Day 31 Sevenoaks to Borough Green: Fun with (More) Friends

A Sleepy Deer at Knole Park

Shirley & Pat Join Us

For an OS map of today's walk click here.

Today was our third and final day on the Greensand Way where we would encounter yet another National Trust property: this time it would be the medieval manor house of Ightham Mote. It was also another day that we were joined by friends for our walk: Shirley from the library where Ken works, and her friend Pat [Pat seemed really to enjoy walking tours and was particularly interested in doing Wainwright's Coast to Coast walk some day—Ken]. We all met at Sevenoaks train station and walked through the town of Sevenoaks, passing Jane Austen's uncle's house on the way to Knole. The house at Knole was closed, but we walked through the parklands to reconnect with our path from the previous day. We saw several deer in the park, looking delicate and peaceful. They can flourish here in peace, since they are no longer hunted—at least we don't think they are!

After leaving the Knole Park boundary we headed east on the Greensand Way for the three mile walk to Ightham Mote. At one point we all enjoyed passing a field where a woman with a dog-walking business was exercising multiple dogs. One dog had a soft round collar round his neck, like a neck pillow you'd wear on a plane. The woman explained that it was to prevent him from escaping from under gates, fences, etc. and it seemed pretty effective.

Ightham Mote —The South and East Ranges

We paused for a rest on One Tree Hill, with beautiful views over the Kentish Weald to the south, then continued our walk to Ightham Mote (pronounced "item moat"), a beautiful house with an interesting history. We stopped at the tea room first, and consumed lots of good things including more cream tea and pavlova. Shirley and Pat and Ken and I toured the house at our own paces—I went with Ken and we loved the house. The house, first built in the fourteenth century and then further developed in Tudor times, is in the form of a quadrangle with inner courtyard and surrounding moat. The courtyard even had a "listed" (we would say heritage) Victorian dog house.  Lots of half-timbering and imposing stone walls, surrounded by beautiful gardens. It was smaller and more intimate than some of the other stately homes we've toured, with rooms ranging from medieval to modern. The library and billiard room, created later, were comfortable and inviting.

Ightham Mote Courtyard — Shirley and Pat at Far Left; "Grade I Listed Doghouse" on Right

The "New" (Sixteenth Century!) Chapel

The "Old" (Fourteenth Century!) Chapel

We still had some way to go after we left Ightham Mote. We walked to the village of Ightham [unfortunately, for a short part of the way along a busy A-road that had little or nothing in the way of verges, which resulted in the scariest walking of the entire trip. A "nice" experience to give to your visiting friends!—Ken] and had beverages and a pleasant rest at the George and Dragon pub. We then walked on to Borough Green train station, passing a field with some recently shorn llamas with amusing curly topknots. We were on the same train for one stop, then Shirley and Pat headed back to London while we got off at Otford to change trains for our trip back to Richard & Cathi's at Tonbridge. We ended up waiting at the station for fifty minutes, as the first connecting train was canceled and the second was delayed.

The Billiard Room

On the other hand, when we got off at Tonbridge and started walking to Richard & Cathi's, Cathi suddenly appeared in her car to take us home—and that was a ride we readily accepted! In reflecting on the last couple of days, we have really loved having company on the walk, and were proud of the others for joining us and completing what would be a very long walk (around nine miles) if you weren't used to it!

Note: Ken's allergies have kicked in, as pollen counts are now sky high.

30,823 steps, 23.117 km, 892.7 cal
OS getamap measured distance: 9.32 mi (15.00 km) 

Courtyard Loveliness

Ightham Mote — West Range and Cottages

Leaving Ightham Mote — View from the Southwest