insideKENT Magazine Issue 45 - December 2015 | Page 117

Kingley Vale, West Sussex
Sussex is famous for the South
Downs, the UK’s newest national
park. It covers 628 square miles
(1,627 square kilometres) and all of
it is stunning. Kingley Vale is a
Nature Reserve right on the South
Downs themselves, and the trail
involves a breathtaking walk up to
the top of the vale. When you get
there, you will be rewarded with
views out to Chichester and the sea
beyond. Take the walk on a clear
winter’s day and the view extends
for miles. But even if the weather
isn’t so wonderful, the famous
Kingley Trail yew trees are still
magnificent. The yews in this
plantation are at least 2,000 years
old, and are considered to be some
of the oldest living things in England.
Standing near them, or even walking
by them, on a crisp, cold day when
the woods are quiet and the trees
are the only thing whispering in the
wintery breeze is a magical
experience. The entire trail is 3.5
miles long.
Knole Park, Kent
Knole Park in Sevenoaks is a
stunning spot no matter what time
of year, but there is something

special about it in the winter. It’s
open and flat for the most part (just
a few hills here and there), and it is
home to the famous deer, both
fallow and sika, that are
descendants of Henry VIII’s own.
There are 350 or so deer here and
they are free to roam as they wish,
giving you a true taste of nature.
The park is over 1,000 acres so
there is plenty of space for everyone,
and because it is left to its own
devices for much of the time, it is a
paradise of fallen trees to climb
(many since the storm of 1987),
dens to build, and wildlife to enjoy.
The south west side is the least
explored, and it is the most wooded
area. When the fog rolls in the trees
– standing and fallen – become
natural sculptures and lend the park
an atmosphere that can’t be
matched.

Christmas during December), Tilton House (home to economist John
Maynard Keynes and ballerina Lydia Lopokova), Charleston House (home
and country meeting place of the Bloomsbury Group), and passes by three
gloriously gorgeous and historic pubs, has to go to the top of the list. The
walk is accessible throughout the year, but during the winter months, with
fires blazing and choirs singing, it really is remarkably evocative.
Harrietsham, Kent
A winter walk through Harriestsham and the surrounding area is about 10.5
miles long, but if you take your time you will have plenty of opportunity to
admire the beautiful, crisply lit and frostily decorated countryside around
you. The walk takes in Lower Deans Farm a portion of the Pilgrims Way,
and even Leeds Castle (which, in November and December, has plenty of
Christmas and winter events to enjoy including fireworks, a festive market,
and wreath making classes to name just a few) which is worth stopping off
at if you can.
Arundel Wetland Centre, Arundel, West Sussex
To bring the festive period to a close – but keeping with the winter theme
– the Arundel Wetland Centre hosts an annual winter walk each January.
It’s the perfect way to detox after a bit of overindulgence at Christmas, and
there are a number of different trails to choose from, each one teeming with
winter creatures and wildlife. You may even see ducks, geese, and swans.
But the Wetland Centre is open all year round, so if you want to try it out
before the new year you would be most welcome to – beautiful scenery
and a peaceful, calming air make this a wonderful place for a winter walk
when you want to get away from it all.

Berwick, East Sussex
What’s better than going on a lovely
winter walk through picturesque
Sussex villages and ending up at a
country pub to take the weight off
your feet in? Not much is the
answer! But the walk through
Berwick, which takes you past the
church (beautifully decked out for

Seaford to Eastbourne, East Sussex
Nothing says ‘winter walk’ quite like a coastal constitutional along the cliff
tops. The walk from Seaford to Eastbourne, a journey of 13 miles, takes
in some of the best coastal scenery in the county, and allows you to get
some proper lungfuls of chilly, fresh air!

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