Bridge to Garrington Heights over the downs and back through

P1
LOCAL WALK No. 4
Duration: 2hrs - 2hrs 30mins. Difficulty: Moderate. Pub stop: 1hr 30mins
Bridge to Garrington Heights over the
downs and back through meadow land
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Map base
Starting at the Red Lion
Public House in Bridge
1. Proceed down Patrixbourne Road, past
the Old School House and under the A2.
Continuing on, note the decorative bridge
sitting rather incongruously in a field.
This is a remnant of the Bifrons estate
which boasted one of the finest country
houses in East Kent. Sadly it burned
down during army occupation in WW2.
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2. As you see a gate to the field on your
left, turn right and follow a diagonal path
up into a small tree lined meadow beyond
the wheat fields. Cross the meadow and
come out onto a steep road. Turn right, up
the hill and follow for 70 metres.
3. Where the wood ends look for a style
high up on your left. Cross it and follow
the path across fields towards the triangular roof panels of a converted oast house.
4. Arriving into the back garden of the
oast house, cross using the marked path
and find your way to the road.
5. Up the hill a short walk, is a hop farm
and business complex with a coffeee shop
and gallery. Perhaps pause here.
6. Leaving the business complex, turn right
and walk up the road. The left hand verge
is wider and safer. You will pass a road
joining on the right and a stable complex,
but stay on this road until you meet houses
on the left at Aerodrome Road. Follow up
this one, turning left at ‘The Cottage’, but
note the two memorial stones to the right.
7. This is the site of the old Bekesbourne
Aerodrome; used by the Royal Flying
Corps in WW1 and briefly again during
the Dunkirk evacuation in WW2. It was
closed permanently later in 1940.
Follow Aerodrome Road round until, at a
dead end it crosses a railway bridge into
fields. Remaining on the same elevation,
cross two fields towards farm buildings.
Note Garrington Oak (below) on the way.
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P2
LOCAL WALK No. 14
Duration: 2hrs - 2hrs 30mins. Difficulty: Moderate. Pub stop: 1hr 30mins
Well Chapel was built sometime before 1300 as
the chapel ofease for a small hamlet called Well,
with a manor house which was next to the spring
here. However the hamlet fell into disuse and the
chapel was merely a ruin by 1550.
15. Continue along this wide grassy path,
with arable crops on both sides, then with
apple orchards on your right. After some
500 metres or so, look for a style on your
left. Cross the style, then go under the
railway line at the bridge. Coming out
into a field, cross it, following the line of
the river until you meet a main road.
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8. As you approach Garrington Farms, you
will meet a gate with two cottages near.
Go through the gate and carry on along the
track, past barns, then the farmhouse on
the right. The track becomes a farm road.
When the road forks, take the left fork
downhill.
9. After some 50 metres you will see a gate
on your right. For those not wishing to visit
the pub, ignore the gate and continue down
the farm road, over two small bridges
crossing the Little Stour to a barn at 13.
then follow the route home from here.
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Take the left fork here after
Garrington Farmhouse.
10. If you wish to visit the Anchor Inn at
Littlebourne, go through the gate at 9.
and along a grassy path, past a brick
cottage on your right. Join the main farm
drive, going down past more cottages into
meadows until it comes out at the main
road into Littlebourne. Turn right and the
pub is at the junction after 300 metres.
11. Leaving the Anchor Inn, proceed
back along Bekesbourne Road, (whence
you came) to the farm entrance again.
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Copyright BridgeNature.org 2013.
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Go through the gate ifyou intend
to visit the Anchor Inn.
12. At the entrance, do not follow back up
the drive, instead, take the path to the
right, going through open fields, with a
hedge on your left and continue for 1 km
or so until you arrive at a barn.
13. At the barn, take a footpath back towards
Bridge through open fields, with high trees
on your left and a row of houses across the
field on your right.
14. After 100 metres you should be at the
ruins of the old Well Chapel. As you
follow the path round left, within the trees
is a well from which springs the Little
Stour which joins the Nailbourne on the
occasions when the latter is in flow.
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16. At the main road, cross into Old Palace
Road and follow along. To your right you will
see The Old Palace, once home of the the
author Ian Fleming. The house gets its
name from a palace built here in 1552 by
Archbishop Cranmer of Canterbury, but
the palace itself was destroyed in the civil
war and only the gatehouse remains of the
original buildings. To your left is the
charming St Peter’s Church Bekesbourne.
Continue along this road for 500 metres
until you come to a ford, with a small
pedestrian bridge on the right.
17. After this, follow the road round to the
right for 50 metres, then at the road
junction take a left towards the church.
18. Follow the road past picturesque
cottages back to the Red Lion at Bridge.
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We hope you have enjoyed your walk. and
some of the history of the area. What you see
will of course vary according to the seasons,
so it can be nice to repeat the walk again at
different times throughout the year.
If you have any suggestions or comments you
would like to make about this guide please
email us at the address below.
Email: BridgeNature@yahoo.co.uk