Weardale circular walk from Chartwell
Kent
This beautiful circular walk links Chartwell and Emmetts Garden; the walk is fully way marked and passes through the woodland areas of Toys Hill and Hosey Common, as well as the pretty hamlet of French Street. Please remember the Countryside Code: "Take nothing but photographs and leave nothing but footprints."
Near to
ChartwellStart point
Chartwell, grid ref: TQ454513Trail information
Total stages: 12
Total stages: 12
Start point
Chartwell, grid ref: TQ454513
Stage 1
With your back to the café, go left until reaching the main entrance gate to the car park. Exit and turn immediately right onto the enclosed path. Follow uphill until reaching Hosey Common Lane. Cross the road to the bridleway opposite (The Greensand Way).
The house at Chartwell | © National Trust Images/Chris Jonas Stage 2
Remain on this track through woodland, keeping to the right whenever it forks. Eventually, after passing a finger post on the left signed The Greensand Way, continue to the road (French Street hamlet) and turn left. Shortly opposite a `GR’ red post box in the hedge on the left, turn right onto a footpath, taking the right fork. This enclosed path descends steps to a kissing gate and then on to a footbridge. Pass through a wooden gate next to a National Trust sign and into a field. NB Livestock grazing – keep dogs on leads.
Stage 3
Continue straight ahead uphill to a kissing gate in the top right -hand corner of the field. Once through the gate, cross the track and take the path opposite. Continue up the enclosed path to another gate to emerge into a field. Bear diagonally right towards the far-right hand corner, taking in the far-reaching views to your left.
Stage 4
Upon reaching the corner, pass through the kissing gate and continue uphill into woodland with a fence on your left ignoring any minor paths on your right. When the fence veers off to the left, bear right by a signpost and follow this path for a short distance to a crossing path by a signpost. Turn left, soon ignoring a path to the right and continue passing houses to your left, to a road – Chart Lane.
Stage 5
Cross the road and take the path opposite. Follow it through the glade for some distance, to emerge by a fence. Bear right to emerge onto Emmetts Lane. Turn left ignoring the bridleway opposite.
Stage 6
After a short distance along the road, turn right opposite the entrance to Hill House and by a National Trust signpost. You are now entering The Chart, a woodland owned and managed by the National Trust. Continue on this path eventually reaching a crossing track and a wooden finger post signed Tea Room. Go straight ahead to arrive at Emmetts Garden and Old Stables Tea Room via a wooden gate.
Stage 7
To return to Chartwell: Leave Emmetts Garden by the footpath by which you entered the garden (immediately next to the tearoom). Go up the path ignoring a minor path to the left and continue onto a crossroad of paths. Turn left as shown by the green directional Weardale walk sign and follow this path downhill. At a crossroads of paths, continue uphill bearing slightly left on a sunken path through Scords Wood.
Stage 8
At the next crossroads of paths, go straight ahead and continue on this path, uphill then steadily downhill for some distance. At the next crossroads turn right, passing through the wooden barrier and go steadily uphill. On reaching a junction of 5 paths, maintain direction uphill passing a wooden bench. At the top go straight over a crossing track, then bearing slightly right through trees to Chart Lane.
Stage 9
Cross straight over and pass through a wooden barrier, passing a house on the right. At the T-junction, turn left onto a wide path. Shortly, go over a crossing track and continue on this wide path ignoring 2 paths to the left. The path bears slightly uphill whereupon you pass between two brick pillars marking the entrance to the site of Weardale Manor. There is an information panel about the history of the house and its demise. From here you have magnificent, far-reaching views.
Stage 10
Maintain direction on the wide stony track between the information panel and the monument, later pass 2 paths on the right and go through a wooden barrier, cross a track and pass through a second wooden barrier. Ignore two paths to the right and continue downhill to exit Toys Hill through posts by a gate and onto a lane. Continue down this pleasant lane for some distance. This quiet lane serves only a few properties so is virtually traffic free.
Stage 11
Eventually pass between a stable yard on the right and the gates to The Oast House on the left. The lane then ascends steeply reaching the hamlet of French Street. After passing the first few cottages turn left on a signposted bridleway. The Greensand Way. Continue on this bridleway through woodland, ignoring any paths to the right until reaching a lane – Hosey Common Lane.
Stage 12
Turn left onto the road and after a short distance turn right by a National Trust sign for Chartwell. Cross over a stile. Almost immediately turn right at a T-junction. Follow this wide path downhill ignoring a path to the left by a finger post. Shortly after, upon reaching a wooden gate on the left-hand side, pass through the gate. From here you have magnificent views over the estate and Weald of Kent. Continue diagonally down the field back to the car park where the walk began.
End point
Chartwell, grid ref: TQ454513
Trail map
Weardale Circular Walk map | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey
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