Here we go again for another spring adventure, this time heading a little south from last week. Beginning at Cowden station we turned left up the road into a cool, slightly overcast day. The start of the walk is a short sharp wake-up call to the leg muscles, before turning right onto leveller ground. A few minutes further on, the footpath appears on the left and here we had a rather interactive encounter with a very large herd of cows (and two guinea fowl, for some reason).
The wide metal gate into their field presented an unmissable stopping point as we passed, but as we lent and watched the herd, it quickly became evident that they were just as interested in us. Once one began to meander over, so did several more, until a large, densely packed group of cattle had gathered around the field’s entrance to investigate the strangers. Lots of noses gave curious sniffs and a couple of long tongues curled up toward our outstretched hands for good measure, but one cow in particular seemed both pleased and comfortable with our presence. Beth named her Mildred, and after introducing ourselves, she gratefully received some nice forehead scratches, which she stood quite happily for and honestly seemed to rather enjoy.
Waving goodbye to Mildred and co, we left the crowd of curious cows behind and headed up the footpath running parallel to their field, saying hi to a few more members of the herd as we passed. However, we soon found that the path took a turn to the right, leading us directly across a second field belonging to the same herd, many of which had chosen this point to migrate over. This provided us with a wonderful opportunity to experience the cows from a different perspective; amongst them. As you can imagine, this made Beth nervous and I must admit that as cute as they are, when you find yourself walking amongst them you become acutely aware of just how large and strong these hunks of beef really are. Thankfully, with no calves around, these particular cows were completely docile and allowed us to pass through, unbothered by our presence save a few raised heads watching us as we went.
Safely through the safari section of the day, we came across a short but beautiful patch of woodland. We had done this route once before, but in very different conditions and the season’s full bloom had brought everything to life. We passed through an ocean of sweeping bluebells making the trees glow, before coming out onto a long, but narrow field, containing a scattering of pretty white flowers and a rather fine old tree.
Exiting the field and re-entering woodland, we were greeted with a sea of wild garlic gathering about a small meandering stream. We stopped and picked a handful of leaves to try cooking within the coming week, before crossing the wooden bridge where the garlic was replaced with another large swathe of bluebells – they must be in full bloom at this point and were a highlight of the day. After enjoying the gentle incline of the tree-lined path through a world of blue, we came out into an open field containing a magnificent, leafless tree. With bark of black and white, and fantastically long and usually reaching limbs, it manages to stand out as something special and feels like a real, living giant amongst the countryside.
Crossing the road and through another short patch of trees and bluebells, the sun finally popped its head out as we made our way through the middle of a field of crops, leading us onto a descending path past more spatterings of colour and onto another road, at the end of which was our lunch stop. The Rock Inn is a fantastic little pub, where we had stopped for loaded fries previously, so intended to stop for a full meal on this occasion. Grabbing the last table out front, we just managed to get the drinks in before a large group of wellington-wearing, dog-walking locals turned up to have a pint and some lunch of their own. Whilst this made the already busy pub even busier, the additional fluffy friends and cheeriness of the well-to-do locals (this is a very ‘well-to-do’ area actually; in fact I overheard one of them discussing an Aston Martin Vantage) brought with them a really friendly, relaxed energy, as we sat back and enjoyed a lunch of cider and many cheese-related dishes.
Food finished and we retraced our steps maybe a hundred yards down the road to where the next footpath appears on the right, taking us down through a slightly muddy woodland with the day’s usual array of spring flowers. After crossing the next short spell of open farmland we found ourselves in another patch of woodland, but this one was notably different from the others. Unlike previously, the only colour these trees were aglow with was green, with fresh leaves above and a thick undergrowth of shrubs beneath, the narrow footpath winding through the middle. The path was also much muddier than the rest of the day had been, and in places became winter-worthy-thick. Fortunately, before we reached the road again, we were treated to a large herd of deer running across our path ahead, before disappearing into the protection of the dense undergrowth.
We walked for a few minutes down the road until we came across a footpath on the right. This led us at first past the edge of a garden, during which time a loud, woofing dog accompanied us, until he was satisfied that we were gone from his territory. We then made our way through a couple of fields containing a surprising amount of ducks, before we found ourselves on the next road over, Cow Lane. Very nearly back now, one final footpath awaited us another hundred yards on, taking us back down the hill which had started the day, finishing with a walk through a magically mossy wood (this pleased Beth – she does like moss). This then brings you out just down from the station, and then there we were, back at the car.
Despite being one of our shorter walks, it was able to pack a punch nonetheless. The stop at the Rock Inn halfway makes the day well worth it, although is one I would suggest leaving for mid-spring to early autumn, as even now there are patches of mud that present a challenge to pass and make you grateful for your boots!
Original route was provided by Kent Ramblers, with full map and instructions available at https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/walk_070.htm
Matthew G. Huggins 