Wednesday, September 28, 2016

14 Walks: Walk #3....

Apples are a regular feature throughout the walk. (We never scrumped any officer!)
There are some open stretches across windswept fields
The Tonbridge Civic Society very thoughtfully published a book called 14 Walks some years back. Not surprisingly, as the title suggests, there are indeed 14 walks in the booklet. I say booklet but actually it's more of a plastic wallet with loose sheets inside. Each sheet has a walk with description and a small map to guide you throughout. Every so often these instructions need updating and this was the task which myself and Mrs. Tonbridgeblog had agreed to do. The walks range from about one mile to 8 miles. We chose walk number 3 because we thought, since we're relatively young and fit, we could handle a 7-mile stroll without too much sweat! I must say though that this walk seemed more like a 10 miler although that could just be that either we're out of practice or, more likely, that we had to keep stopping to annotate the walk guide instructions. This walk starts at Hartlake Bridge, takes you on through the orchards of Hadlow Place Farm, on to Steers Places, Style Place and along the Medway and back to the start point. Essentially you are walking in a big loop around Hadlow Tower, which is never far from view. Anyways, enough of all this spiel, here's some pictures to give you a flavour of the walk.


Hadlow tower is nearly always in sight and a good landmark
PS. You can buy 14 Walks from Mr. Books and it's only three quid. £3 for all 14 walks, come on this is a bargain. Alternatively, you can download the app for free. (Yeah right!)



Lots of Oast houses making typical Kent scenes

This is Bourne Mill which looks idyllic on a sunny day

You'll see plenty of these around Hadlow stables especially

Back at the river. East Lock on the Medway

Under Hartlake Bridge and back to where we started the walk
Ideally take an OS map with you though. Especially when the new edition comes out with all our garbled new instructions!

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Of course you know about the Harlake Bridge Disaster of the evening of 20 October 1853, a wagon was taking around 40 hop-pickers broke through the bridge and all drowned in the river.
The disaster was recorded in a folk song in the 1970s by Romani Jasper Smith.

Tonbridge blogger said...

I do indeed. There are books in Mr. Books which will tell you all about it. I think the memorial plaque of the disaster may be missing from under the bridge....

Anonymous said...

Just what you are waiting for: Argos coming to the town.

Anonymous said...

So the Slug is closing at the end of the month. But good news for all you craft/real ale drinkers in the town, its reopening as a craft pub in the Middle of November. So TB no need to wait until the spring of 2017 to get you £10 a pint fix of craft beer.

Brett said...

is this the same 'anonymous' that got in such a fuss over the opening of fuggles? Seem very bitter towards those that like a nice pint of been in good company for some reason...

Just as you would pay extra for a meal from the Ivy House/Havet/etc than you would from Maccy D's/Jen's Cafe... you would pay a little more from a place that serves good, rare beer than one that does not.. Looking at the latest fuggles beer board they have Tonbridge Coppernob at £3.40 a pint rising up to around a fiver for some of the other, stronger beers - this seems pretty reasonable? Some, of course are even more but, as with wine, people like to treat themselves to something a little more special every now and again. I would imagine the 'new' slug would be comparable to these prices and, having seen TOFS make a success of things and fuggles coming to town, they have seen there is the demand and market for it to, hopefully, prosper.

Jeremy Young said...

Not really a response to your to your post - but this is about the river.

Have you seen that the houseboats off Barden Road are threatened with eviction?

There is an article in the Courier and a petition here https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-our-boatyard

Brett said...

no real details on there - boats looks good but what are their costs at present compare to what is proposed? Also, what developments are taking place and how will it displace them>

Anonymous said...

So you have missed a trick here TB! Your favorite Tonbridge Post Office is planning to move into a High Street book shop. Now TB did you put an offer in to provide the facilities? I have heard that its going to be a rent free arrangement with the book shop benefiting from the increase footfall. Could be bad for your sales. I just hope they find room for all those seats in the new premises, well used when the queues build up. Not great move either for Blue badge holders who cant just stop in the High Street any more.

Paul Bailey said...

I get the impression our erstwhile blogger, TB has lost interest in his own creation.

Meanwhile our local MP has taken on the Post Office with a petition against the proposed move, and a TV appearance yesterday.

Definitely missing a trick there, TB.

Paul Bailey said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

If you think KCC have created traffic hold ups with their £2.7 millions "improvement" scheme wait until you see what KCC are planning in front of the station. Making just one extra bus stop in front of Lidl and removing the stops outside of the station and paving over. Putting in an extra diagonal crossing in front of the station.

Just wait for the snarl ups at the Quarry hill roundabout when there are a bus or two waiting between journeys as wells as cars and delivery vans parking there.
Around 4pm for a 25 min period 20 buses try to stop at the station.

Tonbridge blogger said...

Okay PB you're right I have been busy with one thing and another but it's no excuse for letting down the dwindling readership of this blog!...