Noise on the North Downs Way

NewsGroupsMail said:

My husband and I are planning a walking trip of Southern
England this coming Spring. We have a couple of questions
and were wondering if anyone can help us out:

1) Is there a major motorway near the North Downs Way and
if so can you hear it and/or see it from the path? Would
it be better if we started the walk from Chatham instead
of Guildford to avoid it?

The M25 is intrusive at times.

Quoted message said:

2) Is the Greensand Way a better option for us? We want to
see alot of the countryside and visit lots of small
towns and pubs along the way.

3) Does the Greensand Way connect to the North Downs Way
anywhere? We want to get back on the North Downs so that
we can walk to Canterbury.

The Greensand Way is quieter, harder to follow and less
busy than the ND Way. They both go through some delightful
places. The ND Way sometimes jumps from the foot of the
Downs to the crest so there are less long climbs on the GS
Way. The Stour Valley Walk links Ashford and Canterbury.
The Weald Way links the two near Wrotham Heath to the East
of Sevenoaks. Also near Dorking the GS and ND Ways are
pretty close so you could shift to the GS Way for the
middle section which is nearest the M25.

In message <[email hidden]>,
NewsGroupsMail <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

My husband and I are planning a walking trip of Southern
England this coming Spring. We have a couple of questions
and were wondering if anyone can help us out:

Quoted message said:

1) Is there a major motorway near the North Downs Way and
if so can you hear it and/or see it from the path? Would
it be better if we started the walk from Chatham instead
of Guildford to avoid it?

Unfortunately, the NDW has more than it's fair share of road-
noise: The stretch from Farnham> Dorking is parallel to a
lot of roads where you're usually walking on the escarpment
above them, and it can be quite intrusive. Dorking to
Reigate appears quiet, until half-way along when you are
walking close to the M25. It then alternates from day to
day, where sometimes you have a noisy day and other times
you're screened from road-noise by a few miles and a couple
of woods. From memory, the Kent bit is quieter, until you
reach Folkestone (but I was walking it before the new
Channel Tunnel Rail Link was finished, and that might make a
difference).

Quoted message said:

2) Is the Greensand Way a better option for us? We want to
see alot of the countryside and visit lots of small
towns and pubs along the way.

Without checking the OS map, I think the GW goes through
more towns but has more metalled-road walking. The NDW is
very good for paths and green lanes, but as you're walking
along a ridge, it doesn't hit as many villages/towns.. And
although the Greensand does achieve some highs (Leith Hill,
etc), you're mainly walking in farmland between the two
chalk ridges of the North & South Downs (no comfy sheep-
nibbled grassy turf for you then!). My only experience of
walking part of the GW was that it was hard going when wet.

Quoted message said:

3) Does the Greensand Way connect to the North Downs Way
anywhere? We want to get back on the North Downs so that
we can walk to Canterbury.

Sure. The GW is 2.5 miles from the NDW at Oxted, which is 65
miles from Canterbury.

You might want to get the Greensand Way Walkers Guide
published by Surrey County Council (sorry, they've just
moved and I'm unsure of their address, but see
htp://www.surreycc.gov.uk).

--
Martin @ Strawberry Hill

Following up to NewsGroupsMail

Quoted message said:

1) Is there a major motorway near the North Downs Way and
if so can you hear it and/or see it from the path? Would
it be better if we started the walk from Chatham instead
of Guildford to avoid it?

2) Is the Greensand Way a better option for us? We want to
see alot of the countryside and visit lots of small
towns and pubs along the way.

since the M25 was built the Greensand is superior, probably
always was at least equal save for the historical
associations to the Pilgrims Way.

The two paths are parallel, noe on the chalk and one on the
greensand.

Quoted message said:

3) Does the Greensand Way connect to the North Downs Way
anywhere? We want to get back on the North Downs so that
we can walk to Canterbury.

The Saxon Shore Way, an excellent path connects the end of
the Greensand to the end of the Canturbury branch of the
NDW. But using 1:50000 OS maps you could work out a limk
near Ashford, although I'm not sure how Eurostar route might
cause problems at the moment?
--
Mike Reid Virtual Thames walk
"fellwalk.co.ukthamesphoto.htmOpen ↗"

Following up to Phil Cook

Quoted message said:

The Stour Valley Walk links Ashford and Canterbury.

the answer!
--
Mike Reid Drinking the Thames path
"fellwalk.co.ukthamespath.htmOpen ↗"

NewsGroupsMail said:

My husband and I are planning a walking trip of Southern
England this coming Spring. We have a couple of questions
and were wondering if anyone can help us out:

1) Is there a major motorway near the North Downs Way and
if so can you hear it and/or see it from the path? Would
it be better if we started the walk from Chatham instead
of Guildford to avoid it?

2) Is the Greensand Way a better option for us? We want to
see alot of the countryside and visit lots of small
towns and pubs along the way.

3) Does the Greensand Way connect to the North Downs Way
anywhere? We want to get back on the North Downs so that
we can walk to Canterbury.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from
you soon.

Cheers!

Pam

The NDW between Reigate and Sevenoaks is very close to the
M25 - even where you can't see the motorway you can hear it.
The Greensand Way is a good alternative for this section.
I've not walked all of the Greensand Way but the bits I have
walked look as good as the NDW, with good views to the south
and more varied countryside (quite a lot of the NDW seems to
run through woods)

--
Paul