Detling to Charing along the Pilgrim's Way - Monday 3rd September
Marathon of a walk this one which turned out to be over 15 miles and a lot harder than we had expected. The day was terrific, warm with morning high cloud clearing to a wonderful sunny day. We drove to Detling and parked up. Striding out around 9-50 we found the trail well marked and expected the initial climb up the North Downs. What we hadn't expected was that for the first 4 miles or so the path was up and down more frequently than a Thai Brides Knickers. And what steep valleys they were too, often needing steps cut into the chalk for walkers to get up and down them.
We hardly needed a sign to tell us we had only done a "Hucking 1 mile" !
After the first 4 miles the path settled down to a well used track and this led us into Hollingbourne where we were tempted to stop at this delightfully named pub...
But we didn't!
According to Chaucer, the original pilgrims that walked this path on their way to Canterbury had plenty of "Dirty Habits"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Canterbury_Tales
From here on the path was really a track, well worn and hard on the feet from the thousands of people that must have plodded along this way since the 14th Century but at least the gradients were more manageable. We speeded up as well but still didn't reach our planned watering hole in Lenham until about 1-15. However, it was worth the wait.
The Dog & Bear was just what we needed and due to the "Long and winding road"; the warm day and the high level of exertion, Ivan and I broke with tradition and had two pints - for purely medicinal reasons of course.
Some views of the lovely village of Lenham below.
This interesting doorway in Lenham had a sign saying it used to be the door of the Workhouse Mortuary and once the workhouse was closed it became the local Gaol!
Refreshed with food and drink we set off on the last 5 mile section to Charing. Once more the "Trail" was actually the original Pilgrim's Way track and it wound through some great farmland tracking the lower undulating reaches of the North Downs. Two hours later we reached our goal, the village of Charing.
A very attractive house in Charing.
From Charing we caught a train back to Maidstone and then a bus out of Maidstone back to Detling and the car.
See also...
Stats for the day were...
Note the elevation gain and lost and 15.6 miles is our longest walk to date!
Date
|
Steps
|
Distance (mi)
|
Time (min)
|
Calories
|
Average speed (mph)
|
Elevation gain (feet)
|
Elevation lost (feet)
|
Max speed (mph)
|
03/09/2012
|
29267
|
15.6
|
340
|
1943
|
2.7
|
2243
|
2573
|
9.8
|
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