North Downs Way: Wrotham to Cuxton

The Walk: Starting from Wrotham (pron 'Rootam'), this section of the NDW moves North of the M20, and includes Trosley Country Park. There are fine views over the Kent Countryside before turning North to follow the Medway valley, ending near the village of Cuxton at Ranscombe Farm Nature Reserve which is managed to encourage wild flowers. There is an optional short excursion to view the Coldrum Long Barrow.

Summer on the NDW near Wrotham

Map

NB The map shows my route, with various diversions and excursions which you may not wish to follow precisely. Excursion to Coldrum Long Barrow shown in orange.

Why do it: The first section of the walk crosses the M20 and follows the Pilgrims Way along the foot of the Downs, where views across the Kent countryside open up.

Cross the M20

We then climb and traverse Trosley Country Park, where there is a cafe, and two fine viewpoints.

Quarry Hill viewpoint

In WW2, an Army camp was set up at nearby Camp Vigo (now Vigo village), and troops trained in the woods and slopes which now make up the Park.

Upon leaving the Park, we descend once more to join the Pilgrims Way. Here it is well worthwhile to make the short excursion down a bridleway to view the neolithic Coldrum Long Barrow in the care of the National Trust.

Coldrum Long Barrow

[For more about the Medway Megaliths along the NDW, see this blog.]

We follow the Pilgrims Way then turn North and climb steeply back up the scarp, finally opening up views over the Medway Valley to the Kent Downs, which host the next section of the NDW to Dover.

Looking across the Medway valley

The next section is through woods and meadows, pleasant and shady, with wild flowers in the meadows, although lacking distant views.

Pylons and wild flowers

We emerge into more open country, cutting across dry chalk valleys where it seems a vineyard is being controversially established, based on the historic hamlet of Upper Bush, which has some fine old buildings.

Vines in the Bush Valley

The NDW then climbs to cross the railway and enter Ranscombe Farm Nature Reserve, which is managed to encourage wild flowers, especially spectacular fields of red poppies in June, apparently.(there are plenty of wild flowers all along this walk in summer.)

Wild flowers at Ranscombe Farm

Finally, we descend on the farm road to the car park. The M2 bridge viaduct over the Medway can just be glimpsed over the trees on the way down.

View of the M2 bridge over the Medway

Logistics: By train: Get the train to Borough Green and Wrotham station and walk 2 miles north to join the NDW beside Wrotham recreation ground.

Finish in the car park for Ranscombe Farm near Cuxton, from where it is a 1 mile walk to Cuxton station.

A convenient variation is to start by parking literally on the NDW on Pilgrims Way road next to the recreation ground in Wrotham. From Cuxton, you can return to the start by train via Maidstone to Borough Green and Wrotham station, then walk the 1.5 miles back to the start.

Parking in Pilgrims Way beside the recreation ground in Wrotham

Distance: 1.5 miles from Borough Green and Wrotham station to the NDW at Wrotham, 11.5 miles along the NDW, 1 mile to Cuxton station, making 14 miles in all. (NB If taking the train from Cuxton back to Borough Green via Maidstone, you have to walk around half a mile between Maidstone Barracks and Maidstone East stations.)

Challenges:

Expect mud after rain. There are some very steep ascents and descents, which would be slippery when wet.

Steep steps

Motorway noise from the M20 at the start is soon left behind, and reappears briefly at the end as you near the M2.

There were a few path junctions which were not signed. I don't depend on signing, but it's easy to go wrong if you're not paying attention. (For example finding the path into Trosley Country Park.)

Entrance to Trosley Country Park from Vigo Hill

Refreshments: Wrotham has 3 pubs.

There is a cafe in the Trosley Visitor Centre.

Trosley Visitor Centre

The Villager pub in Vigo is a short walk off the route.

Villager Pub, Vigo

White Hart pub near Cuxton station

Nearby Walks

For an overview map of all my walks along the North Downs Way see this page.

Previous section: Dunton Green to Wrotham

Next section: Cuxton to Detling

Photos

Sunny day in early July

Leaving Wrotham

Pilgrims Way road

View over Kent countryside

Woods on the North Downs scarp

Yellow flowers, possibly birdsfoot trefoil

Probably white oxeye daisies

Byway climbing to Trosley Country Park

In Trosley Country Park

Trosley Park first viewpoint

Viewpoint info board

Wood Henge