Sue wanted to go to the Craft Fair at Hever Castle, so I proposed that I
should walk around the outside of the grounds while she was in the event. She
could get in free with her RHS card, and I would walk out after parking, so
avoid the charging gates. I would follow the Eden Valley walk along the
southern border to Hill Hoath, then turn up through Chiddingstone before
curving around to Bough Beech and on to How Green. From here across to meet
the Eden Valley walk once again, following it down to Hever station and thence
back to the castle.
The map showed a path beside the boundary, however once there I realised all the gates were padlocked, and I had to walk back down the driveway - after lengthy negotiations with the parking staff (apparently there is no pedestrian access down the lane!). 750m later, I could access the path through a church yard and walk all the way back. The path was a narrow passage way between the castle grounds and the neighbouring fields.
Back at the gate I could not get through, but on the other side, here it curved around Park wood. Here the fence was less secure and I could have easily got over it.
Eventually the path angled away from the grounds to cross a back road and continued on the far side.
Past some more fields - a lot of them aroudn here have fences set up for cross country eveniting.
Dropping down to Hill Hoath on a narrow track, then along a gravel track
At the end of the track I continued along a footpath
Leaving EVW path and into some woods to pick up a second path that turned sharply left. Up the hill and into Chiddingstone
Over the back road and down a path dropping through a field to the Eden River.
Over the river on a wooden bridge. The far side was guarded by an overgrown pillbox.
Up to Somerden Green - a collection of cottages and along the drive.
At a crossroads of tracks I turned left into a field and over a tributary of the Eden river.
Along the river flood plain between the two rivers to a back road.
A zigzag on the road then into a field, then crossed the hedge and curved around
At the collection of houses called Gravelpits I crossed the yards, and into the field on the other side.
The path dropped down to the Hever golf course, over a stream and up a gravel track
The track led up towards the clubhouse and the driving range (with views down towards the castle - hidden in the trees)
At the end of the course the path went down a twitten to a back road into How Green.
Down a gravel drive through some houses, then into a field - still heading west.
The open fields continued to a barn beside a copse (hiding a large house), and around it into more fields.
the large house was visible from the other side... then through cabbages, climbing again.
the view south ... the castle is there somewhere.
Turning down through a corn field, that ended in a manicured garden. I was back on the EVW now
Through the buildings and down the driveway. Across the back road to a path behind the hedge.
Across a cow field to the railway, crossing under it.
The other side had a newly ploughed field ... no path just a compass bearing. To agate on the far side opening to a back road.
Along the back road to Lydens Farm - now residential. Here was the next occasion of paths being away from drives, as I had to back track up the lane to find where it had been re-routed.
Up a slope in the field away from the farm buildings, and through the next field to touch the side of the railway again.
Up the track opposite Hever station, and along a drive to the back road beyond.
Over the tracks once again - this time on a back road. At a T junction continuing on a path (once again this was separated from a driveway), along side the gardens and pond for Hever Grange.
A rough track continued down to another back road, this time leading to Hever village and the Henry VIII pub opposite the entrance to the castle.
I went to walk down the driveway and was stopped by the parking attendant - no pedestrians rule once again... After pleading no money to pay to go in and no way of contacting Sue to get her to drive out, she eventually gave in and left me through with the same warning as this morning. I reached Sue in the car park about 30 mins late - this was mainly due to the extra 3km of backtracking I had done.
