"A lovely walk in countryside strongly associated with Jane Austen"
Walk directions
From the village square go to the church and walk to the left-hand corner of the churchyard. Head down to the tarmac lane and continue to cross the A252. Go over the crossroads and up Long Hill. Shortly after Cork Farm, turn right on to a narrow unmarked footpath behind houses. At the tarmac road, cross and follow the path ahead. This soon brings you on to a narrow lane.
Turn right, then left at a metal gate beside a house called Plumtrees. Pass a concrete barn and walk past orchards to a metal gate. Go through this, then follow the track to Bowerland Farm.
Go through the farmyard (it can get pretty muddy) and continue through double gates on to Bowerland Lane. Walk down the lane to the A28 and cross to the pavement opposite. Turn right for a short distance, then go left on to an enclosed narrow footpath. Soon cross a stile and go past a garden to a lane.Â
Cross the railway and follow Pickelden Lane until it bends sharp left at Pickelden Farm, where you turn right through a gate.
Go through two fields and over a couple of stiles to enter a garden. Climb another stile to a lane and turn right to Stile Farm. Go to the right in front of the cottage, then over a stile into the field. Skirt round the edge of the field keeping the hedge on your right, until you reach a waymarked path that leads left, up the side of the valley. Near this spot is Julliberrie Long Barrow, a Neolithic burial site that was later re-used to bury a Romano-British family. For many years it was thought to contain the body of Julius Laverius, one of Caesar's officers who was killed here in an early skirmish with the British. In fact his grave has never been found. Continue walking ahead, over a path junction, until you cross a stile, turn left.
Walk uphill into the field and keep left along the field edge. Cross a stile at a waymarker and turn right on to a track - you're now on the Stour Valley Walk.
Ignore the stile on your left, cross the stile ahead and bear left through the trees, the path gradually climbing up the valley. Keep an eye out for badger setts in the hedge along here. Continue ahead and follow the Stour Valley Walk as it bears right.
Where several paths converge, keep half-right through yew trees on level ground. Go through the wood, and then cross a stile. Continue up a field and into more woodland, where you soon turn right to follow the Stour Valley Walk downhill through a couple more fields, eventually reaching the road near Woodsdale Farm.
Walk right to Woodsdale Farm and climb the stile opposite. Walk diagonally uphill to the top corner, cross another stile and then walk a short distance ahead before forking right along the Stour Valley Walk. Follow this as it takes you diagonally down the fields – look back for great views of Chilham Castle – and through a hedge. Continue in the same direction down to Eggarton Lane.
Turn right, walk down the lane, and then turn right again under the railway and up to the A28. Cross over and walk along the lane ahead. After crossing the Great Stour, go through the gates of ABDO College and immediately right into the parkland of Godmersham Park.
Follow the public footpath across a paddock, go left through a gate and walk up the track to a crossing of tracks at Deer Lodge. Turn right and continue through two gates, eventually reaching the road. Follow this road all the way back into Chilham.
This walk takes you through the idyllic countryside and pretty village of Chilham that inspired author Jane Austen. Her world-famous novel, Pride and Prejudice (originally entitled First Impressions) was written here in 1796. Although Jane Austen is more usually associated with Hampshire, she... spent a great deal of time in Kent visiting her brother Edward. Jane came from a large family and had six brothers and a sister. When Edward was young he stayed with some wealthy relatives, the Knights, who were unable to have children of their own. Edward was adopted by the Knights and went to live at Godmersham House, a handsome, red-brick mansion set in rolling parkland, which you pass on this walk. The Knights doted on Edward, they educated him and sent him on the Grand Tour. When Mr Knight died, Edward inherited Godmersham, changing his surname to Knight. Jane frequently stayed at Godmersham House, dined at Chilham Castle, called on local families, worshipped in Godmersham church, and walked in the countryside. The characters in her novels were drawn from the people she met at society balls and concerts. She was a skilled observer of people and once said that all she needed for a novel were three or four families in a village. Â
Kent is home to the White Cliffs of Dover, an English icon that marks the point where the Kent Downs AONB stretches from the Surrey Hills down to the sea. Visitors can explore historic parklands, including Knole Park and Sir Winston Churchill’s former home at Chartwell, or beautiful nature reserves, such as the coppiced woodlands of Denge Wood and Earley Wood and the ancient fine chalk woodland of Yockletts Bank.
"A lovely walk in countryside strongly associated with Jane Austen"
Walk details
4hrs
Difficulty:
Hard
Gradient:
Moderate
Distance:
8.5 miles (13.7kms)
Ascent:
591ft (180m)
Walk directions
From the village square go to the church and walk to the left-hand corner of the churchyard. Head down to the tarmac lane and continue to cross the A252. Go over the crossroads and up Long Hill. Shortly after Cork Farm, turn right on to a narrow unmarked footpath behind houses. At the tarmac road, cross and follow the path ahead. This soon brings you on to a narrow lane.
1 of 11
Turn right, then left at a metal gate beside a house called Plumtrees. Pass a concrete barn and walk past orchards to a metal gate. Go through this, then follow the track to Bowerland Farm.
2 of 11
Go through the farmyard (it can get pretty muddy) and continue through double gates on to Bowerland Lane. Walk down the lane to the A28 and cross to the pavement opposite. Turn right for a short distance, then go left on to an enclosed narrow footpath. Soon cross a stile and go past a garden to a lane.Â
3 of 11
Cross the railway and follow Pickelden Lane until it bends sharp left at Pickelden Farm, where you turn right through a gate.
4 of 11
Go through two fields and over a couple of stiles to enter a garden. Climb another stile to a lane and turn right to Stile Farm. Go to the right in front of the cottage, then over a stile into the field. Skirt round the edge of the field keeping the hedge on your right, until you reach a waymarked path that leads left, up the side of the valley. Near this spot is Julliberrie Long Barrow, a Neolithic burial site that was later re-used to bury a Romano-British family. For many years it was thought to contain the body of Julius Laverius, one of Caesar's officers who was killed here in an early skirmish with the British. In fact his grave has never been found. Continue walking ahead, over a path junction, until you cross a stile, turn left.
5 of 11
Walk uphill into the field and keep left along the field edge. Cross a stile at a waymarker and turn right on to a track - you're now on the Stour Valley Walk.
6 of 11
Ignore the stile on your left, cross the stile ahead and bear left through the trees, the path gradually climbing up the valley. Keep an eye out for badger setts in the hedge along here. Continue ahead and follow the Stour Valley Walk as it bears right.
7 of 11
Where several paths converge, keep half-right through yew trees on level ground. Go through the wood, and then cross a stile. Continue up a field and into more woodland, where you soon turn right to follow the Stour Valley Walk downhill through a couple more fields, eventually reaching the road near Woodsdale Farm.
8 of 11
Walk right to Woodsdale Farm and climb the stile opposite. Walk diagonally uphill to the top corner, cross another stile and then walk a short distance ahead before forking right along the Stour Valley Walk. Follow this as it takes you diagonally down the fields – look back for great views of Chilham Castle – and through a hedge. Continue in the same direction down to Eggarton Lane.
9 of 11
Turn right, walk down the lane, and then turn right again under the railway and up to the A28. Cross over and walk along the lane ahead. After crossing the Great Stour, go through the gates of ABDO College and immediately right into the parkland of Godmersham Park.
10 of 11
Follow the public footpath across a paddock, go left through a gate and walk up the track to a crossing of tracks at Deer Lodge. Turn right and continue through two gates, eventually reaching the road. Follow this road all the way back into Chilham.
This walk takes you through the idyllic countryside and pretty village of Chilham that inspired author Jane Austen. Her world-famous novel, Pride and Prejudice (originally entitled First Impressions) was written here in 1796. Although Jane Austen is more usually associated with Hampshire, she... spent a great deal of time in Kent visiting her brother Edward. Jane came from a large family and had six brothers and a sister. When Edward was young he stayed with some wealthy relatives, the Knights, who were unable to have children of their own. Edward was adopted by the Knights and went to live at Godmersham House, a handsome, red-brick mansion set in rolling parkland, which you pass on this walk. The Knights doted on Edward, they educated him and sent him on the Grand Tour. When Mr Knight died, Edward inherited Godmersham, changing his surname to Knight. Jane frequently stayed at Godmersham House, dined at Chilham Castle, called on local families, worshipped in Godmersham church, and walked in the countryside. The characters in her novels were drawn from the people she met at society balls and concerts. She was a skilled observer of people and once said that all she needed for a novel were three or four families in a village. Â
Kent is home to the White Cliffs of Dover, an English icon that marks the point where the Kent Downs AONB stretches from the Surrey Hills down to the sea. Visitors can explore historic parklands, including Knole Park and Sir Winston Churchill’s former home at Chartwell, or beautiful nature reserves, such as the coppiced woodlands of Denge Wood and Earley Wood and the ancient fine chalk woodland of Yockletts Bank.
