Roypad two

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Roypad here.

While walking RoyPad 1 I found a few things that could be avoided or improved on including a long path into Pembury which appeared to have had a stream running along it for much of the winter. I wandered around a little and found various enhancements included here.

Walked on a bright July day starting from Paddock Wood. There's a good bit of road walking in Paddock Wood, this route uses a small diversion through the playing fields/community centre to highlight where the gate at the far end is. Very soon the route turns into an alley, then a cul-de-sac, then crosses a bigger road onto a footpath between new builds (some temporary fencing was still up). It comes out in the corner of a meadow, head up the track past the apple orchards and beside the oast house. The small dog "guarding" it was all bark.

The track comes out at some buildings and the path had been recently diverted around one and the signs were good. After a nice view across a winding valley on the left the track continued to Matfield where there was a huge village fete on the green. I can't guarantee this for every visit but there are two pubs and a restaurant (which also looks like a pub) in the village, and some buses go through there.

After Matfield there are some steeper slopes up and down woods, sometimes with boardwalks, sometimes with bluebells. Romford Road was very quiet, not sure if I saw any cars, just a few people walking home from the fete. The sun had come out so the dappled shade Snipe Woods was welcome. The path dropped into the valley and crossed a bridge over a small stream which was tinkling in July but the banks show how it will roar in January. Beyond is an old track winding up and cut into the hillside, with some lovely ferns and mosses. A nice track comes out near abandoned farm buildings and housing at the north end of Pembury Village where I cut across the village, down beside the old school and small cemetery and come out into woodland again. The route doesn't come back into the village until by the Recreation Ground (you can't cut through) which is nearly at the green (pub, hotel, chippy, bus stop).

Next was a walk down a quiet lane and over the bypass, to a lovely view. After turning off onto the footpath there was a scramble through some very high bracken then thankfully chopped-back brambles. With long sleeves etc the bracken was ok as the path line is pretty clear from the topography. It's possible that I could have got around through the field beside if this had been impassable.

The lane rose slowly up the line of the ridge, sometimes the hedges were high but it was quiet, and had some lovely views across the valley. There's a farmyard in the middle where you might meet cows ambling back and forth to their milking parlour.

That long lane comes out on the edge of Tonbridge, this route was simple and uses very quiet roads until Grove Hill Road, a few hundred metres uphill from Tunbridge Wells Station. I did go off course from RoyPad 1 here but as I had a train to catch I didn't want to double back and this way was very pleasant.

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