A circular walk starting in the village of Goudhurst. The name Goudhurst is thought to derive from "Good Hurst" (meaning an opening in a forest on a hill). Goudhurst was important in Iron production, utilising the local clay soil for this, with the iron producing iron bar and cannons throughout the 16th Century. Goudhurst was also fundamental in the cloth production industry – including making cloth sacks for the local hop farms as well as having a history in hop production. Much of the smuggling of Brandy, lace and tobacco came through Goudhurst in the 1700s and many of the road and building names are testament to that and the Hawkhurst and Goudhurst Riot in 1747 which took the lives of many.
From our start point we walk towards the village centre, passing the Weavers cottages (home to Flemish Weavers who came to the village in 1350) and other buildings of significance before joining the Goudhurst and Killdown millennium trail and stating our decent as we leave the village. On a fine day we will be rewarded with views out towards Horsmonden old Church. We follow this path for some time until joining the former Paddock Wood to Hawkhurst railway line which was used by the Hop pickers travelling to Goudhurst for their annual hop picking holiday. We then leave the railway track and cross over the river Tease then passing hop fields and a few remaining hop pickers huts before our ascent towards Kilndown. Here we are likely to encounter wet clay due to the natural spring running adjacent to the path.
One of the possible origins for the name of the village Kilndown is the kilns that were used to dry the clay once it had been moulded. Once at Kilndown we will then descend through woodland then through the grounds of Scotney Castle, a site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) with an area being rewilded by Sussex and Longhorn cattle.
Once at Scotney Castle we will stop for our picnic lunch, where there will also be a café for hot drinks (queues are likely to be long so we will not have time to stop for a meal) – toilets are also available here. We will not have time to look at the castle during this lunch stop.
Following our lunch stop we resume our walk through the Grounds of Scotney Castle then through woodland and fields before joining the river Tease. From here we return through farmland and through Smugley Farm (so named due to its connection with the smuggling trade of the 1700s) before ascending back to the village of Goudhurst.
Refreshments following the walk will be at The Goudhurst Inn.
This walk is titled Hills, hops and clay as the walk is on heavy Wealden Clay. There are many natural springs which run on the course of the walk which means that 'claggy' mud is inevitable. Boots are recommended for this reason.
Dog owners please be aware that this route passes through fields with livestock. We will encounter sheep with lambs as well as cattle.
Please bring a picnic lunch with you.
NB: There is a £2 payment required for non-Ramblers Assoc. members to help cover our Meetup costs. Please help the walk leader by bringing the exact change. Ramblers members are welcome on any of our walks, but we would still encourage you to RSVP on Meetup. This will give our volunteer walk leaders an idea of how many are attending, and also keep the numbers manageable. If, on the day of the walk, you are still on the waiting list and a Ramblers member, you can attend - just let the walk leader know you are coming by adding a comment 'Coming as a Rambler'. You will find the start location via our website
Our Walks (westkentwalkinggroup.org.uk).
