North Downs Way - Day 4

Westerham to Wrotham
Distance: 16 miles
Ascent: 415m
Weather: mostly cloudy
Partridges, blue, tortoiseshell and peacock butterflies, red kite
Low trees successfully navigated: 1
Bumped heads: 1

As we left the hotel in Westerham, the receptionist asked what we had planned for the day. When we said we were walking to Wrotham (Rootham) she asked why. Good question, why indeed. Something to contemplate during the day. She wished us well on our journey and we left (after visiting the Nisa local shop for mediocre sandwiches.)

We walked back up the pavement alongside the busy road to join up with the NDW again. A few cyclists went by and there was a bit of getting off and walking and a bit of dangerous weaving around going on.

The verges were covered in cow parsley, and soon we were too. Plus cuckoo spit. Then followed a discussion about what cuckoo spit is exactly.

The footpath took us through large crop fields including beans, with little copses between. At one lane crossing, the signpost had a waymarker for the E2 footpath - which we could follow to the south of France if we wanted. Although we didn't bring our passports with us.

We passed a big bench with distant views of big house through an archway cut into a big hedge.

We clambered under fallen tree then walked around the edge of parkland to the hillside at Star House. There were a couple of other walkers but most of the people that we saw were runners. Here the path on the map waves around the edge of the fields, on the ground this was quite hilly. Our actual route was more of a sawtooth. We dropped down to a main road,  and having walked along the edge of it, noticed that a footpath joined where the pavement started, a far more convenient place to come out than via the overgrown little path and busy road we'd used, and indeed it was signposted the NDW from this side. We checked the map and the guide book,  which didn't mention a different path. It may have been signed,  but we didn't see anything obvious. Dropping down off the ridge seemed unusual here, I thought it was maybe just because of the location of the bridge over the motorway,  but it seems that there is a government research facility up on the hill. 

We crossed the M25 again, this time with its 40mph signs flashing, and followed the lanes into Otford. In the outskirts of the village they have fields of heather and fields with sleepy goats. Today was the Otford fete and we joined the many people walking into the village for the festivities. Along the way, we passed a post which is part of the village's model of the solar system, which is the largest scale model in the world.  We only found Uranus, which sounds about right. Otford can also boast that it has the only duck pond in the country which is a listed building.

Leaving Otford,  we called in at the railway station to take advantage of the toilets, and headed up the path towards Otford Mound and its tumuli.  Covered in trees. We emerged on to a small cross roads,  and took a wiggly path through the wood rather than road.  We were rewarded with meeting a squirrel.

Just passed here Rob hit his head on a low branch because he was checking the map,  or possibly the cricket score.

There were sheep (first in a few days)  and a floral horse. Before heading back into trees we stopped to watch a red kite that was flying around.

The walk ended through horse paddocks,  with pie, skew possibly painted horses where there were many new, and squeaky kissing gates. I think I may prefer stiles. There was an enormous beech tree, which could be the Faraway Tree.

We are now in the Bull Hotel in Wrotham,  and have been fed very well (Wagyu steak!) and Red Top ales, plus some Smoghouse Smoked Porter.