Charming Countryside Walk in Goudhurst, kent
If you're looking for a leisurely stroll through the picturesque Kent countryside, then why not consider the charming village of Goudhurst as your starting point.
This delightful 1-hour and 30-minute walk will take you through idyllic fields over the High Weald, past Oast Houses, and you’ll likely spot a few pheasants along the way.
The best part? It conveniently loops back around to Goudhurst, offering you the perfect opportunity to explore the village's cosy pubs and inviting beer gardens, or if you’d prefer a cream tea, there is also a traditional cafe or farm shop /cafe.
Distance: 3.5 miles (5.7kms)
Time: 1 hour 45 mins
All photographs in this guide were taken with an old Minolta X-300 and 35mm film
Getting Started
Begin your journey by parking in Goudhurst. You will find free on-street parking, or drive down Balcombes Hill (the narrow road by the duck pond) to access a small car park. Keep in mind that this quaint village can get quite busy, so try to avoid rush hour to skip the queue that can form on the narrow road as it twists through the town.
What to Expect
An Easy Stroll: This walk is designed for leisure and is by no means a hike
Yellow Trail Signposts: Keep an eye out for the yellow trail signposts that guide you on your way but be sure to keep revisiting the steps in the guide route as you can get lost and take the wrong route easily at a couple of points
Gentle Terrain: The walk starts with a slight downhill slope into the first field, but from there, you'll encounter an easy gradient as the path meanders through the rolling hills of the beautiful Kent countryside.
Tranquil Routes: You won't find yourself walking on many main roads until the last few minutes of your journey. Rest assured, there's a convenient pavement to tread upon, and you can detour through the church grounds as you enter Goudhurst village again.
Post-Walk Treats
After your walk, you'll find yourself back in Goudhurst. This village is a quintessential gem, boasting a few cosy pubs, inviting beer gardens for a refreshing drink in the summer month at The Old Bank, a traditional cafe for a cup of tea or coffee at Weeks Bakery and Tea Rooms, and a farm shop offering local produce to take home with a coffee shop just behind; which even has a fire burning on those more crisp winter months at Taywall Farm Shop and Coffee House.
Walk guide
Start at the car park behind the duck pond
Pass the pond and go over a busy crossroads.
Just past the bus shelter, turn left and follow the High Weald Landscape Trail waymarks to a gate.
Viewpoint: Enjoy views over the Weald, noting the oast houses.
Head downhill, bearing right to a gate by a tree.
Continue downhill, crossing two fields and passing through gates to an enclosed path.
Go through two gates by a pumping station.
Cross a little bridge, reach a gate, and then the road.
Cross the road to a stile, and continue ahead over the pasture towards a tennis court.
Keep left of the tennis court, reach a stile and road.
Turn right, then left in 100 yards, signed Trottenden Farm.
Follow the drive right towards Fullers Barn, passing a pond, and reach a stile.
Continue along a grassy track beside a fence to a stile, then cross pasture to another stile.
Follow yellow arrows across fields and another stile, reaching a fork in a field.
Turn right along the field edge, cross a footbridge, and go through the gap on the edge of the woodland.
Walk uphill to a stile and follow the drive to a road.
Turn right at the road, then left up Swan Lane (a public bridleway).
Bear right at Swan Cottage, keep right at Swan Farm, and walk down into a field.
Keep left, then turn right at a post by a hedge, going downhill.
Cross some water at the bottom, then veer left uphill into an orchard.
Before reaching the farm outbuildings, turn right along a track by a hedge.
Pass Ladham House parkland on the left, then concrete bollards.
Continue up the metalled drive to join the road.
Turn right at the road, walk up to the B2084.
Cross over, walk along the road in front, and at a junction keep right.
Reach the main road, turn right towards St Mary's Church.
Follow the road back into the village.