Bexleyheath, using the north entrance and St Mary's Rd is more straightforward than the official routes of SidSwa 2 and BexSwa 1.

Excellent review by Brslowway6, some useful instructions.

Starts and ends with walks through quiet residential areas of Orpington and Swanley, with the majority of the middle part through fields and woods.
I'll add some information to Brslowway6 review and the 'blocked' route is no longer 'blocked'.

Part of the route from Avalon Road through to Darns Hill (apart from slight detour at Tripps Farm/Skeet Hill Lane) follows part of the Bromley Chelsfield walk, so you will see signs for that (If in the area, recommend looking at the Bromley series of walks).
Useful instruction from that walk , after Bleak House Farm yard :- 'Follow the footpath straight ahead following the hedge line on your right until you reach a large gap in the hedge. Go through the gap and turn immediately left. Follow the footpath along the hedgeline through the next two fields, keeping the hedge on your left at all times. Continue till you reach another hedgeline that crosses your path. Here, head diagonally across the field to a stile '. I found that piece of information on my return. I had kept to the other side of the hedge - both looked open pathways - but then nearly missed crossing the final field, instead starting down a path on the left instead!

After crossing Cray Road, the public footpath rises slightly, giving - today at least - wonderful clear views of Kent/London countryside with Canary Wharf buildings in the far distance off to the left.

For the blocked/unblocked part - The road off Stones Cross Road - may 2022 - had signs for Marwood House and an animal sanctuary (amongst others). Follow this road to the railway line, with the pedestrian bridge.
Going over the bridge, keep the railway to your left. Continue on this path until a fence is reached, where the path cuts 90 degrees to your right. Continue on this new path, keeping the fence to your left.
The fence eventually stops, but the path continues until what seems to be the edge of the gravelworks. A couple of large stones are across the path at this stage, but no taller than any of the previous stiles encountered and a lot sturdier to step on and over.
Take an immediate right to another pathway, again with a few large stones across the path, but again no worse than any stiles. This path forms part of the "Windmill Hill Wood Walk" according to my map. Continue along this path, under the A20 and reaching Swanley.
Follow the roads right and left as per map to reach the station or town centre as required.

It's a walkable, safe route between Orpington and Crockenhill about a mile or so short of Swanley. The part of the route at Crockenhill from the railway bridge crossing the Chatham mainline near the A20 then on into Swanley is blocked by a gravel works and I couldn't see any way round it. I've suggested a detour below *****

Starting at Orpington War Memorial the route leads you along Spur Road along good pathed footpaths for half a mile. Spur Road can have a lot of noisy traffic on it at times, but is safe.

At the end of Spur Road you need to turn left and cross Court Road at the pedestrian lights. The walk continues up Avalon Road, past the fire station on more good pathed footpaths for 0.6 of a mile until you turn left onto Chelsfield Lane.

Follow Chelsfield lane for 0.3 of a mile, past Tripes Farm, to where Skeet Hill Lane comes off on the right hand side. There is again a good paved surface here, though you have to cross at places because the path isn't continuous on both sides.

At the junction with Skeet Hill Lane don't go up the Lane but look for the footpath signposted. It's a narrow track between a high fence on the left and a wooded area on the right. This is not paved and would be walking boot territory in wet weather. That applies for much of the rest of this route which is on tracks in fields.

There are also two or three stiles to cross at field edges.

The path follows the edges of fields past Griffs Wood until it reaches East Hall Road. You turn right onto the road and walk a couple of hundred metres along this until you turn left onto a signposted narrow footpath.

The path is easy to follow across fields up and down some small rises until you get to Darns Hill on the edge of Crockenhill Village, From here on the route is paved until in about 200 m you cross the Cray Road to enter a narrow public footpath that takes you across fields to where you turn left onto Stones Cross Road.

Follow Stones Cross Road and turn left on the road next to the Dormers/Crags bungalows (signposted to a Manor?). If you look very careful behind one of the fences to the left at the junction you'll find a notice saying that the crossing at the A20 is closed. I only found it by mistake.

Anyway if you follow the route to the railway line you can cross at a bridge there but I think the path onwards as in the PCX file is now blocked by a gravelworks and I couldn't see a viable alternative this way BUT...

***** If you look at Google maps you'll find an alternative way of crossing the A20 by following Stones Cross Road into Green Court Road then following the footpath at the end of Green Court Road down to the Goldsel Road, turn left to cross the A20 on paved footpaths and you're in Swanley not far from the planned end point of this route.

I have many photos related to this route and will upload them if the system allows later.

Photos show:
1) Start of route near Orpington Village Hall
2) Spur Road
3) Cross Court Road at the traffic lights at the end of Spur Road
4) Avalon Road
5) Fire Station in Avalon Rd
6) AT the end of Avalon Rod turn left into Chelsfield Lane
7) Leave Chelsfield Lane at this junction to take footpath
8) Footpath signposted
9) Path towards Cockmannings Lane from Skeet Hill Lane end of Chelsfield Lane
10) Cockmannings Lane end of footpath (cycle restriction)
11) Track continues around the edge of fields heading towards Griff's wood
12) More later.

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