Bluebell Hill To Medway Bridge 26/03/08
Due to various reasons we were a very depleted group , just 3 old codgers who set off from the picnic spot at the top of Bluebell Hill and walked along very muddy tracks in the direction of the Medway Bridge
The weather was very overcast with a forecast of rain but very warm considering it was still March . All the tracks through the woods very very slippery due to the recent rain. We passed the side of the Robin Hood public house and continued down into the valley. Eventually we made the path along side the noisy M2 motorway and Eurostar railway line. Great views throughout but very little in the way of people or wild life
At the Medway Bridge we crossed over looking down on a brown looking River Medway at low tide . After crossing the bridge we stopped for a coffee break and welcome rest then back across the bridge. The return was to join the North Downs Way towards Aylesford which is understood to have been one of Charles Dickens favourite walks ( Aylesford to Rochester ) . Passing the " Shoulder Of Mutton " woods with its ancient burial site . Finally after a total of about 9 miles we arrived back very tired at the starting place View South From Starting Point

Medway Bridge

Rochester Castle in distance

London Bus driving over Medway Bridge

Medway Bridge

Tonbridge To Yalding 19 March

Our Leader and editor of this blog is having a lot of trouble with his broadband provider so I am temp going to have a go at giving you a brief description of our weekly walk . So I apologise for the many mistakes

Tonbridge To Yalding
We caught the park and ride into Maidstone where, after a long wait, we boarded the train to Tonbridge . From the station we walked through the high street , passing many tempting cake shops , to the River Medway near Tonbridge Castle. Here we joined the towpath and headed to Yalding.
Although the path was very muddy in places and a lot of the adjacent fields water logged it was a very interested walk simply because of the number of locks we either passed or walked over . All of different construction and character. The river levels were very high and because of the amount of water flowing from the land very muddy in colour . Not a lot of bird life on or near the river apart from the odd goose or swan . When near Yalding a few of our number did see a kingfisher in the normal flash of blue as it flew along the river course.
The weather throughout was rather cold in a NE wind and very dark clouds rolling overhead but our luck held with only the slightest drizzle near the end of the walk which finished at Yalding where we caught the train back to Maidstone Total walking distance of 8 Miles