- There is a section where the route leaves the Royal Military Canale near Port Lympne and takes a detour up a steep hill, only to return down to the canal path shortly afterwards....

Henrike Grund

I only followed part of the route but wanted to leave an interim review as it might be helpful to others atempting it in winter or follwing wet weather....

Henrike Grund

Walked 22nd November 2024, eastwards - Tenterden to Ashford. The route is really very good between Tenterden and Woodchurch. However, as soon as you leave the windmill in Woodchurch you hit a ploughed clay field which is a horrendous walk. Once you've crossed that you have another smaller clay field to cross with the same issue. Then 5 minutes later there's a stile topped with barbed wire (!) so the general feel of this part of the walk just isn't at all comfortable. Here there is another very large clay field to cross but you can at least walk the grass verge if you need to this time. The rest of the walk into Ashford is along the River Stour path and is basically an urban park walk. In summary I'd walk Tenterden to Woodchurch again any time but then teleport to Great Chart so that I could walk to Ashford. I have no idea how to overcome the horrible middle section but my gut instinct is that you simply shouldn't try to walk from Tenterden to Ashford at all....

Ricechrisb

I found this route quite frustrating and challenging....

Sean Richards

It was definitely easier going than some nearby routes but there were still waterlogged fields near Westwell and several very wide deep puddles on the Pilgrims Way, towards the Lenham end, where I needed to leap and/or cling onto hedgerows. The extreme wet conditions over a few days walking in the area had been hard going and I wanted to get to Lenham, my final destination of the trip, in the light...

Daisy C

Later he couldn't find a path behind Great Bromley Farm, but this was no problem when the fields were down to stubble in February. I did have a problem following the path across the fields south of Wye. There are good views of Chilham Castle from around here too....

Daisy C

Towards the end of this route there is a huge deviation (which led me to a pumpkin patch) that is no longer necessary as a faster pedestrian route has been constructed....

ShortLegsLongWalk

Basically you follow the Stour Valley path, so it is the best route for this stretch. Mostly it is easy to follow, using a combination of the SlowWays map and Stour Valley Walk signs but:. Leaving the station, use the SlowWays map to walk past the Stour Centre, and you will then pick up the Stour Valley signs. Then head across the fields to the left as per the SlowWays map - the Stour Valley sign was missing at that point when we did the walk....

James Bradley

After that, the route heads through a gorgeous shallow valley with wooded slopes on both sides. The churchyard at Molash has some great yew trees and from here the route follows quiet tracks and pathways onwards to Kings Wood. From here the route is well walked and clearly signposted onwards to the Stour Valley Walk and into Ashford. I ended my walk with a different route through Ashford by crossing into Kennington and onto Ashford's Green Corridor, following the Stour River through to South Willesborough where there was a hot meal and friendly faces waiting for me. I'd highly recommend a good map and compass on this route due to hard to find signs and crossing points in places....

Carrie.Leonora

Starts well from Hamstreet, but nearer Ashford there are many missing footpaths, and in trying to find a valid way through we had to cross the fast bypass without a zebra crossing twice. Have proposed an alternative route....

Zingano

Lots of this route no longer exists either because the paths are wrong or they’re very poorly or not maintained. It crosses the Trainline and the main road without a formal crossing or bridge. There are much better ways into ashford....

Roger Nolan

Lengthy stretch across flood plain near Stour river is also enjoyable. For those who enjoy some history there are several churches along the route that can easily be included in the route....

PeterD

Hardly any gradient to this walk but the beginning (Leaving Headcorn) along the Smarden Road is to encounter a very fast stretch of road which some may feel intimidated by....

DjWalker

We've been told by a Slow Wayer that part of this route involves walking along the B2068 past Farthing Common Plant Centre. This is a fast road with no footpath that they would not recommend walking. Ashlym two is an alternative that goes via Skeete and is only on the B2068 for a short distance....

Slow Ways Cristie

It’s generally easy to navigate, although there are some points where you lose the path through open pasture land or in wooded sections. Planning the route in advance and taking a map will certainly help. It’s very, very easy to lose the path....

danielrclark

Follows much of the Stour Valley Walk from Ashford via Wye, Crundale, Godmersham and Chilham....

DavidT