It is this time of the year when woods and forested areas get the purple carpet out for the pleasure of our eyes. Dive into a purple sea with this beautiful and underrated bluebell walk in Kent; the Orpington loop via Lily’s Wood and Andrew’s Wood. And it is just a stone’s throw away from London. The bluebells have never felt so close!
Forget Tring or Tunbridge Wells, and let’s get off the beaten popular tracks for a bluebell walk to remember. Very underrated, Orpington is the Kent hidden gem of the bluebell walks, so get your camera ready!
Logistics of the Bluebell Walk in Kent
Distance: 14.8 miles (23.8 km)
Total Ascent: 1398 feet (425 m)
Highest Point: 787 ft (240 m)
Lowest Point: 407 ft (124 m)
Duration: 5 hours and 10 minutes
Difficulty: Intermediate – Easy terrain but long distance. It can be shortened to make it a beginner-friendly walk
How to get there:
- Direct trains from Charing Cross pass by London Waterloo East and London Bridge stations.
- The journey from Charing Cross can take between 25 to 40 minutes depending if you get the fast or the slow train.
- Orpington is on the TFL network, fare zone 6, so no need to buy train tickets. You can travel with your Oyster or contactless card
- This is a circular walk so the return is the same way you came
What to pack:
- Comfortable clothing and footwear. Trainers are acceptable on this walk as long as it has not been raining before as the path in the woods could get muddy.
- Backpack with water (2L recommended), snacks, and a packed lunch.
- Headcover, sunscreen, sunglasses if the sun is out or rain gear if rain is forecasted
Additional Information: There are no public toilets on this walk
Where to Eat
- The Cricketers Knoll, Orpington
Highlights of the Bluebell Walk in Kent
- Orpington
- Lily’s Wood
- Lullginstone Country Park
- Andrew’s Wood
- Shoreham
- Well Hill
- Chelsfield
Bluebell Walk in Kent Guide
Orpington
Orpington was settled during the Stone Age as shown by the tools found in several places in the area, including Goddington Park, where this walk is taking us through. The Romans also inhabited the places, and ruins of a villa and a bathhouse have been excavated near the train station and Fordcroft.
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Now a commuter town, part of the Bromley borough, Orpington has a vibrant high street, a shopping mall and plenty of pubs and restaurants. Located in Greater London, Orpington is on the edge of the Kent Downs, AONB, offering a wide range of walks right at its doorsteps.
Coming Out of Orpington
Orpington is one of these towns where the train station is not in the town centre, so it will require a bit of a walk before setting foot on the countryside fields. When you come out of the train station, walk down Station Road. At the roundabout, continue straight on Spur Road until you reach the end. At the crossing with the A224, cross over to the opposite side and take the right. It is only a short walk until you find a footpath on your left, leading straight to Goddington Park.
This local park is filled with football practice groups on the weekend. It is, therefore, safer to stick to the footpath rather than crossing the playfield. When you arrive at the edge of the park where the playground is located, exit the park. Take left on the street in front of the exit gate and at the end turn right onto Avalon Road. Continue straight into the residential area and turn right onto Craven Road. Please don’t make the same mistake as us to end up on a dead-end street but continue on Craven Road. At the crossing, take right onto Chelsfield Lane and the footpath is a little bit further down on your left after Allandale Place.
And there you are, you have reached Lily’s Wood!
Lily’s Wood
Lily’s Wood is a 16-acre forested area, which turns all purple when Spring comes. A very small hidden gem at the doorsteps of Orpington if you want to see bluebells. Take a walk around the woods following the footpath and you won’t even know where to look anymore as they are everywhere. I leave it to the pictures to describe the place, as they speak louder than words.
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Kent Downs AONB
The Kent Downs, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, covers a surface of 878 square kilometres, stretching from Surrey to the white chalk cliffs of Dover on the south coast. Its highest point is Betsom’s Hill which is 251 m high. On the East Sussex Coast is the Greensand Ridge, a sandstone escarpment essential for the wildlife and the heathlands. The Kent Downs is also the home of historical parks such as Chartwell and Knole.
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As you come out of Lily’s Wood, you are walking through the Kent Downs meadows, between green corn leaves and yellow rapeseed flower fields.
The closer you get to the M25, the more the fields leave place for horse farms.
Walk over the M25 via the footbridge, and on the opposite side, enter Lullingstone Country Park.
Lullingstone Country Park
The Lullingstone Country Park was first settled during the Stone Age as shown by the discovery of artefacts and tools on the estate. During the medieval time, it was used as deer hunting grounds by the Hart Dyke family who also owned the Lullingstone Castle. In 1933, they sold the 460 acres which is now the Lullingstone Country Park to cover some debts and kept the Castle and 200 acres of land. During WWII, the grounds were used as an airfield and the estate suffered numerous bombings.
Nowadays, the park has an 18-hole and 9-hole golf course, which we are passing through during our walk. As the estate counts numerous benches, it makes it the perfect place for a lunch break. After lunch, deviate from the golf course and take the footpath leading through a forested area to the exit gate on Redmans Lane.
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Shoreham
Shoreham is a village in Kent, not far from Eynsford, located at the bottom of a hill with a cross cut into the chalk ground. This is a memorial for those who lost their lives during the First World War. It was also the most bombed village in Britain during World War II, mostly because the military used the nearby manors as bases for their operations.
The walk does not go through Shoreham, however, after walking across the Kent Downs fields, you arrive at the top of the hill overlooking the village. As the road divides, you have two choices:
- Walk alongside the hilltop with Shoreham at the bottom and pass by the Chalk Cross
- Walk further uphill into the forested area and enjoy even more bluebells
For this bluebell walk in Kent, we chose the path through the forest.
Fun fact: Hollywood actress Naomie Watts was born in Shoreham.
Andrew’s Wood
It is quite a steep slope to get to the heart of the forest but it is worth the effort. As you walk on the main path, the ground is carpeted in purple on both sides. A little bit further down, on your right-hand side, you’ll find a cabin made of wooden sticks put against the tronc of a tree. With a purple flowerbed at your feet, this is the perfect spot for pictures.
Don’t exit the forest yet, even though you might be tempted, as we were, by the sight of the green meadows with cows grazing. But this is not the correct path.
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Continue in the forest for even more bluebells. As you start going down, there are spots where the bluebells go so far into the wood that you cannot even see the end.
Well Hill & Chelsfield
Don’t be spooked by the name, the highest point of this hike is behind you. Even though the name of this hamlet can lead to confusion, you are walking down to Well Hill, and not up. Follow Well Hill lane as you come out of the woods, and at the crossing with Rock Hill, turn left. Continue straight onto Jubilee Road and when you arrive at Maypole Road, you find a footpath on your left.
Walk alongside the golden fields until you reach Chelsfield. The area is divided into two: the historical centre and the newly developed residential part. This is due to the opening of the train station in 1868 a mile away from the historical village. Seeing the opportunity, the lands near the station were bought for housing development in 1925. It has since expanded and Chelsfield is now a commuter town.
Back to Orpington
This is now nearly the end of our walk. Leave Chelsfield and take the footpath on your left on Chelsfield Lane. You are walking through a crop field and you can see (on a clear day of course) Canary Wharf business centre skyscrapers and the Shard in the distance.
In the end, you are back in Goddington Park where the football games are still on. Find your way to the nearest footpath and walk back to the exit near the playground we took earlier, but this time turn left on Avalon Road.
At the fire station, turn right onto Gillman’s Road and continue straight until you reach the roundabout. Then turn left and cross Court Road. On the opposite side, you find Orpington All Saints Church and the lovely garden of the priory. Walk across the park behind the priory and it is only a short walk to the pub.
Walk up Chislehurst Road and after the bend, you find the Cricketers Knoll pub. This charming traditional British pub serves freshly made pub food and roasts. However, don’t get there too late as they stop serving at 4.00 pm on Sundays!
Bon appetit!
Bluebell Walk in Kent Map
Do you want to do the same walk and go on a bluebell hunt? Download the map by clicking on the button below.
Follow my step-by-step guide to learn how to upload it on your navigation app.
Final Thoughts on the Bluebell Walk in Kent
If you like bluebell walks but you are looking for a longer and more difficult walk, why not try Tunbridge Wells Circular? The longer the walk the more bluebells you will see!
For more bluebell walk inspiration, check out the selection here.
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