I didn't walk downhill from Queen's Park to Caterham Station (and then back up) as I've already tried 3 different ways on 4 different walks out of Caterham and this is best: traffic free, simple and pleasant, although through the church is nice too. I didn't walk with dogs in the end but it should be suitable. Kenley Aerodrome has several information boards about the history, mostly WWII, and it was fun watching a glider taking off....

Daisy C

Good route for aspiring fell runners....

Strider

Personally I preferred this to PurKen 2: cowslips and less climbing over cows, steps and a bit of a view. I particularly enjoyed the slightly winding woodland path and especially the frequent glades which were brimming with cowslips....

Daisy C

I walked from Warlingham to Kenley on a day that couldn't make up its mind, but rained later. Some roads to a sports ground, here there are works (carpark and landscaping), the path is diverted, but the diversion adds little distance and is clearly shown....

Strider

Steep (13%) road side walk downhill to Purley Station....

Strider

But a good route between Coulsdon and Kenley....

JohnMyerson

I walked this from Kenley to Coulson on a sunny morning....

Derick Rethans

The first section out of Selsdon is along a busy road, but once you get past the pond in Sanderskead, and through its village and shops, the route is a lot nicer....

Derick Rethans

Daisy has kindly made a new version of this route, Couken Four, because a slight detour is required due to obstruction of a narrow path by a large fallen tree. Otherwise excellent although indirect route, which shows off the lovely old woodlands along the steep valley sides....

Jane Taylor

Coulsdon has plenty of shops and cafes, Kenley not so well provided, but there is a small shop by the main road....

Jane Taylor

I especially enjoyed the golf course at Old Coulsdon, with a convenient bench alongside one of the tees. There is a more direct, although perhaps less enjoyable, alternative which doesn’t go by the golf course....

Jane Taylor

It is a kilometre (2/3 mile) longer than CouKen 1, proportionally that's a lot but it's enjoyable and very green. For me the best part was along an old track through "In Wood", between Old Lodge Lane and the golf course. There are a couple of dozen concrete steps at at TQ 3147 5970, that's going up from the Hayden Ave / Colescroft Hill junction, and they're probably the steepest steps I've come across on any Slow Way....

Daisy C

I prepared by reading Daisy’s review, so knew to look for the woodland path running parallel to the south side of the Addington road. At Sanderstead recreation ground I tried to follow the given route down the hill between the cricket ground car park and Mitchley Hill (road); this led me into overgrown and neglected woodland scrub. The path to follow is the very obvious one visible through the trees on the right before you get to the car park, down the open grassland to the bottom of the hill, where it swings left through some dense scrub before landing on the road. The route is accurate but the path is steep and has several (I lost count) fallen trees to clamber over....

Jane Taylor

The alternative (same distance) would be to continue along the LOOP to Tithepit Shaw Lane then turn right to join the path opposite Court Farm entrance....

JohnMyerson

I started at Kenley and there was a long drag up Kenley Lane although there was little traffic....

JohnMyerson

As previously stated, I plotted this route as an alternative to resolve a right-of-way issue with the original route. Overall, not the most inspiring route and has lots of road walking, but more functional than the previous....

Smatticus1991

I think my impression of the walk is probably different from the route author because we walked in opposite directions, so my final memory is Riddlesdown, which ends just 2 minutes from Kenley Station, whereas theirs is the noisy walk beside Addington Road. The bits on Addington Road were tiresome but only 1km total and the wooded bit in Sanderstead Plantation broke it up. Half the route is road walking but the rest is either short, very quiet or both. I found an informal path which avoids the Selsdon end of Addington road but I'm not sure how permanent it will be. There are two small white lodges, the first opposite Upper Selsdon Road and another near the turning into the Sanderstead Plantation....

Daisy C

There was at least one stile at the west exit from the golf course, and I can't remember the other golf course exit I don't think there were any other gates or stiles. There were very few players on the golf course, but a dozen or so dogs and their humans enjoying the grounds, not just the path at all, despite the usual fierce signs. Maybe it's just a pre-dusk thing because the course is quiet....

Daisy C

From Kenley the path goes fairly up (photo #1) towards Honister Heights. At the east end of Honister Heights the path follows a bridleway (photo #3, #4) towards the Sanderstead to Whyteleafe Country Side Area....

Derick Rethans

From Kenley the path goes fairly up (photo #1) towards Honister Heights. At the east end of Honister Heights the path follows a bridleway (photo #3, #4) towards the Sanderstead to Whyteleafe Country Side Area....

Derick Rethans

Soon after leaving the station (photo #1), there was a 100+ flight of stairs straight up to Cliff End (photo #2). This was the only *steep* bit up, but after walking along Cliff End (photo #3) and then down towards Downs Court Road, there is another uphillish section to where you then follow the public foot path (photo #4, #5) to the end of the nature reserve....

Derick Rethans

Waller Lane out of Caterham (photo #1), residential footpath (photo #2), Coulsdon Common (photo #3), Caterham Drive (photo #4), the observatory (photo #5), wood to Hayes Lane (photo #7), Kenley Lane (photo #8, #9), the station (photo #10)....

Derick Rethans

More woodland, more leafy housing, including the leafiest of them all, Welcomes Road, which is marked Private Land, no *vehicular* access. I couldn't take it all but: Welcomes Road is a long wide, quiet road and following it was recommended. Might be slightly nicer road walking than Kenley Lane, but with no woodland path or field-sides...

Daisy C

I persevered close to the hedge line and the path did reappear, but tucked around the corner just out of sight. Soon the path came to the 'Sanderstead to Whyteleafe Countryside Area', jointly managed for wildlife by two councils across the London Surrey border. The lane came out to a short, very quiet section residential section then out onto another meadow at Riddlesdown, which is chalk downland with yew woods on the steep slopes. You cannot physically follow the route line through fences, but there's a path or two nearby heading in the same direction....

Daisy C

There's a couple of eat/shop options near Kenley Station, and a pub "The Kenley Hotel" with "Rooms available from £20". The route is along a steep sided valley, some slopes are inevitable, but this route is relatively gentle, considering, except those long steps. It seemed better than PurKen 1 in that direction and is far quieter than the main road joining Kenley and Purley stations....

Daisy C

This is a lovely walk, I’d recommend having maps open as up on Riddlesdown is quite expansive, and once passing Warlingham school you don’t feel you’re on much of a public path! Only one for the light, the end bit approaching Warlingham is often muddy too....

jennyh

This route is an unfortunate victim of geography, whereby much of it is dominated by road walking, although I can see that the original plotter had no viable alternative. The official route goes through a field which avoids the narrow track, but requires crossing stiles at TQ 33479 60493 and TQ 33383 60415. Eventually, the route takes you through Riddlesdown, one side of a semi-wooded/meadow adorned, steep, dry valley which runs from Caterham to Purley, transecting the North Downs At this point, there is some confusion with the official route, as the green dotted footpath which goes in a straight line to the bottom of the valley doesn’t actually exist/is blocked by impenetrable woodland It is better to follow one of the two black dotted paths which go through the clearing in the woods, but this requires going through at least one kissing gate This route, while direct, lacks the scenic value of others in the local area, contains a lot of (unavoidable) road walking near Selsdon, features kissing gates which could impede disabled users, and most significantly of all, features a footpath which is unusable...

Smatticus1991