circular walks around
Further information
Medway Council has a duty to protect, maintain and record rights of way and any
problems encountered on them should be reported to: Medway Council, Rights of Way
Team, Frontline Services, Regeneration, Community and Culture, Civic Centre, Rochester,
Kent ME2 4AU.
Phone: 01634 333333 Email: [email protected]
Medway Visitor Information Centre
01634 338141
Cuxton and Halling
www.medway.gov.uk
Medway Swale Estuary Partnership
01634 338891
www.msep.org.uk
Explore Kent
08458 247600
www.kent.gov.uk/explorekent
Natural England
0845 6003078
www.naturalengland.org.uk
North Downs AONB
01303 815179
www.kentdowns.org.uk
Plantlife
01634 306000
www.plantlife.org.uk
National Rail
08457 484950
www.nationalrail.co.uk
Traveline
0870 6082608
www.travelinesoutheast.org.uk
This publication includes mapping data reproduced from/based upon Ordnance
Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey, on behalf of the Controller
of Her Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown copyright and/or database right, 2010.
All rights reserved. Licence number 100024225.
Cover painting: David Inshaw
Text: Mark Loos, Tim Owen, Catherine Smith
Photography: Medway Swale Estuary Partnership, Mark Loos
Maps: Sue Meheux, Medway Council
Key to maps
Car parking
Parking limited
Viewpoint
Railway station
Disclaimer
While every care is taken in compiling this publication, neither Medway Council nor its
servants or agents can accept any liability whatsoever for any incorrect statement
contained herein, nor any omission.
Toilet
G5217 Designed by Medway Council’s Communications Team
www.medway.gov.uk/communications
Point of interest
Refreshments
Public house
Caution
circular walks around
Further information
Medway Council has a duty to protect, maintain and record rights of way and any
problems encountered on them should be reported to: Medway Council, Rights of Way
Team, Frontline Services, Regeneration, Community and Culture, Civic Centre, Rochester,
Kent ME2 4AU.
Phone: 01634 333333 Email: [email protected]
Medway Visitor Information Centre
01634 338141
Cuxton and Halling
www.medway.gov.uk
Medway Swale Estuary Partnership
01634 338891
www.msep.org.uk
Explore Kent
08458 247600
www.kent.gov.uk/explorekent
Natural England
0845 6003078
www.naturalengland.org.uk
North Downs AONB
01303 815179
www.kentdowns.org.uk
Plantlife
01634 306000
www.plantlife.org.uk
National Rail
08457 484950
www.nationalrail.co.uk
Traveline
0870 6082608
www.travelinesoutheast.org.uk
This publication includes mapping data reproduced from/based upon Ordnance
Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey, on behalf of the Controller
of Her Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown copyright and/or database right, 2010.
All rights reserved. Licence number 100024225.
Cover painting: David Inshaw
Text: Mark Loos, Tim Owen, Catherine Smith
Photography: Medway Swale Estuary Partnership, Mark Loos
Maps: Sue Meheux, Medway Council
Key to maps
Car parking
Parking limited
Viewpoint
Railway station
Disclaimer
While every care is taken in compiling this publication, neither Medway Council nor its
servants or agents can accept any liability whatsoever for any incorrect statement
contained herein, nor any omission.
Toilet
G5217 Designed by Medway Council’s Communications Team
www.medway.gov.uk/communications
Point of interest
Refreshments
Public house
Caution
Contents
Introduction
.............2
The North Downs . . . . . . . . . 3
A brief history of Cuxton
Cuxton, walk 1
....4
..........6
Cuxton, walk 2 . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Cuxton, walk 3 . . . . . . . . . . 10
A brief history of Halling . . . . 12
Halling, walk 1 . . . . . . . . . . 14
Halling, walk 2 . . . . . . . . . . 16
Halling, walk 3 . . . . . . . . . . 18
Countryside Access Charter . . 20
Introduction
Welcome to this revised edition of
Circular Walks around Cuxton and
Halling. As with the original publication
there are six walks, of which one has
been entirely revised. The routes have
been devised to enable as many people
as possible to enjoy the beautiful
countryside surrounding the two parishes.
2
For ease of use all the walks have been
colour coded, both in this publication and
on the waymarking used along the routes
and this should ensure that no further
directional information is needed.
All distances and times given are
approximate and refer to the circular walks
only, not the links used to access them.
THE DOWNS
The Kent Downs area of outstanding natural beauty
The North Downs is a term used to
identify an important landscape extending
from Farnham in west Surrey to the Kent
Coast at Dover. Its distinctive features are
the result of a long process of geological
deposition and erosion. One hundred and
forty million years ago the south-east was
predominantly swamp, over which layers
of sand, silts and clay were gradually
deposited. This period lasted for about
thirty million years after which the sea
flooded in. With it further layers of sands
and clays were deposited, forming the
greensand, followed by a thick calcareous
sediment, which formed the chalk.
One hundred million years ago the central
part of the region began to rise, pushing
up the soft chalk into a dome, which
gradually eroded to reveal the sandstones
beneath. Both the North and South Downs
are the remaining outer shell of this
eroded dome.
Beech, Ash and Field Maple, one of
its most renowned features is chalk
grassland. This habitat is of international
importance owing to its rarity and supports
an abundance of flora and fauna. A walk
across an area of chalk grassland in May
and June is a feast for the senses; look out
for wild herbs such as Majoram and Wild
Thyme, flowers such as Cowslip and Field
Scabious as well as an array of orchids.
Look out also for butterflies such the
Chalkhill and Common Blue who rely on
the plants for their survival.
In 1968, the Kent part of the North Downs
was designated by the Government as an
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
(AONB). The designation also includes
part of the Greensand Ridge around
Sevenoaks, Romney Marsh and the
Folkestone to Dover Heritage Coast,
amounting to almost a quarter of Kent.
While much of the North Downs natural
flora is deciduous woodland such as
3
CUXTON
A brief history of Cuxton
The name Cuxton appears to have its
origins in the Anglo Saxon period,
when it was known as Cucola’s Stone
or Cuclestane. It’s possible that Cucola
was a chieftain and that the stone was a
boundary marker of his territory.
While the village’s name may be Anglo
Saxon, it is known that people had settled
here as far back the lower Palaeolithic
period or old stone age (about 2.5 million
years to 80,000 years BC). Evidence of
these early settlers first came to light in
1889, with the discovery of a fine flint
tool just inside of the rectory gate.
From here, we must move forward to the
Roman occupation of Britain for further
evidence of the area’s inhabitants. Beneath
the parish church of St. Michael are the
remains of a Roman villa, which may have
contained a small Christian temple or shrine
(possibly built over an even earlier pagan
site). This may explain the unusual south-east
orientation of the church and may also be
the origin of the ancient rhyme “If you would
see a church miswent, then you must go to
Cuxton in Kent”. The present church’s origins
lie in the Norman period and a fine
window still survives in the north wall of the
chancel, around which are the remnants of
some early decoration in the form of a face
surrounded by foliage, now commonly
known as a Green Man.
4
Across the A228 and perched on the
boundary of Cuxton and Halling stands
Whornes Place, built in the late 15th
Century by Sir William Whorne, Lord
Mayor of London in 1487. The original
house and library buildings were
demolished in 1782 and the former
granary converted into a farmhouse, which
can still be seen today. The great barn that
stood next to the house was carefully taken
apart in 1925 and reassembled in
Richmond as a mock Tudor house complete
with priest hole. At the end of the 18th
century, a Lime works was opened on land
formerly occupied by much of Whornes
Place. This eventually became ‘The Halling
Lime and Cement Works’ so called
because the main entrance was just over
the parish boundary.
Among Cuxton’s earliest industries was
brick making, with written evidence of its
existence dating as far back as the 18th
century. It was not until the mid 19th
century though, (along with the production
of cement) it really took hold of the
Medway Valley. Cuxton’s brickfield was
ideally sited alongside the river, allowing
the bricks to be shipped on barges to
towns and cities around the country. At the
height of the area’s cement industry, it is
said that there were more than a thousand
barges at work on the river. However,
between the two world wars, both
CUXTON
Whornes Place
industries went into decline and Cuxton
became home to such varied firms as the
Rochester Toffee Company and the British
Besto and Basket Company Limited.
During the second world war, Cuxton was
home to several wartime secrets. Among
them was the PLUTO pipe line, still in use
today. It was built to carry fuel from the
Kingsnorth Oil Refinery to a depot in
Dungeness, where its tanks were hidden
inside holiday chalets. The name PLUTO
(Pipeline Under The Ocean) was actually
the code word used during the D-Day
landings, when the depot was linked to
France by an undersea pipeline.
Bush
The small hamlet of Bush, once also known
as Birch, is actually two distinct settlements
known as Upper and Lower Bush. Although
it may appear to be little more than a
peaceful backwater, during the mid 19th
century Upper Bush was actually a thriving
community of more than twenty houses.
Among them stood an off licence, a bakery,
a wheelwright’s shop and a small chapel all
huddled around a tiny green. Following the
growth of Cuxton, both settlements went into
decline and many of the houses fell into
disrepair and were subsequently demolished.
Many of the footpaths surrounding both
settlements were once part of a network of
cart tracks leading to Strood.
5
CUXTON
Walk 1
Black route
Distance:
Time:
Stiles:
Terrain:
2 miles (3.2 km)
Allow 1 hour
1
3 steep hills through farmland and woodland
using unmade tracks. Some road walking.
This walk takes you through the beautiful Ranscombe Farm
Reserve, jointly managed by Medway Council and Plantlife.
Enjoy stunning views across the river Medway and from Mill Hill
across the North Downs towards Luddesdown. The reserve is of
national importance and home to some of our rarest species of
plant, including the Corncockle, Hairy Mallow, Meadow Clary
and at least six species of Orchid. A short diversion north will
bring you to the remnants of Lord Darnley’s toe memorial (1),
erected on the site of the accident that resulted in his death.
The route connects up with walk 3, should you wish to create
a longer route.
6
CUXTON
1
7
CUXTON
Walk 2
Brown route
Distance:
Time:
Stiles:
Terrain:
1.5 miles (2.4 km)
Allow 1 hour
1
Unmade tracks through woodland, farmland
and grassland
Though the shortest of Cuxton’s three walks, there is still much
to see and it offers not one but two opportunities to sit and
enjoy excellent views across the river. It also passes close to
Cuxton’s beautiful parish church of St Michael (2), which should
be visited by anyone with time to spare, and through the parish
council’s Six Acre Wood maintained on its behalf by The
Cuxton Countryside Group.
8
CUXTON
2
9
CUXTON
Walk 3
Green route
Distance:
Time:
Stiles:
Terrain:
2 miles (3.2 km)
Allow 1 hour 15 minutes
3
Unmade tracks through woodland, farmland
and grassland. Surfaced footpath next to quarry
and lake.
Take time to explore the beautiful North Downs with this walk
that includes the tranquil Dean Valley and the peaceful hamlet
of Upper Bush. Look out for the ancient Beech trees still
standing beside the path as you meander through the
wonderful surrounding woodland. For those wishing to extend
the walk, continue down towards the river at Halling to enjoy
fantastic views of the neighbouring quarry and lake (4).
10
3
Former
cement
works
4
11
HALLING
A brief history of Halling
The parish of Halling nestles between the
slopes of the Kent Downs and the River
Medway. Halling’s development stretches
back in time, marked by its strategic
location by the river and the resources of the
chalk hills. Clues to its past are scattered
throughout the parish, found in ruins, in street
names, in the old chalk pits, and its’ network
of paths. The origin of its name is rather
unclear, but perhaps the most attractive
interpretation is from the Saxon ‘haling’,
the wholesome low place or meadow.
The past came to light in a rather different
way for workmen in 1912 digging for a
new sewage tank behind the railway
station, in the form of a skeleton that was
nearly 4,000 years old and which was to
become known as ‘Halling Man’. In later
years, his remains shared a box in the
British Museum with those of the infamous
hoax ‘Piltdown Man’.
Tucked away in a corner of the shady
churchyard at St John the Baptist Church is
a stone wall. Only the outlines of its lancet
windows mark it as a building of some
significance in the past. This is the old
Bishops’ Palace, built towards the end of
the 11th century by Gundulph, Bishop of
Rochester, as a manor house.
Used by the bishops of Rochester on and
off over hundreds of years it eventually
fell into disuse and by the 1700s had
become a work-house for the poor of
Halling and surrounding villages. Much of
what remained in the 19th century was
demolished as a result of the development
of the cement industry.
Halling may have developed as an
industrial village, but it is also defined by
its countryside. Today the upper slopes of
the Kent Downs are largely covered by
woodland. Old photographs of the parish
show chalk grassland on the same
slopes. Changes in agricultural patterns
over the centuries have shaped much of
the area’s landscape. The woods around
Halling were traditionally a source of fuel,
but the growing hop industry in the 17th
century created a demand for chestnut
and ash poles. In later years the cement
industry took advantage of the by-product,
bavins (faggots of brushwood) for use in
firing their kilns.
The Medway Valley has been a location
for lime burning and cement production
for centuries. However the industry
12
HALLING
expanded significantly in Halling in the
latter part of the 18th century to its boom
period in the second half of the 19th
century. A number of different quarries and
factories were set up around the parish.
This development was mirrored in the
growth of its population, from 550 people
in 1851 to 2,095 in 1891.
The river was the key means of transport for
freight before the arrival of the railway line
through Halling. The River Medway was
once teaming with barges, laden with
coke, mud, cement and lime, serving the
industries built in the valley. There was even
a barge building industry in the village,
connected to the Lee’s cement workings.
Ironically the river contributed to the
decline of the cement industry in Halling
by the early decades of the 20th century.
No large sea-going vessels could
navigate upstream of Rochester Bridge.
This meant that cargoes for both import
and export had to be double handled,
and businesses in the Medway Valley
were at a disadvantage, leading to the
closure of many of the local factories by
the 1920’s.
During the second world war many of the
derelict chalk pits were used as army training
areas, rifle ranges and ammunition stores.
Those that still remain today have become
distinctive features of the local landscape.
13
HALLING
Walk 1
Black route
Distance:
Time:
Stiles:
Terrain:
2 miles (3.2 km)
Allow 1 hour 15 minutes
1
Unmade tracks through woodland and some road
walking using Chapel Lane, please take care
This stunning woodland walk offers the opportunity to see two
ancient places of worship. At the beginning of Chapel Lane
stand the remains of the 12th century chapel of St Laurence,
now incorporated into Chapel Cottages (5). At Great Buckland
a 500m detour south, down Wrangling Lane will bring you to
the pretty Norman Church of Dode (6), which fell into disuse
during the 14th century as a result of the plague.
14
HALLING
6
5
15
HALLING
Walk 2
Brown route
Distance:
Time:
Stiles:
Terrain:
2 miles (3.2 km)
Allow 1 hour 15 minutes
1
Unmade tracks through woodland and fields.
Can get very muddy. 2 steep hills. Some road
walking if accessing the route from Chapel Lane.
Starting from the Pilgrims Way, this walk takes you past
Court Farm with a shop that sells local meats, including the
town’s own lamb and beef, cheese and vegetables.
Continuing uphill, the path enters the extensive woodland that
sits astride the North Downs around Halling. Walk the path in
springtime and the woodland will be covered with blankets of
Bluebells. As the path descends back out of the woodland it
has fantastic views of the river Medway and the hills beyond.
16
HALLING
17
HALLING
Walk 3
Green route
Distance:
Time:
Stiles:
Terrain:
4 miles (6.4 km)
Allow 2 hours 30 minutes
2
Unmade tracks through woodland and fields.
Can get very muddy.
As the longest of the walks it offers the greatest opportunity
to experience the North Downs landscape. Although mainly
in woodland it also includes the beautiful open landscape
surrounding Luddesdown. The village itself is home to a
beautiful 13th/14th century church (7), containing some rare
19th century Pre-Raphaelite wall paintings by Heaton, Butler
and Bayne, chiefly famous for their stained glass windows,
some of which can also be seen here. The nearby Court Farm
and its neighbour Brook Farm make up Luddesdown Organic
Farms Ltd. Parking in Luddesdown is next to the parish church.
18
HALLING
7
19
COUNTRYSIDE ACCESS
The Countryside Access Charter
Your rights of way are:
• Public footpaths – on foot only. These are waymarked in yellow;
• Bridleways – on foot, horseback and bicycle;
These are waymarked in blue;
• Byways – all traffic. These are waymarked in red;
• Restricted byways – unless stated, on foot, horseback,
bicycle and non-mechanically propelled vehicles.
On rights of way you can:
• Take a pram, pushchair or wheelchair if practical;
• Take a dog (on a lead or under close control);
• Take a short diversion around an illegal obstruction or remove
it sufficiently to get past.
Wherever you go, please follow the Countryside Code:
• Be safe – plan ahead and follow any signs;
• Leave gates and property as you find them;
• Protect plants and animals;
• Take your litter home;
• Keep dogs under close control;
• Consider other people.
20
circular walks around
Further information
Medway Council has a duty to protect, maintain and record rights of way and any
problems encountered on them should be reported to: Medway Council, Rights of Way
Team, Frontline Services, Regeneration, Community and Culture, Civic Centre, Rochester,
Kent ME2 4AU.
Phone: 01634 333333 Email: [email protected]
Medway Visitor Information Centre
01634 338141
Cuxton and Halling
www.medway.gov.uk
Medway Swale Estuary Partnership
01634 338891
www.msep.org.uk
Explore Kent
08458 247600
www.kent.gov.uk/explorekent
Natural England
0845 6003078
www.naturalengland.org.uk
North Downs AONB
01303 815179
www.kentdowns.org.uk
Plantlife
01634 306000
www.plantlife.org.uk
National Rail
08457 484950
www.nationalrail.co.uk
Traveline
0870 6082608
www.travelinesoutheast.org.uk
This publication includes mapping data reproduced from/based upon Ordnance
Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey, on behalf of the Controller
of Her Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown copyright and/or database right, 2010.
All rights reserved. Licence number 100024225.
Cover painting: David Inshaw
Text: Mark Loos, Tim Owen, Catherine Smith
Photography: Medway Swale Estuary Partnership, Mark Loos
Maps: Sue Meheux, Medway Council
Key to maps
Car parking
Parking limited
Viewpoint
Railway station
Disclaimer
While every care is taken in compiling this publication, neither Medway Council nor its
servants or agents can accept any liability whatsoever for any incorrect statement
contained herein, nor any omission.
Toilet
G5217 Designed by Medway Council’s Communications Team
www.medway.gov.uk/communications
Point of interest
Refreshments
Public house
Caution
circular walks around
Further information
Medway Council has a duty to protect, maintain and record rights of way and any
problems encountered on them should be reported to: Medway Council, Rights of Way
Team, Frontline Services, Regeneration, Community and Culture, Civic Centre, Rochester,
Kent ME2 4AU.
Phone: 01634 333333 Email: [email protected]
Medway Visitor Information Centre
01634 338141
Cuxton and Halling
www.medway.gov.uk
Medway Swale Estuary Partnership
01634 338891
www.msep.org.uk
Explore Kent
08458 247600
www.kent.gov.uk/explorekent
Natural England
0845 6003078
www.naturalengland.org.uk
North Downs AONB
01303 815179
www.kentdowns.org.uk
Plantlife
01634 306000
www.plantlife.org.uk
National Rail
08457 484950
www.nationalrail.co.uk
Traveline
0870 6082608
www.travelinesoutheast.org.uk
This publication includes mapping data reproduced from/based upon Ordnance
Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey, on behalf of the Controller
of Her Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown copyright and/or database right, 2010.
All rights reserved. Licence number 100024225.
Cover painting: David Inshaw
Text: Mark Loos, Tim Owen, Catherine Smith
Photography: Medway Swale Estuary Partnership, Mark Loos
Maps: Sue Meheux, Medway Council
Key to maps
Car parking
Parking limited
Viewpoint
Railway station
Disclaimer
While every care is taken in compiling this publication, neither Medway Council nor its
servants or agents can accept any liability whatsoever for any incorrect statement
contained herein, nor any omission.
Toilet
G5217 Designed by Medway Council’s Communications Team
www.medway.gov.uk/communications
Point of interest
Refreshments
Public house
Caution