Otford to Oxted: Another North Downs Walk

Let’s take you on another North Downs walk from Otford, where we ended the last walk, to Oxted. I would advise you to do the walk that way and finish in Oxted as you will find more pubs and restaurants there for a rewarding drink and meal at the end! I know last time I advised you to end at Otford for drinks and food but that was in comparison to Cuxton where there are very few places. This time, your best option is Oxted, where we end this walk with a nice traditional pub meal.

Otford to Oxted walk featured image showing a green hill with trees at the top

Logistics for the Otford to Oxted walk

Distance: 12.48 miles (20.08km)
Ascent: 853 ft (260m)
Walking estimate: 6 hours
Difficulty: Intermediate

How to get there:
- Direct train from London Victoria to Otford. The journey takes 36 minutes
- For the return, take a direct train from Oxted to London Victoria. The journey takes 39 minutes.
- Please note that Otford and Oxted are not on the same line so you would need to buy both journeys separately
What to pack:
- Comfortable clothes and footwear
- Headcover, sunglasses and sunscreen if you are going on a sunny day as a large portion of this walk is exposed
- Rain gear if showers are forecasted for the same reason as above
- Backpack with water (2 litres recommended) & snacks
- Hiking poles are advisable
Additional Information: There are no public toilets on this walk
Where to eat: The Old Bell, Oxted

Highlights of the Otford to Oxted walk

Otford
North Downs
Oxted
Eat at the Old Bell

Otford to Oxted walk

The North Downs

We are back for our third walk in the North Downs, the ridge of chalk stretching from Farnham to Dover. This time we start our walk where we ended the last one: Otford village. Otford is accessible directly from London Victoria, approximately 35 minutes by train. Otford history traces back to the Iron Age. The village is also the home of Britain’s smallest building: a duck house, which can be found on a pond in the middle of a roundabout. We walk through the High Street, where we can find plenty of boutiques and cafes, and at the end, we enter the North Downs fields. Our walk in the North Downs starts by following the pass through the fields, crossing over rails tracks until we reach Star Hill. We then go up to Star Hill with the path bordered by maize fields and tall leaves.

Tall corn leaves boring the path at the bottom of Star Hill, North Downs — Tall leaves at the bottom of Star Hill

Woods, woods, woods

Once at the top, we continue our walk lounging Cooper’s Wood. We arrive in Knockholt – but not the same Knockholt where we ended our walk from Orpington last time. We then continue onto the fields and through Roughfields Wood, the Nower, and Joeland’s Wood.

View from the top of the hill lounging the woodlands, Norhtdowns — View walking at the top of the hills

Arriving at Oxted

We then arrive at Betsoms Hill and we enter Whiteland Shaw. We walk through the wood until we reach Parkwood Golf Club. From there, we have to follow the B2024 in order to get to Oxted. There is a path on the side of the road. Unfortunately, it is not a lovely part of the walk, but we are rewarded at the end with a nice meal waiting for us. We arrive at our final destination, Oxted, a commuter town located 9 miles (14.48km) from Croydon.

View of the fields, North Downs — Getting closer to Oxted

We end our walk in the North Downs at the Old Bell for dinner. We enjoy the sun as we sit around a table in the back garden. As usual, I opt for the vegetarian dish: hand-battered lemon and coriander halloumi and chips. Bon appetit!

Hand battered halloumi with chips, green peas and tartare sauce at the Old Bell, Oxted — Diner at the Old Bell

After a delicious dinner, we head to the train station where we can catch a train direct to either London Bridge or London Victoria (approximately 40 minutes.