Another Sunday rolled around and we got up, ate our chocolate porridge, and headed out the door for the day’s wanderings. Jumping in the car, we drove off confidently in the direction of Bodiam Castle. However, this plan, which had been made days in advance (go us) was disrupted somewhat, when Beth checked their website, where a notice regarding high visitor numbers had been posted, advising people to arrive either before 10 o’clock or after two o’clock – the time was already 11 o’clock. We then remembered it was half term and wanting to avoid the crowds, we quickly adapted our plans (again, go us) and changed our course of direction. So, having set out for Bodiam, we found ourselves arriving instead in Rolvenden, for what was to be fair a great substitution.
Shortly after parking, just as we were applying sun cream, Beth was approached by a gentleman asking if she had any nice photos of lambs available to use in the village’s newsletter, having spotted her camera around her neck – the first rung of stardom for our photographer!
Setting off at half-eleven, we were very aware that we were suddenly in for several more miles of walking than we had initially expected. The day was warm, largely sunny and quite blustery, which was similar to when we did the route last year, and once again we felt the full force of the wind as we sent out down and across somewhat still muddy farmland. Once you have descended through fields of green and yellow swaying in the strong breeze, you find a trickling stream at the bottom. For now, the winds receded as the water shimmered in the warm sunshine, lined with an array of spring flowers. Away up on a hillside to the left, we could see a tantalizing glimpse of sheep with their young in the distance. We continued to follow the stream, crossing to the other side when we met the road, and then for a little longer through the following field where we were joined by several butterflies as we walked.
The path then wandered away from the stream, and shortly after this we arrived at what this particular walk, for us, is all about – lambs! Having experienced it last spring, we knew that this route was particularly good for spotting these bundles of innocent energy, and being peak lamb season, we had been intentionally saving this one for mid-spring – and I am pleased to say that the day didn’t disappoint. Here, the path leads you through the middle of two large fields full of lambs and their attentive mothers, playing, resting and suckling.
After crossing a road, the route then takes you down a short stretch of tarmac alongside more lambs. At this point, if anyone finds a pair of aviator sunglasses please let me know, as this is where I lost a pair last year whilst cooing over the baby sheep. Sadly, we did not find them on this occasion, instead seeing five rabbits running across the path.
We then turned up yet another large field of lambs setting an idyllic scene. It was made even more perfect when a house martin began to fly about us, a sure sign of the warm weather on its way. Whilst adoring the lambs in this field however, it is worth staying aware of the large muckheap at the top, run-off of which has turned a portion of the field to slurry, and requires a wide swing around to navigate. Once out the field, we crossed a small farmyard, said hello to some cows and continued up the farm’s driveway toward the road. And what was in the field to our left? You guessed it!
Then, as we made our way into Tenterden, our (almost) halfway point, something significant happened. The sun suddenly felt hotter, and my jeans began to feel uncomfortable. We made our way brusquely up the High Street in search of the public toilets, into which I quickly divided. Emerging a few minutes later, jeans in hand, I felt far more comfortable – shorts season had begun! Fortunately, I had stuffed a pair at the bottom of the bag for such an eventuality and now felt far more comfortable with the air on my now bare legs.
Warm weather mode activated and we stopped for lunch on a bench back on the High Street just after 1pm. After this, we went for a drink in The Vine Inn, which we knew had a lovely beer garden. Here we sat for a rather extended break, solving the world’s problems whilst we sipped on three pints of Orchard View cider between us, not getting going again until sometime gone 2 o’clock. By then, having drunk a whole pint, Beth was noticeably tiddly, giggling and dancing her way back down the High Street toward the awaiting countryside, and the return journey.
The second half of the day is notably different from the first. After crossing the locally famous steam rail line, we found ourselves in low-lying farmland crisscrossed by small waterways. It was in this part of the walk that we became lost last time, much to Beth’s distress, so we were determined this time not to make the same mistake – and actually, fairly early on we worked out where we had gone wrong previously, in fact it was at the first possible turn after the railway; whoops.
Hopefully on track this time, we set off past a rusty old wind spinner still turning in the swift winds, passing along the edge of a glowing field of rape, whilst sharing the path with a few more butterflies. We then reached a crossroad of pathways, at which point we stopped. Consulting the map, we were again rather confused, fearing we were lost once again. In our moment of despair, the steam train chck-chck’d passed in the distance, whistling mockingly. Choosing what we hoped was the right way, we passed another peaceful field of lambs which we had missed last time, mostly resting in the sunshine. As the pathway disappeared under our feet we feared the worst, but Beth boldly went ahead and found the way through. It was close, but on this occasion I would say we were successful.
For a while, the route takes you across a selection of well-marked fields, until eventually you pop out onto a section of quiet road walking, past some pretty cottages. A footpath reappears ahead soon enough, and runs between a field of sheep (no lambs this time) and the paddocks on the other side. Last time, this small pathway was particularly muddy, and today was no better. We did our best to avoid the sloppy mud, but at its worst we had no choice but to just splosh right through the middle.
After this, you’re more or less on the run-in, skirting the edge of a couple of fields, ducking beneath a large, low-hanging branch and through a small woodland, at the end of which was a large patch of fresh-smelling bluebells. After this, one final field awaits, which on this occasion contained a couple of bonus lambs just to round off our lamb-filled day. It was then short a trip through the Church’s flowery graveyard and out the other side to where the parked car awaited us.
Although this route was 7.8 miles, it didn’t really feel it and took us about four and a half hours in the end, including our lengthy stop in the middle. In fairness the route was largely flat, which certainly helped, however I can’t help but feel we coped better than expected! The route itself is classic High Weald stuff, but is definitely one best saved for a sunny mid-spring day – in this scenario, the countryside between Rolvenden and Tenterden really does have a magical quality to it.
Original route was provided by Kent Ramblers, with full instructions and map available at https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/walk_124.htm
Matthew G. Huggins 