Chiddingstone Causeway Circular (Attempt 2) – 4.3 miles

  Despite a grey and windy start, the afternoon looked promising as we neared the day’s starting point. We had decided to make our second attempt at this particular route thanks to Guinea Pig related duties having pulled us in that general direction, after our first attempt was washed out back in November. We arrived at Penhurst station just after midday, raring to go, sure that we would make it all the way this time. Nothing could stop us.

  Nothing, it would seem, apart from a big, black labrador, wandering about the carpark.

  As we put our boots on it came over to say hello. It was very friendly, and visibly elderly, with a greying muzzle and wobbly back legs. I wandered about the small area, looking for someone whom he may belong to, but to no avail. On closer inspection, he appeared to be not only lame, but to have a few dry patches around his back end too. This combined with no collar, started to give us the feeling that he may not just be lost, but perhaps also abandoned. Thinking that we may need to end up taking him on ourselves if we can’t find a home, it was at this point that I accidentally gave him a name – Chidi.

  I left Chidi with Beth and ran back up the road to where a cluster of houses had been, and tried asking around. Alas the farmyard with a ‘Loose Dogs’ sign was not missing one, but they did suggest a house up the road who owned a black lab. Unfortunately, this too was a false lead, as the lab in question was currently away on business in Newcastle. Fortunately however, this is where Chidi’s luck began to turn. The guy I spoke to was named George, and was very friendly and helpful, saying that he would take him in and ask around. As such, I made my way back down the road to find Beth still waiting with Chidi, who slowly padded over with a wagging tail to greet me. After another lap of the neighbouring woodyard, we managed to get him loaded into the footwell of the front seat, where he settled down quite happily, and actually looked rather comfortable for the short drive. At the other end, we opened the door for him and he slowly clambered out, and he made his way diligently into George’s front garden, where he continued to wander about, pleasantly puzzled. We thanked George, who promised to keep us up-to-date with Chidi’s progress.

  A minute later, we were ready to try once again. We set back off over familiar farmland, which was significantly dryer than last time, and past a couple of herds of shade-sheltering sheep, as we discussed the very real possibility that no home would be found, and we may feel obliged to try and take Chidi on ourselves. The topic led us from meadow to meadow, until we found ourselves arriving surprisingly quickly at the point where last time we had turned around. We bravely forged on, and a little way further up, the Chidi discussion was put to bed once and for all. A message from George arrived saying Chidi’s photo had been recognised, and someone was on their way to take him home. A happy ending, although we both felt a little sad after getting excited about the idea. We formulated many theories about where he came from and why he was there, but my favourite and the one most important was this; that last time’s walk was the way it was, because the universe needed us to be at that very station on exactly that day, so that we could help Chidi home – well, mission accomplished!

  We carried on our way, and without realising it entering someone’s back garden after crossing the incorrect stile. Quickly realising our mistake, we sheepishly doubled back and proceeded to the correct stile. We continued through a series of colourful meadows and patches of woodland, eventually bringing us out into a meadow where the flowers grew high and wild to our right. As we crossed, half a dozen deer heads appeared above the grass just off the path, our unexpected appearance causing them to leap away. They eventually came to a halt at the edge of the trees across the field, where they waited for their friend, who was stuck on the other side of the path, unsure of what to do. He ran about for a while, and we turned and made our way to the opposite edge of the meadow, where we settled down in the grass for lunch. I am sure they were reunited soon enough, and the sun came out just in time to make this a very pleasant stopping point.

  We then turned and began to head back toward Chiddingstone Causeway. This led us through the middle of several dry crop fields, decorated with thousands of green shoots coming through the earth, and also one very pretty wheat field, heads still soft and green, which we of course ran our fingers through. After this it was a few more sunny fields, before we arrived back in the village, passed the pub we had stopped in for consolidatory pints last time, over the railway bridge, and back into the station car park where, alas, Chidi was not miraculously waiting for us. The car was though, so we hopped back in, stopped in at Sainsburys to pick up some cider and gin (where I almost got IDed by the way) which we would take back and enjoy in our sunny garden to round off both the day and the route we had finally completed. Whilst it was a short walk, it was able to fit a nice amount in along the way. It was also a good choice for me, as I was sporting a small injury on my big toe, following my Stag-do last week, and I don’t think it would have appreciated going much further on this occasion.

  And so there we are, at the end of another spring. This time, we managed to do a little over a hundred miles – go us! We have had a lovely time, and made lots of memories along the way. We got hissed at by a goose, my car blew up and boots fell apart, we saw thousands of lambs and even helped a dog find his way home, all whilst out and about in the countryside we love so much – and me in the company of my best friend, whom I also love so very, very much.

Full route available here