Halloween Hike 🎃 Greensand Way to England's Most Haunted Village | 28km (17mi)

📈Grade 🥾🥾🥾 Level 3/5

🔦This hike finishes in the dark on purpose.
A head torch is essential for every participant: no torch, no night section.
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📖 ABOUT:
✨ This one is special ✨ It's not a route you'll find in a guidebook. I've put it together just for us and recced it twice to make sure every path, stile and spooky corner is just right for us. I can't wait to share it with you! 🎃

👻 On the spookiest day of the year we're walking into Pluckley, named by Guinness World Records as the most haunted village in England, and arriving as darkness falls. 🔦

🧙Halloween fancy dress accessories are very welcome on this special event: witch hats, cat ears, capes, face paint, whatever you fancy. Just make sure you can still climb a stile in it 🤣

The day starts innocently enough. We climb out of the Kent countryside onto the Greensand Way, following the ridge with big views over the Weald, through orchards, quiet lanes and old woodland.

Halfway along there's a surprise pub stop for lunch (optional, and location strictly classified 🤫).

The direction is deliberate: the further we walk, the spookier it gets. We drop down into the infamous Screaming Woods while there's still daylight (we're brave, not daft), then follow a trail of haunted spots towards the village as the light fades.

Before we dare enter the village, we stop at a cosy country pub to warm up, raise a glass and summon a little Dutch courage. 🎃 It's the perfect moment to swap ghost stories and get into the Halloween spirit (pun fully intended). When we step back outside, night will have fallen and the head torches come out.

Then it's on into the haunted village itself. At least a dozen ghosts are said to roam here, and your hike leader will share their stories along the way
After a torchlit tour of England's most haunted village, we follow a dark country lane down to the station, where a haunted pub awaits right by the platform. 🍻

Expect plenty of stiles, big Kentish skies and the occasional unexplained noise. Screaming is optional 🫢
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SUMMARY:
🥾 28km (17mi) | 🚨Point-To-Point | Ascent: 467m | Descent: 527m | Max elevation: 162m | ~8hrs hours including lunch and ghost stops
🚆 Train from London Victoria to Harrietsham. Return is from Pluckley to London Bridge and Waterloo East.
⛳️ Meeting Point: 2 Options
1- Victoria Train Station, main ticket office | 08:30 (Train is at 08:55)
2- Harrietsham, outside train station | 10:15
📍 Hike start: Harrietsham, outside train station | 10:25
🏁 Hike finish: Pluckley train station | approx. ~18:40
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🚊 TRAIN TICKET INFORMATION:
We start and finish on two different lines, so a return ticket won't work.
🎟️I recommend you buy two Super Off-Peak Singles
➡️Outbound: London Victoria 08:55 → 10:14 Harrietsham
⬅️Inbound: Pluckley Super Off-peak → London *via Charing Cross (1 train/hr |19:37|20:37)
⚠️Travel via Charing Cross on your return journey. The faster trains via St Pancras and Ashford use the high speed line and cost a lot more.
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💷COST: Free
This hike is completely free to join but participants need to purchase their own transport tickets.
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🎒WHAT TO BRING:
🔦 Head torch with fresh or fully charged batteries (ESSENTIAL)
⭐️Something reflective or bright for the lane sections after dark
Spare light or spare batteries (your phone torch doesn't count)
2L Water
Snacks, plus money for a pub lunch
Waterproof hiking boots with good grip
Warm layers, waterproofs, hat and gloves (it gets cold quickly after sunset)
Optional: trekking poles, camera and your Halloween fancy dress accessories 🎃 (hat, ears, cape, face paint: anything that survives 22 km and a stile or two)
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✅WHO CAN JOIN:
Our hikes are open to adults aged 21 and over.
For safety reasons, we're not able to include children.
We love animals, but pets (including dogs) can't join our hikes.
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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 just before or after the start time. Repeated no-shows or late cancellations without a valid reason may lead to removal. Reliable regulars who end up on a waitlist may message the host for priority consideration.
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☯️STAYING TOGETHER:
A dedicated back marker is not always present, so please keep others in sight and avoid moving too far ahead or falling too far behind. Faster walkers should wait at junctions. The hike leader will pause at key points to regroup and reduce the chance of anyone becoming separated from the group.
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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 injury, loss, or damage.