Lovely walk from Chartham to Barham on a damp day during a wet period. River Stour was extremely high but this part of the river path only had puddles whereas boots and detours were needed closer to Canterbury. When crossing the river you join the Canterbury Outer Ring walk, well waymarked, for about 5km/3mi. Works beyond the river were in progress and the path was fenced off. Didn't see that but later noted that Canterbury Outer Ring Walk (designed recently by locals in 2019) does not take the cut I missed across the southern tip. The apparently moved diagonal path later mentioned by MM does in fact have a farm gate in the position shown as correct on the map but it was locked. As if by magic a man appeared in the next field who gruffly called out to me that the path was in fact down along his side of the field. There were no internal electric fences and the waterlogged hoof prints showed horses had in fact been congregating against the fence right in the new theoretical position of the path. Buses are less frequent and only run until about 7, although waiting in the Duke of Cumberland was lovely or you could walk uphill for later running buses at the A2 junction...

Daisy C

The path then joins Long Lane, an aptly names road which provides the longest bit of road walking on this route. If you get fed up with this road, you can turn off onto a path at the Overhead cables and this leads you into Eythorne at nearly same point....

Johanna B

I walked this route in December 2025 from Sandwich to Barham. It's a great wee route with plenty of interest along the way....

Johanna B

I am going to add a new route that uses a bridge to cross the A2 a little further to the north of Barham and, in fact, makes the route very slightly shortly....

Johanna B

The first half of the walk is a beautiful, easy, flat or gently undulating walk up this wide chalk valley of wheat fields and sheep grazings, with views around. After Wingmore the walking becomes harder work as the route zigzags back and forth across the valley and onto the higher ground either side of it. The change of walking effort was somehow annoying, even though I like walking up and down hills, as it had been just so relaxed and pleasurable ambling along in the valley. As almost all of this walk is on the Elham Valley Way, the route is well signed, which didn't stop me overshooting and having to backtrack a bit where the path heads down to Wingmore Court Farm, but I wasn't really concentrating....

Mockymock

There is a little village shop by the green, and a pub further down the road (off the Slow Way). To get on the right track you need to go right on through the zone of trees and scrub and beyond into the next field before turning up the hill as the line of the actual route lies a little to the east of the plotted route (and the right of way marked on the OS map if you are using one). Once out of the wood there is a long, straight, efficient but not particularly exciting walk through highly managed currant and apple plantations and an enclosed bridleway before reaching a short section of road. From there a grassy path leads downhill through a vast, newly planted vineyard to cross a busy B road into a village. One short section of path down through the edge of a wood towards Little Eaton Farm was a tad overgrown (photo 6) but looked to be regularly walked and my suggested route tweak is at Reed Farm (from w3w warbler.poets.drilled to swelling.spite.beginning) where I reckon it is much quicker and easier to go round by the road instead of taking the footpath through the fields. The remainder of the walk crosses two more valleys at Marley and past Heart’s Delight farm, both quiet and lovely. The only less delightful bit was the arable field below Marley Wood where the path is supposed to run along the western edge but was impassably messy with piled farmyard manure and ten metres of recently ploughed ground. The footpath across the last field before the road is marked diagonally from the gateway, but if you head on to the far corner instead, there is a stile and you can walk along the fence line to avoid horses and electric fences....

Mockymock

It is a slight tweak to make it as easy to follow as possible and also to go through more of Elham village which is attractive and such a small detour that it's worth it to go past the shop and several places to eat. It follows the Elham Valley Way nearly from one village to the other. This avoids the "busy/dangerous road" from the LymBar 1 review and follows the Elham Valley Way for longer. Elham village has a shop, several pubs, tearooms plus bus route 17 which also stops at Lyminge and a few other places along the road can be easily reached....

Daisy C

It successfully avoids the "busy/dangerous road" from the LymBar 1 review and slightly improves the unclear line at Whitehouse Farm....

Daisy C

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

Follows the Elham Valley Way which is by far the best walking route in Kent....

ShortLegsLongWalk

We walked this route in autumn and found a lot of dead animals for some reason. Aside that the route was perfect and easy to walk....

ShortLegsLongWalk

I have walked this route twice, it works really smoothly, by the second time of walking we didn't need to refer to the map....

ShortLegsLongWalk

Pleasant walk, lots to see along the way such as Bourne Park House and Charlton Park. Quite hilly in places, and many kissing gates, some kept in better condition than others. One near Bourne Park has tangled exposed roots, which may be challenging to those in wheelchairs....

Laure

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

Much of it shared with The North Downs Way, National Trail....

Tim Ryan

A nice walk mainly on Byways and country lanes....

stephen crouch