Solroc one

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This is a great walk that both starts and ends on a high, was easy to follow and has good public transport access - both endpoints are stations on the same line out of Victoria. It's one of my favourites and is good one to recommend, who doesn't like charming historic villages and ancient woodlands? It'll be a good for a show of orchard blossom and bluebells in late spring. And the woods would also be lovely with autumn colour, or for a shady walk on a hot summer day.

I began the day with another Slow Way, from Longfield to Sole Street (HarSol 3) and after a quick pitstop at the Railway Inn headed out on SolRoc 1. The only, tiny, navigation problem was in the very first field outside Sole Street where the farmer hadn't reinstated the path although the wheat was already quite high. Groups of locals were walking around the edge though, and even if you do have to stop to get your bearings it's a good chance to listen and look for the skylarks! The footpath to Cobham cut diagonally through orchards which was very charming and will be lovely in blossom. After an old churchyard full of snowdrops it comes into Cobham village which is almost excessively picturesque. Then some fairly quiet road walking beside the grounds of Cobham Park, and then into the ancient woodland section. First up is Cobham Woods (National Trust) past the Daunsley Mausoleum then into Ranscombe Woods (part of Ranscombe Farm Nature Reserve). Other woodland routes are fiddly to follow but not here, just stay on the main track all the way. The character of the woods and the path changed along the way so it didn't get boring. I didn't spot any of the Highland Cattle but the woods were buzzing with smaller wildlife, including a sparrowhawk and some nervous Muntjac deer.

I managed to get to the M2 underpass just as the light began to fade, and it was a very abrupt transition, muntjac one side and chip-shops on the other. The route down to the river is urban and straightforward but the traffic on Watling St (the A2) was pretty noisy. It's mostly treelined with a set-back wide pavement and the bulk of the A2 traffic is funnelled around the Medway towns and onto the M2, which all helps. There are some neglected old coaching inns towards the bottom of the hill, which would have been picture perfect restorations had they been in Cobham, sadly Strood is not so salubrious. To reach the riverside path you go through a retail park, which felt unpromising and was very briefly very dark going under a small bridge but worthwhile as the night-time view of reflections over the Medway was delicious. My phone camera really hasn't done it any justice.

Rochester High Street is again very pretty and historic, with the cathedral, castle and shops it'd be a nice day trip in itself, lots of places to eat too. The station is very close to the high street but the footpath used on this route, through "La Providence", might be locked at night.

Accessibility - there was a dozen or more steps up to the Medway bridge, several kissing gates and/or cattle grids and one stile and one anti-motorbike width restriction. Cobham has at least pubs and a shop and Bligh Way, at the outer edge of Strood also has a small parade of shops. There's a bus route through both places, but no official rest or transport points between, just woodland picnic spots.

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