Welcome to Capital Walkers, the friendly London Ramblers group for people aged 40+. We walk every weekend and usually at least once during the week.
Guillermo R.
The High Weald Landscape Trail - Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) - offers a captivating journey through the counties of West Sussex, East Sussex, and Kent. Spanning 95 miles, this scenic trail meanders through the stunning High Weald, one of England's finest landscapes.
This is the section five of the High Weald Landscape, starts at Paddock Wood and finishes in Cranbrook before going to Staplehurst to the train back to London.
The route begins just outside Paddock Wood station. Heading south-east, the trail passes through Matfield, into orchard and farmland landscapes typical of the High Weald.
Between Matfield and Brenchley, you can expect open fields interspersed with small patches of ancient woodland. One highlight is Brenchley Wood, a 15 ha reserve filled with mature beech and oak, rich in birds like nightingales. The scenery is pastoral: rolling fields, orchards and occasional woodland glades.
As we move eastward toward Cranbrook, we will walk along hedgerows and over farmland and the trail enters the town also known as the “Capital of the Weald”. Cranbrook is rich in heritage: winding medieval streets, timber‑framed houses, and the notable Union Mill, a 19th‑century smock mill.
Cranbrook has no station, so to return will take a 15 min bus to Staplehurst, where we will take the train back to London.
The next section (number 6) of the High Weald Landscape trail will be on 16th August and the final one (number 7) will happen on the 27th September.
We will have lunch in the middle of the walk so please bring a packed lunch.
Travel
Take the train from Charing Cross at 9:34, London Bridge at 9:43, arriving at Paddock Wood at 10:23.
On our way back we will take a bus from Cranbrook at 16:51 arriving at the Staplehurst station at 17:12, in time to take the 17:18 train back to London. Bus ticket is £3 and you can pay card on the bus.
You can buy a return ticket to Staplehurst.
There are no public facilities on the path.
No booking required.
The finishing time is an estimate only and will be dependent on a number of factors such as, weather, the speed at which the group walks and the number of breaks taken.
Paddock Wood Railway Station
Cranbrook take bus to Staplehurst Railway Station
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