💜 Lavender Fields & Darent Valley | Free Hike 21 km (13 miles)

📈 Grade: 🥾🥾🥾 Level 3/5 (Moderate)
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🧠 How it will feel
Regular hikers → Comfortable
Casual walkers → Moderately challenging
Newcomers → Challenging
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Join us for a beautiful circular hike starting and ending in Otford, exploring some of the best scenery the Kent Downs National Landscape has to offer. This varied route follows sections of both the North Downs Way and the Darent Valley Path, taking us through rolling countryside, peaceful woodlands, open fields, and picturesque stretches alongside the River Darent.

The highlight of the day is our extended lunch stop at Lullingstone Country Park, giving everyone plenty of time to visit nearby Castle Farm. Here you can browse the farm shop, enjoy the wonderful scent of the lavender, stock up on lavender products, use the facilities, or purchase entry to wander through the stunning lavender fields, which should be in full bloom and filling the air with their distinctive fragrance.

💜 Castle Farm Entry (optional)

• Castle Farm website HERE
• If you'd like to enjoy your packed lunch with a picnic in the lavender fields, the entry fee is £14.
• If you'd simply like to wander through the lavender fields, the entry fee is £7.

After lunch, we'll continue through Lullingstone Country Park before following a mixture of woodland trails and open countryside towards the charming village of Shoreham. Along the way, we'll enjoy views of the impressive Shoreham War Memorial Cross, carved into the hillside and standing proudly above the valley.

Our final stretch follows the peaceful Darent Valley Path through woodland alongside the golf course before returning to Otford. We'll finish right next to The Bull Inn, a traditional country pub with a spacious beer garden and plenty of indoor seating. It's the perfect place to relax with a well-earned drink or bite to eat after a fantastic day on the trails.
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OVERVIEW
📏 Distance: 21 km (≈13 miles)
🥾 Difficulty: Moderate
📈📉 Elevation: 401 m ascent / 398 m descent
🚶 Pace: Approximately 5 to 5.5 km/h (3.1 to 3.4 mph) throughout. This is a steady, purposeful walking pace. It's not a race, but it isn't a leisurely stroll either.
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🟩 TERRAIN
Varied open green fields, wide and narrow woodland trails, sections where brambles and nettles may brush against you if you're not careful, gravel tracks, and quiet country lanes where we may need to walk in single file if vehicles are passing. Some sections may be slippery and very muddy after heavy rain. There are also woodland areas with exposed tree roots underfoot, so please take care to avoid tripping. The route includes a few hills, but none are particularly strenuous. The first hill begins shortly after the start and may feel a little tougher as your legs won't be fully warmed up yet.
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📍MEETING POINT AND TIMINGS
⛳️ 09:30 Meet at Otford platform 2 exit What3Words
▶️ Hike starts as soon as check-in is completed (around 09:40)
🏁 17:00 Finish at Otford
⏱️ Estimated moving time: 6 hours
🕒 Estimated total duration: 7 hours, including breaks and regrouping stops
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📍 OPTIONAL LONDON GROUP TRAVEL
08:30 Meet at London Victoria ticket office
08:45 Walk to platform
08:55 Train departs London Victoria
09:32 Train arrives in Otford
Journey time 37 minutes

Get off the train and wait at the exit of platform #2
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🚆 RETURN TRAINS
Regular trains from Otford serve London Blackfriars, London Charing Cross, London Victoria, and Ashford International.
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🚗 BY CAR
Parking at Otford station
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FOOD AND FACILITIES
🍔 Lunch: Bring a packed lunch. We'll stop at picnic tables for lunch.
🚻 Facilities: Castle Farm, Lullington Country Park approx. 10km 2.5 hours into the hike
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🎒 WHAT TO BRING
Packed lunch, snacks
2 litres water
Proper hiking boots or shoes with good grip
Weather-appropriate layers and waterproofs
Sun protection
Fully charged phone
Any personal medication and basic first aid supplies
Optional trekking poles
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📅 RSVP & ATTENDANCE
RSVP only if you plan to attend. Please cancel as early as possible if you can no longer make it so others can join. A no-show means you RSVPed but did not attend, or cancelled shortly before or after the start time. Repeated no-shows or late cancellations without a valid reason may lead to removal from the group. Reliable regular members who find themselves on the waitlist may message the host for priority consideration.

🚨 The organiser may prioritise members with a history of reliable attendance when allocating places from the waitlist. If you have a history of no-shows or regularly cancel at the last minute, you may be given lower priority than members who consistently honour their RSVPs and moved to a waitlist.
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✅ WHO CAN JOIN
Adults aged 21 and over
No children
No pets
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👣 GROUP PACE & PARTICIPATION GUIDELINES
This is a social group hike, and we ask everyone to stay with the group rather than rushing ahead or falling behind. Please keep the group in sight and remain within a reasonable distance, as a back marker may not always be present. Faster walkers should wait at junctions, and organisers may stop at suitable points for regrouping. If you choose to leave the group structure or continue at a significantly different pace, you will be considered to be hiking independently and responsible for your own route and safety. By attending, you agree to follow these guidelines.
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EXIT POINTS
Shoreham and Eynsford railway stations are close to the route.
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📞 CONTACT
For questions, please message the event host via Meetup. On the day of the walk, you may contact AdrianB via WhatsApp on +44 (0) 7438 812 663.
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⚠️ DISCLAIMER
By joining, you confirm that you have read and accepted the group policy on the About page. You are responsible for your own safety, and neither the host nor the group can be held liable for any injury, loss, or damage.