Midspring is upon us – the lambs are frolicking, the leaves are bursting from their buds and the woodlands are awash with colour. The latter of these is exactly what today’s walk is all about, specifically perhaps the most iconic British spring flower of all – bluebells.
The circular route between National Trust properties Ightham Mote and Knole Park is one we had done two years previously (amongst the first walks we did together) and we set off at 10.30am. The day was warm and bright as we left the grounds and headed out across the countryside, sloping gently uphill past a large barn full of cows who were loudly mooing about something. Just around the corner from this, we came across a field containing a small flock of sheep, something fairly common but always welcome on our adventures. However, this flock contained one particular character displaying some quite individualistic behaviour. Clearly summoning its inner-goat, we leaned on the gate as we watched the sheep attempt to jump up and reach some of the newly growing leaves, trying its hardest to use the trunks to lean on with its flailing front hooves. After several failed attempts and face-planting the trunks a couple of times, we were pleased to say that he was eventually rewarded with some tasty treats – you go sheep!
A minute or two later and we too were rewarded with our first breath-taking spring display of the day. However, it wasn’t the walk’s main attraction that was stopping us in our tracks on this occasion, but my favourite spring flower of all – wild garlic. Over our last few walks I had enjoyed watching it appear and slowly blossom into its distinctive flower, but on this day, we found ourselves standing looking out across a sea of white and green. The flowers stretched away between the trees as far as we could see, and it was absolutely beautiful. A handful of bees busied themselves in front of us as bird song filled our ears. I was almost driven to poetry there and then, just as Beth too commented that ‘the woods feel alive today’.
Spattering’s of bluebells began to line our path as we continued the gentle upward climb, noticeably increasing after ascending a short flight of steps. The route leads you through pleasant woodland along the hillside path, occasionally opening up to the left, where we admired the patchwork of greens from the canopy of a large patch of trees opposite. This eventually brings you out onto a steep road, and here we have a little tip for you – deviate.
The official guide will have you go a short distance down the road before picking up the footpath again on the other side, which we did on this occasion. However, as we ventured on, we felt something wasn’t right and when we reached a small spattering of farm buildings we definitely didn’t recognise, we knew something was up. We stopped and consulted the map. By now, we were sure we were meant to have climbed steeply to the hill’s ridge, and I even (correctly) recalled us turning up the steep road, not down it. The map showed what had happened. Last time, not reading the map correctly, we had indeed continued to follow the Green Sand Way up the road, to an equally steep, but thankfully short flight of stairs toward the ridge, to a path that ran higher up but alongside the actual route, linking up again a little further along. Agreeing that we had much preferred this, we turned back and deliberately repeated the mistake we had unknowingly made last time.
I cannot recommend this alteration enough. After a familiar sharp climb, the path leads you gently higher for a little longer past trees clinging onto the hill steeply dropping away below. At the peak, you reach another National Trust site, One Tree Hill. Here you step out onto the reason we had saved this route for this particular time of year. For a spell, the path becomes lined with blue and the fresh smell of spring fills the air. Oceans of bluebells run through the trees all around you, and at its crest sits a particularly beautiful patch, like a jewelled crown upon an ancient king. Here too the trees once again open up before you to reveal stunning views across the weald, on this hilltop we find one of the best spots amongst all our miles of walking. The bluebells continue to serenade you as you slowly begin to descend, on this occasion meeting a bounding Golden Retriever called Charlie having a lovely day. Once you come out at the next road, you can easily relink with the prescribed route (so easy in fact, that last time we didn’t even realise we had done it).
Whilst this walk along the crest is in my opinion the most special part of the day, the bluebells continued to flourish as we carried on along the wooded hillside, where the fresh leaves began to glow brightly in the sunshine, before we arrived at a gate into Knole Park. Well known for its large herd of deer, the site is a popular one with families. The route takes you through the grounds, around the large stately home and down one of its many tree-lined driveways, and is all very easy to follow. From previous experience, it is in this direction, toward the quieter back end past the golf course, that many of the deer often like to hang out. Selecting a handsomely leaning old tree, we settled down beneath for our lunch.
On our first attempt, here we made our second mistake of the day. However, unlike the first, this one was so significant that we couldn’t fail to notice it, and may be our largest mistake to date. The instructions clearly say to exit through the north gate, which was mere meters away and clear to see. And yet, for some reason last time we decided that this could not possibly be the required gate, and instead set off on a quest around the park to find a somehow more suitable one. This spat us out on a road we had no business being on, and one we proceeded to walk down for a significant amount of time looking, eventually reuniting with the route after managing to navigate ourselves to the small village of Godden Green.
Fortunately, this time we weren’t so stupid and went the right way onto the part of the route we had completely bypassed last time. Naturally, it turned out to be much better than walking along the road, and shockingly soon we found ourselves once again walking into Hurst Green, this time from the correct direction. Only now did we fully grasp the scope of our previous mistake, and estimated we must have gone at least half an hour, if not more, out of our way last time – whoops! As we recovered from this realisation, we stopped at the welcoming Bucks Head for a drink – breaking from the norm, Beth impulsively decided it was Pimms o’clock.
Drinks drunk, we continued on our way out of the village. For a long stretch the route led us along a flower-lined path between a mixture of warm woodland and sunny fields, eventually emerging onto an open stretch lined with flowering blossom trees. After crossing a road, you head out over a large area of arable farmland full of hidden birds, which soon gives way to a descending track, leading you through the final growth of bluebells of the day. At the bottom of the hill, the large track then leads you through along a small stream – last time, my pants were seriously chaffing at this point, but I am pleased to report that on this occasion I was perfectly comfortable – a big relief naturally. Re-entering the grounds of Ightham Mote, the path back to the car park is a final short sharp blast, lined with a scattering of final bluebells to wind down the day.
We arrived back at about half-three, very satisfied with another fantastic spring walk, over finally drying footpaths. The flowers were as perfect as they had been in our memory and the route was just as enjoyable – actually, this is probably amongst our all-time favourites. If you do this one, definitely aim for peak bluebell season and absolutely take the recommended deviation – it adds virtually no extra distance, but does add so much more beauty.
Original route was provided by the National Trust, with full instructions and map available at https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/kent/ightham-mote/circular-walk-from-ightham-mote-to-knole
Matthew G. Huggins 
this is a favourite of ours too.
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