North Downs Way

Escape the hustle and bustle of urban living todiscover inspirational landscapes and peaceful walksalong the North Downs Way.

Whether you are looking for a short stroll withspectacular downland views or aiming to tackle thefull 153 miles (245km) from Farnham to Dover,theNorth Downs Way is the perfect way to rechargeyour batteries.

Newcomers as well as regular visitors and localscan appreciate the stunning scenery and follow thetrail with confidence guided by the familiar ‘acorn’waymarkers – the symbol for all National Trails.

The North Downs Way is one of 15 NationalTrails located in England and Wales – all of whichprovide superb walking experiences amongst the finestlandscapes in the country.

IntroductionIn many places theNorth Downs Wayfollows the same routeas the legendaryPilgrim’s Way.Modernpilgrims wishing tofollow in the footstepsof their medievalpredecessors cancombine the NorthDowns Way with St Swithun’s Way (a 24 mile trail from Winchester toFarnham) to create the ideal pilgrimage route fromWinchester to Canterbury.

For those looking to walk further afield,therecently established Via Francigena Pilgrimage routefollows the North Downs Way from Canterbury toDover,before heading across the English Channel toFrance and onwards to Rome.

In the footsteps of pilgrims

Why not extend your visit see some of theattractions on offer in Surrey and Kent? There is ahuge range of places to stay close to the trail – fromcosy farmhouses and historic inns to Youth Hostelsand camping barns.

The North Downs Way passes close to a numberof attractive country pubs and restaurants many ofwhich specialise in quality local produce.

For more ideas please visit www.visitkent.co.ukor www.visitsoutheastengland.co.uk

Eat,drink and stay longer

Guide Books

Maps

Easy to find National Trails in England and Wales

Heritage

Beginning at Farnham,the North Downs Way passesthrough the heavily wooded chalk landscape of theSurrey Hills Area of Outstanding NaturalBeauty.This rare,ancient woodland with stretches ofgrassland and heathland,is an important habitat forwildlife.

Across the border,into the Kent Downs Areaof Outstanding Natural Beauty,the landscapeopens up into rich grassland slopes which are alivewith orchids and butterflies in summer.

The trail divides near Ashford and offers thechance to explore two different landscapes.Thenorthern route passes through orchards and farmlandvia Canterbury to Dover.The southern route continuesalong the Downs and ends with a dramatic coastalwalk above the magnificent White Cliffs of Dover.

A walk along chalk downs

North Downs Way Kent County CouncilEnvironment and WasteInvicta House Maidstone Kent ME14 1XX

Tel: +44 (0) 1622 221525 Fax: +44 (0) 1622 221636email: northdownsway@kent.gov.ukweb: www.nationaltrail.co.uk/northdowns

In the footsteps of pilgrims

Located in the South East, close to London andcontinental Europe, all sections of the North DownsWay are easy to reach by public transport. Manyrailway stations are conveniently located so that daywalks can be planned without taking the car.To helpplan your visit please contact Travelinewww.travelinesoutheast.org.ukTelephone 0871 200 2233

Ordnance Surveywww.ordnancesurvey.co.ukExplore Map series (1:25000 scale) 137 (Ashford);138 (Dover, Folkestone andHythe) 145 (Guildford and Farnham); 146(Dorking, Box Hill and Reigate); 147(Sevenoaks and Tonbridge); 148 (Maidstoneand the Medway Towns); 149 (Sittingbourneand Faversham); 150 (Canterbury and theIsle of Thanet).Landranger Map series (1:50000 scale) 178 (The Thames Estuary); 179 (Canterburyand East Kent); 186 (Aldershot andGuildford); 187 (Dorking and Reigate); 188(Maidstone and The Weald); 189 (Ashfordand Romney Marsh).

Harvey Waterproof Map serieswww.harveymaps.co.uk North Downs Way West Farnham to MedwayNorth Downs Way East Dover to Medway.

North Downs Way – a National Trail Guideby Neil Curtis and Jim Walker published byAurum Press 2007 ISBN 1 84513 2726 Trail is fully mapped at 1:25000 scale

The Downs have long formed a defensive line forLondon with many castles and forts to visit along theroute.Additionally,located close to the trail,are awealth of places of historic interest includingcathedrals,palaces,stately homes and gardens.

Inspirational landscape The dramatic landscapes of the North Downs havelong inspired artists,poets and writers ranging from J.M.W.Turner to Jane Austen and Charles Dickens.Charles Darwin and Winston Churchill lived close tothe Downs and were also moved by the landscape.

Photographs by John Miller, Natural England, Kent Tourism,Zac Macaulay,Will Moreno

Downs near Dorking

Box Hill from Ranmore Common

Canterbury Cathedral

Lenham Cross

North Downs Way leaflet 4c 24/7/07 09:26 Page 1

North Downs Way

Escape the hustle and bustle of urban living todiscover inspirational landscapes and peaceful walksalong the North Downs Way.

Whether you are looking for a short stroll withspectacular downland views or aiming to tackle thefull 153 miles (245km) from Farnham to Dover, theNorth Downs Way is the perfect way to rechargeyour batteries.

Newcomers as well as regular visitors and localscan appreciate the stunning scenery and follow thetrail with confidence guided by the familiar ‘acorn’waymarkers – the symbol for all National Trails.

The North Downs Way is one of 15 NationalTrails located in England and Wales – all of whichprovide superb walking experiences amongst the finestlandscapes in the country.

IntroductionIn many places theNorth Downs Wayfollows the same routeas the legendaryPilgrim’s Way. Modernpilgrims wishing tofollow in the footstepsof their medievalpredecessors cancombine the NorthDowns Way with St Swithun’s Way (a 24 mile trail from Winchester toFarnham) to create the ideal pilgrimage route fromWinchester to Canterbury.

For those looking to walk further afield, therecently established Via Francigena Pilgrimage routefollows the North Downs Way from Canterbury toDover, before heading across the English Channel toFrance and onwards to Rome.

In the footsteps of pilgrims

Why not extend your visit see some of theattractions on offer in Surrey and Kent? There is ahuge range of places to stay close to the trail – fromcosy farmhouses and historic inns to Youth Hostelsand camping barns.

The North Downs Way passes close to a numberof attractive country pubs and restaurants many ofwhich specialise in quality local produce.

For more ideas please visit www.visitkent.co.ukor www.visitsoutheastengland.co.uk

Eat, drink and stay longer

Guide Books

Maps

Easy to findNational Trails in England and Wales

Heritage

Beginning at Farnham, the North Downs Way passesthrough the heavily wooded chalk landscape of theSurrey Hills Area of Outstanding NaturalBeauty.This rare, ancient woodland with stretches ofgrassland and heathland, is an important habitat forwildlife.

Across the border, into the Kent Downs Areaof Outstanding Natural Beauty, the landscapeopens up into rich grassland slopes which are alivewith orchids and butterflies in summer.

The trail divides near Ashford and offers thechance to explore two different landscapes.Thenorthern route passes through orchards and farmlandvia Canterbury to Dover.The southern route continuesalong the Downs and ends with a dramatic coastalwalk above the magnificent White Cliffs of Dover.

A walk along chalk downs

North Downs Way Kent County CouncilEnvironment and WasteInvicta House Maidstone Kent ME14 1XX

Tel:+44 (0) 1622 221525 Fax:+44 (0) 1622 221636email:northdownsway@kent.gov.ukweb:www.nationaltrail.co.uk/northdowns

In the footsteps of pilgrims

Located in the South East,close to London andcontinental Europe,all sections of the North DownsWay are easy to reach by public transport.Manyrailway stations are conveniently located so that daywalks can be planned without taking the car.To helpplan your visit please contact Travelinewww.travelinesoutheast.org.ukTelephone 0871 200 2233

Ordnance Surveywww.ordnancesurvey.co.ukExplore Map series(1:25000 scale) 137 (Ashford);138 (Dover,Folkestone andHythe) 145 (Guildford and Farnham);146(Dorking,Box Hill and Reigate);147(Sevenoaks and Tonbridge);148 (Maidstoneand the Medway Towns);149 (Sittingbourneand Faversham);150 (Canterbury and theIsle of Thanet).Landranger Map series(1:50000 scale) 178 (The Thames Estuary);179 (Canterburyand East Kent);186 (Aldershot andGuildford);187 (Dorking and Reigate);188(Maidstone and The Weald);189 (Ashfordand Romney Marsh).

Harvey Waterproof Map serieswww.harveymaps.co.uk North Downs Way West Farnham to MedwayNorth Downs Way East Dover to Medway.

North Downs Way – a National Trail Guideby Neil Curtis and Jim Walker published byAurum Press 2007 ISBN 1 84513 2726 Trail is fully mapped at 1:25000 scale

The Downs have long formed a defensive line forLondon with many castles and forts to visit along theroute.Additionally, located close to the trail, are awealth of places of historic interest includingcathedrals, palaces, stately homes and gardens.

Inspirational landscape The dramatic landscapes of the North Downs havelong inspired artists, poets and writers ranging from J. M.W.Turner to Jane Austen and Charles Dickens.Charles Darwin and Winston Churchill lived close tothe Downs and were also moved by the landscape.

Photographs by John Miller,Natural England,Kent Tourism,Zac Macaulay,Will Moreno

Downs near Dorking

Box Hill from Ranmore Common

Canterbury Cathedral

Lenham Cross

North Downs Way leaflet 4c 24/7/07 09:26 Page 1

GUILDFORD

Shalford

Bramley

Cranleigh

GodalmingMilford

Farnham

Aldershot

Farnborough

Frimley

Fleet

ShereGomshall

Dorking

Fetcham

LeatherheadWalton on

the Hill

ReigateRedhill

Godstone

Caterham

Woldingham

LimpsfieldWesterham

SEVENOAKS

Kemsing

Orpington

Swanley

Gravesend

Rochester

ChathamGillingham

MAIDSTONEBearsted

Snodland

Lenham

Charing

ASHFORD

Wye

HytheFOLKESTONE

DOVER

Deal

SandwichCANTERBURY

Chartham

Challock

Faversham

SittingbourneCroydon

Woking

A259

A299

R. Wey

R. Mole

Bough Beech Res R. Beult

R. Medway

Gre

at S

tour

KENT

SURREY

MEDWAY TOWNS

LONDON

HAMPSHIRE

M3

M25

M25

M20

M26

M20

M2

M23

A323

A287A325

A287

A324

A322

A320

A3

A246A24

A217

A25

A225

A227

A228

A249

A274

A20

A251

A252

A260

A2 A258

A256

A257

A291A290

A2

A229

A26

A229 A2

A20

A227

A25

A224A233

A2022

A22

A23

A25

A281

A247

A3

A3100

A286

A283A20

A2070

A28

Box Hill

Blue Bell Hill

Hog's Back

Surrey Hills AONB

Kent Downs AONB

North Downs Way

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Motorway

A road

Railway

County boundary

River

Land over 183m (600ft)

North Downs Way

For further information please visit www.nationaltrail.co.uk/northdowns

An inspirational landscapeTry one of ourcircular walks

0 10km

This map is based upon Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings.Natural England 100046223 2007

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A Trail forall seasons

Refresh yoursenses

St Martha’s Church near Guildford

Sunken lane in Surrey

Walking through bluebells Bee Orchid near Otford Surrey downland

Stepping stones River Mole

Autumn colour near Dorking

Poppies near Charing Wintry downs

On the coast near Folkestone

Downs near Kemsing

Dorking from the downs

Chevening Picnic at Leeds Castle

Patrixbourne

Downs near Thurnham Walking the downs

Chilham for tea

North Downs Way leaflet 4 24/7/07 10:52 Page 1