Parking is allowed in the grounds of Chartwell. Membership of the National Trust is unnecessary unless you wish to visit the house and enclosed gardens. All the familiar amenities are available, shop, restaurant and toilets.

A new permissive path has been created by the National Trust to take you around the woods and grounds of Chartwell. It starts from the top left hand field overflow car park (see sketch map opposite).

You make your way up through a large gate towards the left hand corner of this field and join a well made track. Turn right and continue uphill until you reach a forked path.

Ignore the right fork and go uphill bearing right, near the top you will see a gate ahead. Ignore this gate and turn right to start going downhill. Keep to this path.

You will soon see a panoramic view of the lake, house and grounds and the Weald of Kent. In early June this track is a mass of wild foxgloves.

Continue down eventually going left and then right and down steps to another track. This is the track you passed on your way up. Turn left. After several ups and downs you arrive at a junction with the footpath from Puddledock. At this point you turn right. Look to your right and you will see a large bronze statue of Winston and Clementine relaxing by the lake.

Follow this path through an iron gate and bear left past a disused Oast House on right and a house on left. These are the grounds of Chartwell Farm. Continue ahead and out onto the road.

Turn left on this road and after approximately 100 yards look out for a footpath sign on the right leading onto a tarmac lane. Continue along this lane passing alongside a large brick wall surrounding a large house on your right.

Pause to look at the views south overlooking the Eden Valley on your left and through the large iron gates into the garden of the large house. Note the heron on the patio.

Follow this lane until you reach “Mariners” on your right and ignore stile and footpath going off to the left. Pass through gate ahead on your left and continue along lane ignoring another footpath on the left.

Approximately 200 yards after this footpath the lane bends sharply to the right and at this point there are two footpaths, one on your left and the other directly ahead in the left hand corner. Take the second path which passes between two properties.

There are very steep concrete steps going downhill which pass through a private garden. This area is called Froghole.

The path ahead is enclosed and leads to a stile, cross over into field and bear right down to the bottom of the field, then over a footbridge and through gate into another large field. At this point you can see Crockham Hill Church in the distance.

The path is not clearly defined but walk towards the church and on to a gate to the left of the church. Just before the gate, on your right, you will reach several wooden benches, a welcome resting point.

Having rested a visit to the church will reveal a stained glass window dedicated to Octavia Hill, founder of the National Trust. As you go through the door it is immediately on your left.

To continue the walk proceed along the lane towards the B2026. At the junction with the road turn left and after approximately 50 yards cross over the road and turn right up Smiths Lane. Walk up this lane to the top where it rejoins the B2026.

This can be a busy junction with traffic approaching from the right. At this point keep to the left and proceed forward for a short distance onto a narrow pavement.

This will soon bring you to the entrance to Crockham Hill Farm. Directly opposite is a footpath. Cross over the road and join this path going left and uphill.

As you pass through a steep wooded area you cross a small lane and onto the same track going upwards to another lane. Turn right and you immediately arrive at an open area with a wooden seat. Very convenient after the climb. The “Greensand Way” passes through at this point.

Several paths meet here but your path goes right and after a few yards right again with houses on your right. Follow this lane until it becomes a footpath gradually dropping down to the right passing a footpath on your left until you arrive at a road. On the other side of the road to the left you will see a private road and steps going up onto Mariners Hill. Part of this hill is a National Trust open area.

Cross the road carefully and go up the steps and at the cross paths turn right along a track. You will pass a seat and view point and then follow the path going left and up to a broken stile.

Turn right at the stile to a concrete memorial in a small copse dedicated to “JD” and Octavia Hill. Follow this well worn track and on to another seat and view point.

Bear right along this track through a gap in the hedge into a field and turn left following the edge of the field. The path then goes around the field to the left and eventually you will see an opening to your left and a gate. Turn left here and after a few yards you will rejoin a footpath.

Turn right and walk down gently sloping footpath looking on your left for a footpath with wooden barrier marked “permissive path”.

Join this path and continue along until you reach another footpath, again the “Greensand Way”. Turn right and go down to steps and onto the road. Directly opposite is the entrance to Chartwell.
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Walk route: "Printable map"