Hike the North Downs Way- Stage 8 Hollingbourne to Wye

As a hiking business, we are exempt from the rule of 6, By signing up to our event you are agreeing to our COVID 19 guidelines as outlined here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Sly8wbiT3VabjhkDjX_f6AFFG2pcoU-e5sK0OPjSy74/edit?usp=sharing

Join me as we tackle the North Downs Way- a 153 mile/246km waymarked National Trail that starts in Farnham in Surrey and ends at the White Cliffs of Dover. I’m going to break it down to manageable day hikes from London, linking the trail with train stations across the Southeast.

I’m skipping ahead a bit past the river medway crossings- Cuxton station is hard to get to and the train times don’t work out well. Plus, who wants to cross a bridge shared by a motorway for a countryside hike? So we’ve skipped ahead to Hollingbourne, which is back into lovely Kentish countryside. On this stage 8, we will continue to follow the North Downs Way on wooden tracks and rolling fields. We will pass a pensive Pilgrim and a chalk cross carved into the hill as a war memorial. This is a longish section at 16 miles, so make sure you have a head torch as we will probably end in the evening hours as this is the weekend the clocks go back. Our hike ends in Wye, which is on the same train line as Hollingbourne.

GRADE: Intermediate/Challenging. 16 miles /26km on good paths. 441 meters total ascent. On good paths and tracks, but can be muddy. It’s a long hike, so we will be taking this at a moderately fast pace to get in before dark.

MEETING POINT: Due to Covid, we can not travel together and organise group tickets at this time (however, you are welcome to self-organise if there is a lot of you leaving from the same place!). There are also a number of discounted tickets available if you book in advance via trainline.com. Meet me at Hollingbourne Station.

You have some options as far as getting there: 8:30 train from St Pancras (change at Ashford) that gets in at 9:56 or a direct 8:25 from Victoria that gets in at 9:43. Either way, buy a return ticket to Wye station as it’s just a few stops down the line.

If you are driving, leave your car at Hollingbourne and you can get a direct train back to it at the end of the hike.

COST: £10 organiser fee payable on RSVP. We have temporarily raised the price of walks to be able to accommodate smaller groups. As soon as it is safe to take larger groups, we will re-asses our pricing. For this hike, I will be taking a maximum of 20.

What to bring: Head torch, Face covering and hand sanitizer, Lunch, snacks, water, suitable clothing and hiking footwear. We will not be stopping at a shop or a pub so have everything you need for the day! Click here-https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FLjSAczjgbZ26OKE4Iy_zX2IFqkybdXCmK9AkVfqI1w/edit?usp=sharing

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