ROUTE
two

A circular walk over the North Downs.

Approximately 6.2 miles, moderately easy, however, can be overgrown in summertime, and muddy all year round, so sturdy footwear is a must - we are currently working out an alternative route which will be uploaded very soon.

Leave The White Bear car park, turn left, cross Featherbed Lane and walk for about 100 metres. Then take the footpath off the drive for Fairchildes Farm.

Follow the stiles across the fields (walking in the same general direction) until you reach  a larger field and come to a stile which you cross into an ancient lane.

Follow this path and in a short time you will come to a stile which you should cross; this leads to an enclosed track, which is part of Cycle Route 21.

Continue on the track in the same direction and cross Skid Hill Lane. Be aware that cars drive very fast on these roads. Keeping in the same general direction, follow a farmer's track across the field to a wood.

Take the main track through the wood, ignoring tracks off to the left or right.  You will eventually come out of the wood at the north-eastern corner onto Jewels Hill. Cross the road and follow the bridlepath past the entrance to Highams Hill Farm. Follow this path to the end.

As the bridlepath comes to an end there are a few houses and the track becomes tarmacked. At the end of the road, you will come to Blackness Lane. Turn left on to the road, then right at the end on to Church Road and walk towards Keston Church.

Cross the A233 and go up Downe Road towards Holwood Farm Shop. Continue along the road until you come to a footpath sign to Leaves Green. Cross the road and follow the path across a large field ignoring paths off to left and right. You are now walking parallel to the runway at Biggin Hill Airport and you can see the private jets landing and taking off. If you look north you can see the whole of London below with the City of London and Canary Wharf both visible. Perhaps you can see the Wembley Arch too. 

At the end of the field you come to a style which takes you out to Leaves Green. Follow the left hand side of the Green towards the Kings Arms. Cross the A233 and go down a track, passing Leaves Green Crescent on your right. Follow the track to the end which becomes tarmacked after about half a mile.

At the end take the footpath to the left of the gate marked Ashmore Farm, which joins up to an ancient lane. Follow the lane and take the first footpath on the left. When you reach a stile, cross it and turn left. Travel along the top edge of the field and you will come to the Saltbox Hill Nature Reserve, a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest. Follow the path through the reserve and at the third information/noticeboard take a path on the right going down the hill.

Follow the path down the hill until you come to a stile which you should cross into a meadow. The path gets a little indistinct here but continue down to the bottom left hand corner. Cross a stile, turn left towards some metal gates and go past the gates to the road. The road here is very narrow and busy, so watch out for cars.

Turn right and follow the road upwards. Where it turns right take a bridlepath up through some woods. Continue following the main path through the woods. Where the path levels make sure that you take the main path when it turns right. When you come to an old bike stuck in the mud take the left hand fork of the path. Follow this round the edge of the wood and, when you reach the top edge, follow a narrow path out to the edge of a field. Turn left to the corner of the field and then turn right and walk along the edge of the field to a road.

Cross the road and take Blackmans Lane and follow it back to the White Bear.

This route has been provided by one of our customers and is correct to the best of our knowledge. We hope you enjoy it, but if you have any suggestions or comments, please do email us. If you know another great walk locally, let us know and we might feature it here.