Country matters

Living in SE22 we’re very close to the Kent countryside. The other Sunday I went with a group of friends for a walk in the glorious autumn sunshine. We were Howard, Kerry, Steve, Veronica and Trish, together with Trish’s dog-on-loan Maude.

Maude the dog is all ears

We chose a walk from one of the Pathfinder book, a great source of inspiration for Londoners who happen to be outdoor types. Our route took in the villages of Cudham and Downe, where Charles Darwin lived (his house is now owned by the National Trust and open to the public) and the network of meandering paths and bridleways in-between. Eight miles in all.

Five go trad in Cuckoo Wood 

So, just 45 minutes in the car out of East Dulwich, we found ourselves at the starting point of our walk, High Elms Country Park, a few miles south of Bromley and buzzing with welly-booted Sunday dog-walkers. The park was once a big country estate and the first part of our walk was through sun-dappled Cuckoo Wood. Kicking through the autumn leaves, Howard (or Nature Boy, as I call him), brought our attention to the abundance of sweet chestnuts, ready to roast and eat. Pockets were duly stuffed.

Nature Boy sweet on a chestnut

We followed on along tree-lined ‘lanes’, the centuries-old paths that were once the only way to walk between settlements, farms and remote houses. Emerging into high open fields we looked back and could see the towers of Canary Wharf in the distance. Next, we encountered a group of fluffy and friendly ponies, eager to get their noses into our packed lunches.

Ponies getting pally

In the village of Cudham we stopped by the 12th century church and spent some time admiring two immense yew trees in the churchyard, said to be over a thousand years old. One of the trunks was two metres wide and hollowed out inside. The yew is a symbol of everlasting life, which is why they’re often found in graveyards.

Awe-inspiring 1000-year-old yew

A little further on, in some spooky woods, we found a lonely teddy bear, left behind by his picnicking pals, and then more foraging fare in the shape of greengages ripening in the low autumn sun.

Teddy bear, desperately seeking picnic

Greengage plums soaking up the sunshine

We skirted alongside Darwin’s house but instead of popping in we made straight for the George & Dragon, where the pub’s ales and homemade pumpkin soup went down a treat. A few of us had brought our own grub, though, and as it was turning a bit chilly outside we headed to St Mary the Virgin’s church opposite the pub, where the 13th century porch provided the perfect picnic spot.

Our lunch venue, St Mary’s in Downe

Home-baked goodies were passed around – Yorkshire parkin by Trish and brownies by Kerry. I’ll come walking with this lot again, I thought… We finished the day on a humorous high, clowning around with this brilliant road sign.

You can take the girl out of primary school…