North Downs Way - Day 6

Thurnham to Lenham, via Leeds Castle
Distance: 15.2 miles
Ascent: 600m approx
Weather: warm and sunny
Detours to castles: 2

The day started with quite a lot of ascent,  and that was just going up for breakfast.

We rejoined the NDW and then almost straight away took a detour up to Thurnham Castle by a short steep path.

Back on the path, we walked through woods and meadows. Possibly to compensate for the flatness of the surrounding countryside, the walk seems to take you up and down the hillside as much as possible.

The path was really pretty,  lined with campion and yellow archangel.

At Hollingbourne we took a detour down to Leeds Castle which is beautiful and has an interesting history, from Edward I to Tony Blair, with many rooms preserved as they were in the 1930s when the castle belonged to an Anglo-American heiress, who looked to be fabulously rich and fashionable, and had David Niven and Noel Coward come to visit

We had icecreams and then got a bit lost in the car park but we did manage to find the small gate with footpath entrance and go back the way we'd come.

The rest of the afternoon was along the Pilgrim's Way (ancient trackway) into Lenham. It was relatively flat and easy going,  pretty fields with chaffinches and buzzards. We had a tea break next to a monk with no nose.

We are staying at The Dog and Bear and have a four poster bed!