Skip to product information
Walking in Kent - Front Cover
1/10

Walking in Kent

40 circular short walks and day walks

A guidebook describing 40 walks in the county of Kent. Covering west Kent and The Weald and north and east Kent, including the Kent Downs and the Greensand Hills. Walks of 5 to 9 miles explore rivers and coastline, beautiful countryside and historic villages. With outlines of 11 longer walks ranging from 15 to 163 miles.

The eBook is also sold by Amazon Kindle, Rakuten Kobo, Google Play Books and Apple Books.

Quick facts

  • Guide name: Walking in Kent
  • Location: Kent, South‑East England, UK (North Downs, The Weald)
  • Total walks: 40 circular day walks
  • Typical duration: ~2–6 hours per walk
  • Distance range: 5–15 km (3–9 miles) per walk
  • Walk type: Day-long and shorter walks through hills, valleys, riverside paths, orchards, vineyards, woodlands, and coastline
  • Navigation: Reasonably well-waymarked; 1:50,000 OS mapping and detailed route descriptions in the guidebook
  • Difficulty: Graded routes suitable for a range of abilities; no technical sections
  • Terrain: Chalk escarpments, rolling hills, farmland, woodland, river paths, estuaries and coastal trails
  • Highlights: North Downs ridge walks, The Weald valleys, Canterbury, coastal paths along the English Channel, historic villages, vineyards and hop gardens
  • Best season: Year‑round walking; spring and summer for gardens and orchards, autumn for colour and quieter paths, winter for dramatic coastal views

Detailed overview

The county of Kent offers an extraordinary diversity of walking landscapes across the Garden of England, from the chalky escarpments of the North Downs and the rolling Greensand Hills to fertile river valleys, historic villages and lively coastline.

Walking in Kent, by experienced guidebook writer Kev Reynolds, brings together 40 carefully selected circular day walks, each ranging from 7 to 15 km (5–9 miles), showcasing the very best of Kent’s countryside and coastline.

Divided between west Kent and The Weald and north and east Kent, the guidebook also outlines 11 longer-distance trails such as the Saxon Shore Way and the North Downs Way, giving both quick day routes and extended options for further exploration.

  • 40 circular routes are described to explore the full breadth of Kent’s landscapes, from the rolling hills of the North Downs and lush Weald valleys to riverside paths and coastal stretches along the English Channel and estuaries
  • Clear, easy-to-follow route descriptions are supported by 1:50,000 OS mapping, helping you navigate through woodland walks, ridge lines, farm tracks and waterfront paths with confidence
  • Walks are organised into two key areas – west Kent & The Weald, and north & east Kent – making it simple to base yourself in centres such as Canterbury, Folkestone or Maidstone and explore a different region each day
  • Practical details on access, parking, public transport links from London and surrounding towns, local facilities, geology and wildlife add valuable local context and help you plan each outing efficiently
  • Inspiring background on the Garden of England’s orchards, vineyards, historic buildings and ancient sites enriches every walk, bringing Kent’s landscapes and stories to life

Whether you’re planning a weekend escape from London, a series of day trips or a longer walking break, Walking in Kent provides all the details you need to explore the Garden of England with confidence. With 40 carefully graded routes across the coast and countryside, it’s the essential guide for making the most of every step in Kent.

Where and when to go

Seasons

It is possible to walk in Kent all year round

Centres

Sevenoaks, Westerham, Faversham, Canterbury, Wye, Tenterden, Sandwich, Appledore, Dover

Difficulty

The walks are suitable for all abilities, and are perfect for days out and getting 'away from it all'. No specialised equipment or clothing required

Must See

North Downs; greensand hills; vineyards, orchards and farms of the Weald; dramatic coastal cliffs; marshland and land that once was sea; riverside walks along the Medway; historic buildings and ancient sites

Table of contents

Preface

Overview map

Map key

Route summary table

Introduction

The North Downs

The greensand hills

The Weald

Coastline

Rivers

When to go

What to take

Footpaths

Using this guide

The walks

West Kent and the Weald

1 Lullingstone Park to Shoreham

2 Shoreham to Romney Street

3 Westerham to French Street and Chartwell

4 Crockham Hill to Toys Hill and Obriss Farm

5 Toys Hill to Ide Hill, Crockham Hill and French Street

6 Ide Hill to Manor Farm

7 Sevenoaks Weald to Boarhill

8 Shipbourne to Underriver and Ightham Mote

9 Four Elms to Winkhurst Green and Bough Beech

10 Marsh Green to Crippenden Manor

11 Cowden to Horseshoe Green and Bassett’s Farm

12 Cowden to Hoath Corner

13 Chiddingstone to Penshurst

14 Penshurst to Salmans and Nashes Farm

15 Penshurst to Fordcombe

16 Groombridge to Speldhurst

17 Brenchley to Matfield

18 Yalding to Hunton and Buston Manor

19 Teston Bridge to Wateringbury and East Farleigh

20 Linton to Boughton Monchelsea Place

21 Ulcombe Church to Boughton Malherbe and Grafty Green

22 Pluckley to Little Chart and Egerton

23 Wittersham Road station to Small Hythe and Tenterden

24 Appledore to Stone-in-Oxney and Royal Military Canal

North and East Kent

25 Camer Country Park to Luddesdown and Great Buckland

26 Stansted to Fairseat, Hodsoll Street and Ridley

27 Trosley Country Park to Coldrum Stones and Ryarsh

28 Newington to Upchurch and Lower Halstow

29 Leysdown-on-Sea to Shellness and Harty

30 Faversham to Oare Creek, Uplees and Oare

31 Faversham to Ham Marshes and Oare Creek

32 Wye to Crundale and Coombe Manor

33 Wye to Wye Downs and Cold Blow

34 Chilham to Stour Valley

35 Stodmarsh Nature Reserve to Grove Ferry

36 St Nicholas at Wade to Chitty and Sarre

37 Bridge to Patrixbourne, Kingston and Bishopsbourne

38 Elham to Breach

39 Sandwich to Sandwich Bay

40 Dover (White Cliffs Picnic Site) to St Margaret’s at Cliffe

Longer walks

41 The Darent Valley Path

42 The Eden Valley Walk

43 The Elham Valley Way

44 The Greensand Way

45 The High Weald Walk

46 The Medway Valley Walk

47 The North Downs Way

48 The Royal Military Canal Path

49 The Saxon Shore Way

50 The Stour Valley Walk

51 The Wealdway

Appendix A Useful addresses

Appendix B Recommended reading

Which format is best for me?

Printed book

A guidebook with detailed route descriptions, stage breakdowns, accommodation listings, profiles and maps — everything you need on the trail.

ISBN9781786312822
AvailabilityPublished
Published18 August 2025
Reprinted31 July 2028
Weight 280g

eBook

The complete digital edition of the guidebook, with full route descriptions, accommodation listings, profiles and maps, ready to use on any device.

Updates

Currently there are no updates for this book.

Meet the author

A lifelong passion for the countryside in general, and mountains in particular, drove Kev's desire to share his sense of wonder and delight in the natural world through his writing, guiding, photography and lecturing. Spending several months every year in various high-mountain regions researching guidebooks made him The Man with the World's Best Job.

Kev enjoyed a fruitful partnership with Cicerone from the 1970s, producing 50 books, including guides to five major trekking regions of Nepal and to numerous routes in the European Alps and Pyrenees, as well as walking guides for Kent, Sussex and the Cotswolds. 'A Walk in the Clouds' is a collection of autobiographical short stories recording 50 years of mountain travel and adventures. He was also the contributing editor of the collaborative guide 'Trekking in the Himalaya' and Cicerone's celebratory anniversary compilation 'Fifty Years of Adventure'.

A frequent contributor to outdoor magazines, Kev also wrote and illustrated brochures for national tourist authorities and travel companies. When not away in the mountains, Kev lived with his wife in a small cottage among what he called 'the Kentish Alps', with unrestricted walking country on the doorstep. But he also travelled throughout Britain during the winter months to share his love of the places he wrote about through a series of lectures.

Sadly, Kev passed away in 2021. He will be remembered fondly by all who knew him and by many more he inspired through his writing and talks.