A full nine mile hike accessible on our travelcards! One of the South East's most beautiful spots, this hike starts in the furthest reach of travel card zone 6 and proceeds deep into the beautiful Kent countryside. Cuckoo wood which we pass through is known for it's ancient woodland and gemlike wildflowers,  In summer months Orchids, Violets and Primroses also spot the earth like natural gemstones.

We also visit the outside of the house of Charles Darwin's House (Downe House) and take lunch in the Queens Head - a historic pub, and Darwin's local where he perused his theory's after returning from the Voyage of the Beagle in 1836!

It's in tis village Darwin developed his (then scandalous!) theory of natural selection, and furthered his theory after five years sailing, he continued studying the huge range of species in this local area. In particular he looked at the orchids and their pollinators, the area is now being proposed as a world heritage site.

We pass through ancient woodland, the villages of Downe and Cudham back through Foxberry Wood, and as always to a lovely pub to finish for a well earned beer stop.

Green London and Outdoor Weekends are the only London MeetUp to give a 10% contribution of this Event fee to “Putting Down Roots” a gardening project for London's Homeless".

Date: Saturday 11th February

Meet Time: 10.30am

Meeting Point: Victoria Overground Station (Exact meeting point will be e mailed the night before the hike).

Distance: 9 Miles / 14.75k

Walking Time: 4 hours (excluding lunch break)

Difficulty: 7/10 Moderate, some hills.

Travel card zone: Cheslfield, Zone 6.

Finishing Point: Chelsfield

Meetup Cost: £9.50

How to find us: My Pic, my phone number 07722 559245. I will be wearing a Green High Vis at the Meeting Point
(With a 10% donation included to Putting Down Roots, http://tiny.cc/iuqkl.)

What's Included: Full nine mile guided hike.

Not Included: Travel, Entry to the grounds of Darwins house.

Note: Darwins House is a modest sized Victorian villa, we will stop to have a look at the outside, we will not be going inside. If you want to visit it by yourself you can do this during the one hour lunchbreak, (there is an entry charge google English Heritage Downe House Entry).

You can meet at Chelsfield if it is better for you, specify this in your comments when you put in your attendance mark, and you will be e mailed the time to meet at Chelsfield overland Station 1 day before the Meet.

Things to bring:

Water!- at least 1 litre
Camera
Money for pub
Wear appropriate clothes for the weather, Sunscreen, and hiking boots or the nearest thing you have.

Food: Bring a packed lunch if you like or get food in the mid way pub, we probably won't make last food orders at the finish stop pub!

Plastic Bag - to put your boots in in case they get muddy, so you don't have to leave them outside of the pub.

Travel, Notable Lines down this weekend:

Parts of the Metropolitan and Northern line

Plan your journey here,

http://www.meetup.com/Green-London-Walks-Days-out-and-Weekends/messages/boards/thread/11007891

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