Sole Street Circular: A Walk In Kent

Back in September, one of my friends who live in Kent organised a circular walk from Sole Street ending in a pub for a traditional Sunday roast. No need to go far for a walk in the countryside: Kent is right on London’s doorstep and offers a variety of walks from a stroll to something more challenging.

Logistics for the Sole Street Circular walk

Distance: 11.09 miles (17.84km)
Ascent: 909 ft (277m)
Walking estimate: 4 hours and 40 minutes
Difficulty: Intermediate

How to get there:
- Direct train from London Victoria to Sole Street. The journey takes 50 minutes.
- It is a circular walk so you back book a day return ticket
What to pack:
- Comfortable clothing and footwear,
- Backpack with water (ideally 2 litres) & snacks
- Headcover, sunglasses and sunscreen as portions of this walk are on exposed paths
- Rain gear for the same reason as you will get wet if it starts raining
- Hiking poles are advisable
Additional Information: There are no public toilets on this walk
Where to eat: The Leather Bottle, Cobham

Highlights of the Sole Street Circular walk

Kent countryside
North Downs
Darnley Mausoleum
Eat at the Leather Bottle

Sole Street Circular walk

Start of the walk

Welcome to Sole Street Station, Kent (50 minutes by train from London Victoria). Come out of the station car park and you are straight away sucked into the countryside and its endless green fields. Our walk starts right across the street from the station. As we follow the footpath along the side of the field, we start going uphill and enter Henley Wood.

View from entering the fields opposite Sole Street Station — View from the fields opposite Sole Street Station

From wood to wood to wood

We then cut across the wood and as we exit, we descend to the valley of Luddesdown. From there, we continue going down this clearing to Creatpark Wood, where we turn to make a loop. We then start climbing back up as we enter the woods. We continue on the top of the hill to Wingate Wood. Just before entering Mary’s Wood, we change direction and come down the hill to cut across North Wood. After leaving North Wood, we pass through a plantation field.

Coming up to North Wood, Sole Street, Kent — Coming up to North Wood

Darnley Mausoleum

We then cross over the railway and enter Great Wood on the other side. We arrive at the Darnley Mausoleum, a Grade I listed building. It is owned by the National Trust. The Mausoleum, made of brick, was designed by James Wyatt (1746-1813). He was commissioned by the Earl’s family as there was no longer space available for burial at Westminster Abbey. Completed in 1808, it was never used for burial. The Mausoleum started to decline and was subject to vandalism until it was renovated in 2013. The place is open to the public.

After leaving the Mausoleum, we come face to face with a massive Highland Cattle! It is really common, even though frightening, to find them grazing in Cobham Woods. The reason for their presence in this area is that they help rehabilitate the woodland pastures.

The Cobham park Highland Cattle — The Cobham Park Highland Cattle

Time to eat

It is time to say goodbye to our new friend the Highland Cattle and leave the woods. We walk back to Sole Street where a nice meal is waiting for us at the Leather Bottle. This pub is well known for being Charles Dickens’ favourite ale house in Cobham. It also features in Charles Dickens’ first novel: The Pickwick Papers. It has a large back garden which is ideal in the summertime. Even though they are famous for their afternoon tea, they also served delicious home-cooked dishes and have vegetarian and gluten-free options. Bon appetit!