This week our guest editor Amy Harris suggest leaving the lure of London and heading to the nature (of Kent)!

This hike seems to squeeze a bit of everything into 9 miles: panoramic hilltop views, walks along the riverside, picturesque villages, woodlands, sweet smelling lavender fields and even a castle.

Length: 9 miles. Allow 9 hours for the whole outing, including trains sights and meals!

Features: Two steep uphill section and a potentially muddy first half. The three villages along the route are steeped in history and you’ll be able to visit a ruined palace, two castles and a Roman villa. At times the route runs alongside the River Darent, at other times through fields and woods. The Otford Solar System is at the start of the walk; in the afternoon you come to Lullingstone Park with its orchids.  

Trains from Eynsford back to Victoria go every half hour at 8 & 38 minutes past the hour.