The highlights, a way through Gravesend using small parks and quiet roads. I mostly walked in February 2023, from Gravesend to Sole St but then other parts during other walks, other seasons, while reviewing and testing other local Slow Ways routes....

Daisy C

Accurate and decent route....

Stephen Graham

Accurate and decent route....

Stephen Graham

Accurate and decent route. Not the shortest nor most scenic option....

Stephen Graham

I didn't test the road which the previous reviewer warned about but did test part of another one which felt dangerous and is easy to avoid; Harvel Road which runs just to the north of Vigo Village. You can just go straight through the village (past a pub and a shop) then into Trosley Country Park to join the North Downs Way earlier....

Daisy C

Something was reported to Kent CC about that path entrance a few years back but in fairness I had very limited vision from inside my hood and wasn't about to get out phone or map and check my position so I just kept walking around until I found a track into the woods in the southeastern corner....

Daisy C

There was another quite long and problematic road walking stretch on Harvel Road, which goes along the north side of Vigo Village. Going through Vigo Village (past a shop and a pub) then into Trosley Country Park (nice walking, good signage) and joining the North Downs Way there seems much safer and more practical. I was surprised that the route goes pretty close to places where you can stop but not actually past them, Camer Park public loos, Vigo shop and pub, Trosley Country Park cafe and public loos, Wrotham 2 pubs and public loos....

Daisy C

I haven't walked the road section through New Barn but it appears very straightforward on Google Maps....

Daisy C

This is a great walk that both starts and ends on a high, was easy to follow and has good public transport access - both endpoints are stations on the same line out of Victoria. The only, tiny, navigation problem was in the very first field outside Sole Street where the farmer hadn't reinstated the path although the wheat was already quite high. The footpath to Cobham cut diagonally through orchards which was very charming and will be lovely in blossom. First up is Cobham Woods (National Trust) past the Daunsley Mausoleum then into Ranscombe Woods (part of Ranscombe Farm Nature Reserve). The station is very close to the high street but the footpath used on this route, through "La Providence", might be locked at night....

Daisy C

Marc's review mentions traffic on Newstead Lane by New Barn. I tried out two alternative sections to see if I could resolve some things from Marc's review, so I missed part of this route. First was Park Hill and the footpaths towards Nurstead Ct (start TQ 6309 6841) and second from about 100m after that, where a public footpath runs parallel to the bridleway (which might be particularly muddy)....

Daisy C

Edited: If you'd like to walk and review this Slow Way, please consider GraSol 2 instead....

Daisy C

This is a mostly off road walk from the village of Sole Street through Nurstead Court, then New Barn that ends in Longfield (rather than Hartley as the name suggests). This way includes a much improved suggestion to walk out across the fields between New Barn and Longfield thus avoiding a section of busy road on the Harsol One route and offering some good views out across the Kent countryside....

marc

Not the easiest route to follow as there are a number of different junctions to navigate and sometimes the path splits in different directions....

TomWhitelaw

Routes including the main Camer Road between Meopham and Sole Street need to be diverted by Camer Park as sadly the road does not have footpaths and is subject to busy traffic. Note the current route includes the lane that passes entry to Camer Park, then path exits out onto footpaths on road (nearly but not quite complete) through Sole Street....

Dr E Thompson