Winter arrived with sufficient muddiness, as did what will most likely be our only December walk. On this occasion we re-visited the Old Pembury circular, previously noted for having a friendly sheep half-way along, and also being the first walk Beth took her camera on. We parked outside the church at half past eleven and put our boots on, beneath a grey sky on a cool, but still day. As we set off in front of the college, we found our first mud immediately beneath our boots. Beth even had her first slip as soon as she left solid ground, and we made our way carefully through the first field. This stretch usually contains a flock of sheep, and sure enough they soon appeared over the brow in a scattered cluster, looking in our direction. What was unusual this time was a little off the path to the right beneath a tree, was what appeared to be an exposed rib cage. I went to investigate, and sure enough I found myself looking at the skeletal remains of a sheep. It’s fair to say that I found this gruesome sight far more interesting than Beth, however we both wondered why the poor sheep had just been left in the field after its passing, surprised that neither the farmer nor the college had done anything about it.
Leaving the flock behind, we entered a familiar patch of woodland and were soon out the other side making our way across a stretch of farmland. We had last walked these paths in the Spring as part of the Matfield circular, when conditions had been much easier – naturally! Today, Beth’s feet seemed to be suffering more, with reports of major breaches appearing early on, whilst mine were a little damp, but not bad all things considered. We ventured off from the Matfield route, through the middle of a bare orchard with another flock of sheep grazing beneath, before crossing the road into what was a rather more waterlogged field. We made our way across carefully, stepping from grassy tussock to grassy tussock, avoiding the worst of the standing water. After this was navigated, we were rewarded with the approach of two young and curious cattle, who came over toward the fence to have a closer look at us.
We skirted around the edge of a few cottages and out onto a road leading out of Five Oak Green. On the other side we made our way across a wide-open field to a smaller, quieter lane, where we stopped for our lunch at the church. Sadly, the friendly sheep was no longer there, but it was still a nice spot to pause and eat. A little further on however, after descending down and around the outside of a bare crop field, we came across something quite fantastical; The Mother Log. As we entered a small patch of trees, I spotted a fallen branch, with a most curious texture. At first glance, its bark seemed to be made of hundreds of raised scales. As I drew nearer, I realised that it was covered in a geometrically pleasing coat of fungus. When Beth spotted it, her eyes widened, being a lover of mosses and fungi. We spent some time admiring and appreciating this masterpiece of nature, and touched it for good luck before continuing.
We crossed a busy road and walked up another bare field, and conditions began to grow muddier, requiring our concentration to pick out the best route over. This was then followed by a long stretch over farmland, which beneath the grey sky, Beth described as “bleak”. The farmland then gave way to another busy road, and we walked alongside up the edge of a muddy field. Leaving the road behind, the path began to rise steadily upward. I already knew what awaited us ahead, and about halfway up, Beth remembered too. At the top were a couple of horse paddocks, and the path ran around the outside of one. Previously, we had found this to be extremely muddy and very, very tricky to navigate. It stands out as a contender for our “muddiest patch” award, and if conditions were better today, it was only a little. Again, we found ourselves clinging to fence lines and skirting the edges as best we could, whilst trying not to lose our footing or sink ankle deep into the thick mud. At this, we were moderately, if not entirely, successful, and we did make it to the other side.
This then marked the beginning of the home stretch of the day. We headed through woodland and out onto a long driveway, past a few more horses, before arriving back at a small lane. The weather forecast had threatened rain starting at around three o’clock, and it was here that we felt the first spatterings. Thankfully we were nearly back, and after a final path through the trees, we walked back down through the college, through the churchyard, and back to the car. The walk had taken us a little under three and a half hours, and we had enjoyed it very much, Beth even suggesting we try it in one of the less-muddy months.
However, the day’s adventuring was not yet done. After jumping back in the car, we headed down the road to Lamberhurst. We parked up outside the flat, and donned our raincoats, as by now it was properly raining. A quest for presents was leading us to Scotney Castle, but a warning on their website had informed us that their car park was full. We had therefore decided to walk up. And so off we went again, heading off on our quest on an increasingly wet day. The walk to Scotney from Lamberhurst is uphill, and today we had decided to stick to the road, rather than taking the longer cross-country route we normally would. There was also a light show on display for Christmas (hence the business) and halfway there, Beth suggested we try and sneak in on our passes. When we eventually arrived, we first went to the shop and acquired the present (mission accomplished), before treating ourselves to some mulled beverages from the café. We sat in the festively decorated gazebo as the rain continued outside, and every time Beth lifted the glass to her face, the heat of the drink would steam up her glasses. We then headed into the grounds and found that tickets were still available. It was getting quite dark by now, and the lights were shining brightly. First we went around the house, which was story-book themed, before pottering out into the illuminated gardens. The rain didn’t stop us, in fact it added to it, and even though it was very dark by the time we were walking back, it was well worth it and was a lovely spontaneous, festive adventure.
Matthew G. Huggins 