Hanningfield Reservoir 19.6 km Route
7th August 2015
| Distance |
Time |
Elevation in meters |
Km |
Elapsed
Hrs-Mins |
Moving
Hrs-Mins |
Gain |
Loss |
Min |
Max |
| 19.6 |
3H51 |
3H41 |
129 |
129 |
25 |
97 |
|
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|
|
|
|
|
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Entrance to Hanningfield Reservoir
Parked at the Fishing Lodge, Hanningfield Reservoir
The Windmill Pub
Turn left down Middlemead towards West Hannginfield
Long straight road at the foot of the Reservoir wall on the left
Entering West Hanningfield, turn left along Church Road
Turn left by The Three Compasses
The path (part of St Peter's Way) goes off to the right immediately after the black and
white cottage "Tarlings"
Old kissing gate on St Peter's Way
Keeping to the right side of the field
Turn left at this point. Right leads to a private path.
Turn right onto Seamans Lane
Cross Leatherbottle Hill at the end of Seamans Lane.
The path is immediately opposite Seamans Lane
Furze Lane
Leaving Broomwood Lane to go down Mill Lane Bridleway
The Nags Head pub at Ramsden Heath
The path goes to the right immediately opposite the Nags Head pub sign, across a
field and by the side of stables
Stile by the side of the stables
After passing another stile, the path goes off diagonally across the field to the left
The path goes to the left again along a fence separating gardens
This path eventually comes out on Park Lane, where you turn left for a quarter of a mile or so.
You pass Park Lane Riding School on the right, Katie House on the left, Langsdale Farm on
the right, and turn left up a gravel path just before Kent Hill Fields
The path turns to the left alongside a white house. You have to go through a galvanized 7-bar
gate into a farm yard, and whilst it looks as though you
should not be there,
this is the public right of way.
Enter the farmyard through the 7-bar gate
There is a horse-walking cage to the left, and a building sign "Hilbrow Stables"
to the right... the path goes straight ahead slightly to the right of
the telegraph pole in the middle of the picture
There may be an electric fence across the path; you can use the plastic
handle to move it out of the way
After the stile, the path goes ninety degrees to the right towards an old
caravan in the corner of the field
A stile to the right of the caravan leads to Pump Hill with views across
to the hills of north Kent
The hill is divided into a series of paddocks, with kissing gates separating the fields.
You follow the signs down and eventually come out onto the road next to the Fox and Hounds pub
The Fox and Hounds on Church Road
Turning left up Church Road from the Fox and Hounds for about 500 yards, the path
then goes off to the right through a wooden gate
Cutting diagonally across the field, the path comes out on to Beauvoir Chase, where you turn right
Past De Beauvoir Lodge
Past De Beauvoir House and to the right
The dirt road eventually changes into a small path by Alfmill Farm
St Margaret's Church comes into view across the field. You continue walking until you come to
Castledon Road. If you want to have a look at the church, it is a short 150 yard detour up the hill.
If not, you cross the road and the path continues through Downham Hall Farm
St Margaret's Church
Downham Hall Farm; the stile is just visible in front of the black hay sacks
Passing a small pond, the path eventually comes to a bridleway where you turn left, following Byway 92
After a climb up Byway 92 you eventually come to The Grange on your left, with more modest houses on the right. The public right of way goes through the garden of the first house, but there is a path alongside a field, access through a galvanized metal barrier, which provided a better route to the bottom of the valley.
A narrow path leads from the bottom of the valley up towards the main road, eventually
coming out in someone's garden
This garden leads to the road
Weekes Turkey's, Laylands Farm
Weekes Turkey's, Laylands Farm, is across the road as you reach the Sudbury Road, with the Downham village sign just to your right. This is the Sudbury Road.
From this point you can walk back along the road to the Fishing Lodge at Hanningfield Reservoir. You turn right here and walk for 200 yards to the cross roads. At the crossroads you turn left along Hawkswood Road for 200 yards, before turning right into South Hannginfield Road. The Hanningfield Reservoir brown sign points the way back along the South Hanningfield Road, passing Warren Road on the right. You can walk all the way back along the road, but the observant person will notice a gap in the wire fence on the left which takes you into the nature reserve and directly back to the Reservoir Fishing Lodge.
Alternatively you can cross the road and enter Layland's Fram, walking down the drive right to the entrance. Here you turn sharp left along the grass and past the turkeys in their pen. Continuing, the path goes right along a cornfield, keeping to the left of the hedge. After a quarter of a mile the path switches to the right hand side of the hedge until you come to a T-junction in the paths, and you turn right. This takes you along a narrow path with a sheet metal fence on your right until you come to a five bar gate leading to the Hawksmoor Road. Agan, you have two choices. You can turn left, enter the main gates of the Nature Reserve, and walk back to the Fishing Lodge through the Nature Reserve itself. Alternatively, if you want a shorter route, you can turn right. After 100 yards you will see " " on your right, in the form of a pig. Across the road is a gate to the Nature Reserve and you can just slip through by the side of the fence. Turn right here, follow the path round keeping to the left in the main. This will eventually bring you out on the main path in the Nauture Reserve and it is a short walk back to the Fishing Lodge. |
Walk up the drive towards the farm
Turn left along the farm fence towards the trees
Past the turkeys in their pen
The path goes to the left of the hedge
The path switches to the right of the hedge. You are aiming diagonally across the field,
but have to keep to the left and do a 90 degree turn at the top
After the 90 degree turn, the trees are on your left
Down the narrow path with the green metal sheeting fence on your right
5-bar gate leading to the road
Lee View Farm on your right
The gate to the Nature Reserve across the road. It is possible to slip through onto the path
the other side, which is much safer than walking down the road
Along path in Nature Reserve
Turn left by fire brushes (next to Sign Post 32)
Turn left by log bench. In 50 yards to enter a field where you turn right
50 yards along path and you are in an open field, where you turn right
This leads into another field, where you go diagonally to the left to a gate leading to
the main Nature Reserve path
Joining the main Nature Reserve path, where you head to the right
There is a sign to the Fishing Lodge
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