What knocks the rating for me are the many busy road crossings where drivers come at quite fast speeds and some of the spots where you have to share the road with motor vehicles....

Ingrina

I started this route at Chislehurst having first walked Bromchi one....

JohnMyerson

The next crossing across Shire Lane was a little easier, and there was a footpath to the North of it, so no road walking was needed, except for a few meters west of New Road Hill along Downe Road. From here it was a slog up a newly ploughed field up the hill towards Biggin Hill airport, where a jet just took off. Instead, I walked first along the edge of the airport, before going around the edge of the field back to the gate where the path ended up. Although there is a road here, there is also a permissive path along the edge of the field first, and then in between the field and the road on the other side of the hedge (photo #11)....

Derick Rethans

Charming and in places extremely steep (this is the North Downs after all) also very peaceful and remote, surprisingly so as it is mostly within Greater London. The first major feature is the steep climb up the southern escarpment of the North Downs which has fantastic views and wonderful chalk downland flowers. It cuts across farmland and horse pasture to Green Street Green then goes along the edge of High Elms Country Park to Farnborough. There are several small shops, pubs and cafes between the A21 at Green Street Green and Orpington High St, and a few bus stops....

Daisy C

I walked this route from Orpington to Bromley on a very windy autumn day started at around 10 am. The route can be roughly cut into 3 sections, Orpington to Crofton, Crofton to Southborough, and Southborough to Bromley. From Orpington to Crofton, it is mostly on the road and back alleyway through quite residential areas. From Crofton to Southborough, we enter the wilderness. The first turn on this route after entering Crofton Wood from the Crofton Lane direction is not very clear on the real path. Beyond Crofton Wood, you would find Bromley Golf Centre and Parkfield Recreation Ground. The last part of the journey, from Southborough to Bromley is very much like the mirror image of the first section....

Xiao Shan

Plenty of other green and even rural feeling sections, plus quiet residential roads Loses a star for the line being messed up twice, briefly just north of Orpington Station but also the km leading to Bromley South Station. GPS signal didn't work under the leafy canopy of Crofton Woods and OS maps don't show all the paths or which bits are now woodland. Bromley South Station is the other end of the carpark. But if trying to use the actual route coming from Bromley, you would probably go up a set of steps behind the other side of the station, and end up on the A21 anyway, except the crossing would be further away, perhaps hidden by the rise and bend of the road....

Daisy C

Quiet and leafy streets of Crofton next which that leads into shady, lush and seasonally very wet, Crofton Woods (aka Sparrow Woods and a few other names). The GPX line is based on an OS map, but the reality is different, that line doesn't quite work, woods have grown where once was open land and multiple other paths just muddy the issue (pun intended). I had GPS signal, but no internet in Crofton Woods, so if you get lost and your app doesn't have saved maps you'll just have to hope for a friendly dog walker. Some path surfaces on C Common, the H Estate and Jubilee C Pk are earth, or gravel tracks but the worst surfaces will be in Crofton Woods. I just walked the last part around Crofton Woods this weekend as part of the "Great Summer Slow Ways Waycheck"....

Daisy C

Like the others slight diversion by the farm Then some very overgrown nettles about 200 yards worth But all round lovely walk...

Scott Johnson

There's no need to walk it at all as there is a perfectly good path running just parallel through publicly owned Old Hill Common and High Elms Country Park....

Daisy C

The mapped line of this route fits the OS maps line, but the actual path line is a bit different, notably the permissive path on Shire Lane, field boundaries in the valley between Layhams Lane and New Addington and in the woodland near Vulcans Way (see John M's helpful map). There is a permissive path (stiled, fenced and marked with Yellow Arrow local route signs) just north of the hedge. Farnborough and Leaves Green both have very attractive village greens, with nearby pubs. Down the hill just after this, the actual route goes north of the hedge line then around a field edge, although OS map paths and this route goes, impassably, south of that then through the woods. Third was just before the Vulcan Way Estate (John M's map of the actual path line was helpful) where the path goes through some woods with some flytipping but the locals have used a gap in the hedge by the industrial estate then walked along the field edge. See Bromley Council Circular Routes for Farnborough and Leaves Green, Bromley CAMRA routes 7 & 8 plus the London Loop....

Daisy C

At Stones Cross Road, I took the second path (opposite the War Memorial) which leads to the railway and after passing under the A20 there's a footbridge to Southern Place....

JohnMyerson

Turn left next to a culvert from the field path then go along the back of the factory and turn right up Vulcan Way to the pedestrian crossing on King Henry's Drive (see photo)....

JohnMyerson

There are a free steps along the route which would make this not the most accessible route (such as at the very beginning near Orpington Station) but these could be avoided with some small road diversions....

Jack Cornish

First part in mid September starting from Chislehurst War Memorial and ending at Petts Wood Station (to get train home after running ChiSid 2). Possibly public toilets too, on the other (W) side of the railway line (footbridge a little way N from station) is an official looking sign for "Community WCs" which points into the Wetherspoons....

Daisy C

This was an enjoyable walk but there was too much road walking in the middle section where it could have easily been avoided. The footpath confusion around Fairtrough Farm mentioned in the other review is probably fine coming from the south, and coming from the north there is a sign, although it was put up by the farm owners and grimly says Keep Dogs On Leads, there is no public footpath sign. From Washneys Road (some way south of Fairtrough Farm) to the brief overlap with the North Downs Way there is a 1.5 mile road section on small lanes....

Daisy C

The middle section is suddenly very peaceful and enjoyable, with beautiful wild flowers, quiet paths and some very friendly cows. Checking the Bromley and Kent online PRoW maps shows 2 paths, the OS is in the quarry, the less direct one other is still there. I was running late, used a more direct footpath which came into Swanley station north entrance. If you use my short cut you can walk right through Swanley station without a ticket to get to the meeting point....

Daisy C

Useful instruction from that walk , after Bleak House Farm yard :- 'Follow the footpath straight ahead following the hedge line on your right until you reach a large gap in the hedge. Continue on this path until a fence is reached, where the path cuts 90 degrees to your right. Continue on this new path, keeping the fence to your left. Take an immediate right to another pathway, again with a few large stones across the path, but again no worse than any stiles....

NickD

The start avoids the hustle of Bromley High Street and I believe the end is a far nicer walk and view - but try them both and compare for yourself....

NickD

Near route end, the walkway to side of Orpington Station, does end in steep set of stairs, that some may find difficult?...

NickD

A slight alternative towards the end, avoiding the Crofton Lane/Crofton Road parts from exiting Crofton Woods to reaching Orpington Station, is to follow the route as per Slow way Broorp one. However, you would miss a lovely view from top of Crofton Road as you walk down towards Orpington Station....

NickD

I was pleasantly surprised by this walk, which we completed Orpington to New Addington, September....

rambler

A lot of walking along pavements of relatively quiet roads. Pleasant walks through parks and woods....

Richard Walking

At the end of Spur Road you need to turn left and cross Court Road at the pedestrian lights. The path is easy to follow across fields up and down some small rises until you get to Darns Hill on the edge of Crockenhill Village, From here on the route is paved until in about 200 m you cross the Cray Road to enter a narrow public footpath that takes you across fields to where you turn left onto Stones Cross Road. Follow Stones Cross Road and turn left on the road next to the Dormers/Crags bungalows (signposted to a Manor?). ***** If you look at Google maps you'll find an alternative way of crossing the A20 by following Stones Cross Road into Green Court Road then following the footpath at the end of Green Court Road down to the Goldsel Road, turn left to cross the A20 on paved footpaths and you're in Swanley not far from the planned end point of this route...

brslowway6

6) AT the end of Avalon Rod turn left into Chelsfield Lane 9) Path towards Cockmannings Lane from Skeet Hill Lane end of Chelsfield Lane...

brslowway6

There are a couple of places where busy roads have to be crossed, but generally there is either a zebra crossing, traffic lights or at the very least a traffic island in the middle to make crossing easier....

ponponjo