North Downs Way - Folkestone to Charing (★★★★☆)

Today was my second consecutive day of walking - having walked from Dover to Folkestone on the previous day - and would be the day where I would complete the entirety of the North Downs Way.

Heading out into a misty morning with a thick bed of low cloud coming up off the sea, my first task was to head back up Castle Hill (in the north of Folkestone) to join back up with the North Downs Way.

Upon reaching the top of the hill, I turn left and start to follow the fairly muddy path that is the North Downs Way on the section where it runs past the Channel Tunnel terminal.

At this point it would be fortunate if you enjoy views of concrete train terminals with little lorries and cars heading round to board their train, because these views of remain for around a mile and a half of walking - after which we finally turn north, and start to pull away from Folkestone.

Channel Tunnel Terminal from the hills

Having turned north the view cleans up

Although there isn't much rain forecast for the day, the heavy mist is set to remain and so I must apologize in advance for the lack of blue sky photographs - you will have to content yourself with cloudy and misty skies today.

But the scenery is pleasant as we head north, and then cut west following pretty tracks - before changing direction to head south-east as we head down off the ridge.

Coming down off the ridge

Coming off the ridge gives up a fair amount of height, and at the base of the valley it is time to say hello to a group of curious but slightly wary cows, before heading underneath the former railway that once ran between Folkestone and Canterbury (the Elan Valley line).

This train line had run through the site of the Channel Tunnel terminal, and was used during WW2 as part of the war effort - but it was never a particularly busy service, and was eventually overtaken by use of the improved road networks. 

But having passed under this abandoned train line, it is time to start climbing back up again, as we head to the hills on the far side of Etchinghill.

Starting to climb back up

Up on a new ridge beyond Etchinghill

From here we cut west, staying up on this ridge, and then passing a big tower at Tolsford Hill. Whilst not the prettiest structure I have ever seen (it is in fact very ugly, hence the lack of photo), the tower was originally built in 1954 to transmit telephone and radio signals to a corresponding tower in Fiennes (near Boulogne in France).

The concrete monstrosity that exists today followed in the 1970s, and the tower remains operational - which sadly means that you will almost certainly have to look at it if you come and do this walk.

But with the tower behind us, it returns to being a pretty walk out across the fields - with the path dipping down off this ridge, in preparation for a new climb up onto new hills, on the far side of a road.

Heading out across the fields

Looking out across the ridge

Having crossed over the road, the path climbs back up, and does a close pass of the pretty village of Postling, whilst the next series of ridges lie ahead.

Looking down upon Postling

The ridge line ahead (lots of bumpy hills in all directions)

Leaving behind the vantage point above Postling, we head out along the ridge and then after a brief drop down off the ridge, head round and begin to climb back up, as we start to head across the fields to Farthing Common.

Just before heading down off the ridge

At Farthing Common we meet up with a much busier road, which on the surface seems to be just like any other road, but if you zoom out on your map (or just look a bit further if it is made of paper), you will notice that here we cross an almost dead straight road running between Lympne and Canterbury.

This provided a direct route from the Roman port at Lympne (Portus Limanis) to Canterbury (Durovernum Cantiacorum) - which was a major town in Roman times - along Stone Street, and at Farthing Common you will spot an odd, and very un-Roman, bend to the road as it tracks the edge of the ridge.

This kink adjusted the route of the road to limit the steepness of the drop and to minimise any risk of ambush, and also collects us up as we arrive in from the western side of this road.

At Farthing Common we briefly track along the edge of Stone Street, with what could have been "far reaching views across Kent and the cliffs at Fairlight in Sussex and even the South Downs", but what are in fact just views out into the mist and cloud.

But before long we start to drop down off this ridge - head down to a minor road, which we follow through Stowting Court. Here there is a rare section of road walking, before we turn off at Highfield Farm - where I instantly befriend an entire field of sheep who frantically run over to their field's gate, presumably on the expectation that I will be feeding them.

After disappointing this entire field of sheep by giving them absolutely nothing to eat, I head up on an old track that runs along the ridge. After a while this track is released onto a very quiet road which takes me further up the ridge - and then the route continues on along the ridge, via another trackway.

This eventually turns into a road, and after a bit more road walking I start heading out along a ridge that turns into a grassy ridge (after heading past a very noisy dog rescue centre), to the rather special Broad Downs near Wye.

Devil's Kneading Trough at Broad Downs

Very slightly further along the path

It is not quite the best day for it, but this section is still the highlight of the day so far, and from here it continues to be a very pleasant walk, out along Wye Downs to the site of Wye Crown.

Site of Wye Crown (just over the ridge)

Wye Crown is a chalk crown cut into the hillside that was carved to celebrate the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902. 

From above it is pretty hard to make out the shape of the crown (you can just see what looks like an odd and very short path), although you can obviously see how it was originally cut into the hillside. These days it is formed by white stones rather than chalk and I've no idea if on a clear day this crown can be seen from the village of Wye below or not, as the visibility just wouldn't have been good enough today anyway.

But from here the path continues on and cuts up to a road, which is very briefly followed downhill, before the North Downs Way turns off to the left to follow an unexpectedly tarmacked path that heads directly down into the pretty village of Wye. 

St Gregory and St Martin Church

Stopping off in Wye to get some additional food and drink, the next section of the walk heads through the village, and out the far side - having crossed over Great Sour river, and passing by the train station on the way (handy for any day walking).

From here the onward path heads across the fields, although with a slightly scruffy section as you pass around Perry Court Farm - after which we continue on across the fields, to join up with a minor road into Boughton Lees. And it is here that we join up with the alternate route of the North Downs Way - and where I manage to complete the entirety of this trail.

The split in the North Down Way

This returns me to familiar ground - with my last visit to this spot being back in April, when I was on day two of a three day walk from Rochester down to Dover, on the Canterbury loop of this trail (walking from Harrietsham to Canterbury on that second day).

From here I have a choice, as it is a pretty similar distance to the next train stations at either Charing (left) or Chilham (right). But with Charing being in my opinion a slightly nicer walk, and also slightly more convenient for onward travel, I am heading left and following the route that eventually heads round to Farnham (a long way later!).

The route board at this junction

Initially this means some more road walking through Boughton Lees, but turning off to head across Eastwell Park the walking quickly improves as we head on and past Eastwell Manor.

The lake at Eastwell Park (private)

Autumn color on a tree lined drive

Before long the path is heading back across fields, before cutting over to a farm track that continues on beneath the ridges that make up Eastwell Park.

The farm track

The ridge

And looking back from the far end

At the far end of the fields, the route continues via a very minor road that turns into a mixed cycle / walking route along the old path of the Pilgrim's Way (supposedly).

This track follows a ridge that the North Downs Way continues to track for some time after we will leave it behind - and on my previous walk it was this section that felt most like the true spirit of the Pilgrim's Way (it helps in this sense if you are doing the Canterbury loop of the walk).

Sort of okay for cycling I suppose

In an idea world I would have kept walking at least to Harrietsham, as that is a lovely stretch of path to walk along - but with there only being so much light in the day at this time of year, it is not long before the path turns into a road, and we turn off the North Downs Way to head down into Charing (as we meet up with the main road running past Charing to the north).

Here we find a very pretty town, albeit with drivers who take a fairly liberal interpretation of a thirty mile an hour speed limit - and it is an easy walk down to the train station where I wait for my train back into London.

In completing this walk, the North Downs Way is done, and if I'm honest I'm slightly disappointed to not being continuing on to walk it once again.

The North Downs Way will never compete with the drama of walks like the Pennine Way or the history of walks like Hadrian's Wall, but there is a peaceful and charming side to walking this national trail. It reminds you of an older England, whilst making you very aware of how much some parts have changed.

The more modern transport links have once again reared their head over these two days, as they did on the prior trips along this trail, but in many ways at it's heart the North Downs Way is just an ancient transportation route - a lot slower and more ponderous, but at it's core no different from these more modern abominations.

Whilst other national trails often leave you a little sore and broken once you get home, this one is at least a bit more peaceful, and more often than not leaves you wanting more. So who knows, maybe I'll come back and do it all over again.

Enjoyment Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ★ / 5

Disclaimer: This writeup provides a narrative of what to expect rather than a route guide to follow. The route is covered by the 189 OS Landranger map - while there is also a North Downs Way guidebook which includes OS mapping (links redirect to Amazon). The route is in general well way-marked.