Ightham Mote circular walk to Oldbury Hill
Enjoy this scenic circular walk from Ightham Mote to Oldbury Hill, which offers fine views across the Kentish countryside while passing through an area of mixed woodland as well as fish ponds and an old quarry, possibly dating to the Roman period.
Total steps: 5
Total steps: 5
Start point
Ightham Mote visitor reception, grid ref: TQ584535
Step 1
Walk through the car parks and up the entrance driveway, with fencing and trees to the left and more car parking to the right. At the end of the parking area and as the driveway rises, look for a gap in the fencing and a footpath on the left-hand side. A post with a green walk marker should be visible at this point. Turn left onto this path, initially down a few steps then follow the path to Mote Road. Turn right to walk up the road, past two cottages on the right and a field to the left. After approximately 220yd (200m), take the footpath on the left into a wood that initially runs parallel with the road before turning left up an incline. Carry on up this incline to turn right again to follow the fencing and wood on the right. Continue on this path, which heads north then bears slightly left where the fencing is replaced by stone walling each side, until you reach a road.
Step 2
Cross the road to continue up the bridleway ahead, which is steep and can be strenuous when wet and muddy. This path turns to the left where steps aid the climb up to the high ridge above Stone Street. At the top of the climb there is a good vantage point to pause and look west towards Godden Green and Sevenoaks. Continue along the path with fencing to the left along the high ridge, noting a track forking in from the right. Continue along this track (ignoring a footpath turning down to the right) keeping straight ahead until reaching a second footpath on the right with a stone marker. Turn right down this path through woodland to a wider track by a house and some outbuildings. Walk down the track to join the slip road by Crown Point and keeping left, proceed to the A25. Cross the A25 to the footpath signpost opposite, to enter Styants Wood.
Step 3
After the footpath sign take the first right onto a marked bridleway, following it downhill. At a cross junction, turn right, then proceed up an incline and down into the car park. Bear left through the car park to the northern exit and cross the road. Follow the path ahead (ignoring paths to the left and right) up a steep incline with steps. Turn left onto a wide track, walking north again for approximately 164yds (150m) before turning right up the bank (to a slightly higher level) and then turn left to continue on a northerly heading.
Step 4
Continue until the path bears half right before reaching a six-way junction (orange marker). Turn right onto a wide track marked byway (going east) and follow this track past a pond and spring (an ancient watering hole) to a junction. Take the narrow path marked bridleway which forks to the left and continue on until doing a U-turn right onto a path from the right just before the bridleway heads down a gulley. Walk a short distance to a five-way junction, take the path at 10 o'clock, and follow the eastern rampart boundary. Continue along this path, through a clearing and up a slight gradient to pass two viewing points. The path widens for some distance and then slopes down. Before you reach the barrier, take the narrower left fork, which follows down to join a wider path to the southern entrance gate and the A25.
Step 5
Cross back over the A25 using the central island as a halfway point and turn right. Walk along the grass verge and turn left at the footpath signpost onto a shady path through woodland. Follow this path past the fish ponds and continue on to walk up a steep slope and steps. Turn left to rejoin the high ridge track previously walked and after a few steps, bear right off the wide track to a path with fencing on the right. Follow this path retracing previous steps down the steep incline to cross Stone Street, walking on ahead and back to Ightham Mote, turning right down to the silt trap and Green Walk path. Turn left to take the path up to the Ightham Mote car park or alternatively carry on down Mote Road for a fine view of the house and gardens past the cottages to the rear entrance to Ightham Mote. Turn left into the estate and follow the bridleway past the house and back to the car park.
End point
Ightham Mote visitor reception, grid ref: TQ584535
Trail map
More near here
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