Enjoyed it but loses a star for the pavement plod through Wateringbury and (my) incorrectly positioned line by Paddock Wood. I actually walked from Yalding Station to Paddock Wood then back on a bus and onto Kings Hill but I'll write this as if I started from Paddock Wood. After leaving the river at Wateringbury the traffic through the village was more annoying than I anticipated so I regret not designing this route to use the footpaths, especially as crossing the Tonbridge Road on my way back (to get 7 bus to Tonbridge) was better than I had thought even in evening rush hour....

Daisy C

Honestly neither looks great and walking along the A262 instead to reach the footpath looks hairy. There is a serious lack of N-S routes into Lamberhurst, walking on both the A262 and Lamberhurst Road looks scary. Some time ago I added PadLam 2 which is shorter and goes through Horsmonden (past a pub and a shop) rather than looping around both it and Brenchley....

Daisy C

On a misty autumn day this was lovely overall but the unpavemented road walking either side of the A228 was unnerving and I can't recommend it. The standard should be higher because a) if in case. it can easily be swapped for a given that any longer walk could substitute a SouPad secwith ul includes a Paddock Wood to Douthbvailable alternatives Very poor sight lines and infrequent verge but wide enough for fairly fast and pretty busy traffic...

Daisy C

There's a good bit of road walking in Paddock Wood, this route uses a small diversion through the playing fields/community centre to highlight where the gate at the far end is. Romford Road was very quiet, not sure if I saw any cars, just a few people walking home from the fete. A nice track comes out near abandoned farm buildings and housing at the north end of Pembury Village where I cut across the village, down beside the old school and small cemetery and come out into woodland again. Next was a walk down a quiet lane and over the bypass, to a lovely view. That long lane comes out on the edge of Tonbridge, this route was simple and uses very quiet roads until Grove Hill Road, a few hundred metres uphill from Tunbridge Wells Station....

Daisy C

the path from Snipe Wood into Pembury runs alongside a stream at some points, and it looks very much like the stream runs down it for a lot longer. I rejoined this route again near the village green, where the pub, hotel chippy and the only bits of this route I didn't actually test today are on Google Street View, and it is dated yesterday!...

Daisy C

There was a climbable but locked farm gate off the road at Mascalls Court Farm TQ 6774 4380, perhaps to prevent GPX-misled traffic for the housing being built just behind (on land they sold!). In practice it was fine though, traffic was very quiet and kept a good distance away when passing, but traffic elsewhere was pretty quiet this weekend, could be a Coronation traffic abberation. Otherwise, one locked farm gate which I hope is temporary....

Daisy C

The path shown between Paddock Wood and Matfield does not exist....

Arin Hoad

Flat and sometimes muddy but ok in boots except short bit through orchard tractor churn, north of Five Oak Green, where it nearly came over!...

Daisy C

It's fine as way of walking from Paddock Wood to Maidstone - the paths are easy to find, it's fairly direct and much the way is on flat, gravel or tarmac surfaces....

benjoda

Also, the path onwards from near the School towards Paddock Wood is in very poor condition; you get a prize for finding the start [it's a small unmarked door within a large gate] and when you get to a large ditch there's no bridge [photo attached]. My Group had to abandon path walking at that stage and walk along relatively busy roads into Paddock Wood. I've reported the footpath problems to KCC but note that there are uncleared entries back to 2008!...

Martin S

This is a reasonable route with some pleasant sections by the river Medway and in the higher ground above Yalding.( Walked in late summer /autumn)....

And

Walked the route Marden to Paddock Wood the Route is blocked with locked gates through private properties, way markers and access is sketchy in a lot of places....

Mat Young