circular walk in wrotham

The Trosley Escarpment Walk
This walk gives you some magnificent views and a variety of
different landscapes and fauna to enjoy.

From woodland to downland and farmland, it takes you up the escarpment
of the North Downs with all the exceptional views across the Weald of Kent,
and then along an enchanting disused coach track which once took
important visitorsto Trosley Towers manor house in their horse drawn carriages. After which you can descend the escarpment on an easily negotiated trackto join The Pilgrims Way back to Wrotham and The Bull Hotel.

Distance: 4.5 miles (approximately)
Time: 3 - 4 hours
Fitness level: average fitness

From The Bull Hotel turn left away from the village of Wrotham, go past The Old Palace entrance and the stone wall on your left. After approximately one hundred yards you will come to a restricted byway on your right, take this and follow it down to the road. Cross over and take the track marked 'Wrotham Park'. At the end of the hedge turn left opposite an iron gate. You have some nice views of The Downs to your left. Continue past Park Farm until you arrive at the main road (A20). Turn right down the hill, cross over by the road island and turn up Nepicar Lane. Go under the motorway bridge and up the lane past some farm cottages to open fields. You will come to a gate and a path on your right. Take this footpath across the fields to Wrotham Water and you will come out onto a lane beside Wrotham Water Farm and Wrotham Water House. Beside the oast house turn left and continue until you come to the village of Trottiscliffe. At the cross roads turn left up the hill past the farm yard and duck pond on your left. At 'The Cottage' turn right past some lovely old cottages until you arrive at a bridleway. Continue down this towards Trosley church. Take time to look at the church which has many features of historical interest. The knapped flint wall is one of particularly high quality. Now go back through the farm yard (which has been converted into flats) and turn right up the path towards the North Downs. Continue through the swing gate and up the narrow way to The Pilgrims Way at the end. Cross directly over, across the bridle path and onto the escarpment where you go a little way forward and turn left onto the path which will take you up the escarpment and through a metal gate. This is a little steep but take your time to rest a little on the way up and enjoy the incredible views across the Weald and the Medway Gap to your left. Turn left at the top of this path and follow the fence along keeping to The Blue Walk as you now enter a part of Trosley Country Park. Take the right path through the trees and up some winding steps to the top where you join the old coach track to Trosley Towers. Turn left along this and enjoy your experience along the top of the North Downs. This part is marked as The Blue Walk but you will see that this walk descends at a point. You can continue along the track which is now called The Trim Trail! (It is actually the same track). This will bring you to the Trosley Country Park cabin where you take the path down to the Vigo hill road and turn right up the hill. There is a beautiful bridge across the hil which was once an entrance to Trosley Towers manor house. Once at the top of the Vigo hill turn left past the bus stop and down the track. Go past the gate lodge on your right and follow the path through the bushes and beside the old garden wall. This will bring you back down the escarpment to The Pilgrims Way. Turn right and follow it to the bottom of Wrotham Hill, at the roundabout turn left and cross over the road by the road islands, being particularly careful of traffic here. Go over the bridge and take the path on the right. This brings you to the recreation ground where you turn left and down into the village and The Bull Hotel on your left at the 'T' junction in the village.