North Downs Way

North Downs Way
The North Downs Way near Hollingbourne
Length	246 kilometres (153 mi)[1]
Location	South Eastern England, United Kingdom
Designation	UK National Trail
Trailheads	Farnham, Surrey Dover, Kent
Use	Hiking
Highest point	Botley Hill, approx. 260 m (853 ft)
Season	All year

The North Downs Way, and the other Kent long-distance footpaths.

The North Downs Way is a long-distance path in southern England, opened in 1978.^[2] It runs from Farnham to Dover, past Godalming, Guildford, Dorking, Merstham, Otford and Rochester, along the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and Kent Downs AONB.

East of Boughton Lees, the path splits in two, the northern section running via Canterbury and the southern via Wye; at this stage the path crosses the Stour Valley Walk and passes the Wye Crown. The two sections of the path reunite at Dover. The northern route is 211 km long, and the southern route 201 km, the total length of the North Downs Way being 246 km.

The pathway is mixed-category in that it varies throughout length from footpath status to bridleway, byway and road. Some 19% of the Way follows roads, though 75% of those are minor lanes.^[1]

The path (east of Boughton Lees, the southern section) runs along the ridge of the North Downs hills, and roughly follows the Pilgrims' Way path used by many pilgrims in the Middle Ages.

As the pathway runs through the downland, the trails and surrounding countryside are characterised by chalk-based soil and calcareous grassland with livestock grazing on the down slopes and clay soil and crop agriculture predominant in the valleys.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} National Trails - Facts and Figures about the trail
2. ^ Drewett, J (1985). "Chapter 1: Landscape and Countryside". Surrey. Shire County Guides (2nd ed.). Princes Risborough: Shire Publications. pp. 9–10. ISBN 9780-7478-0051-4. 

See also

• Hollingbourne Downs

External links

• Photos of the North Downs Way on geograph.org.uk

Coordinates: 51°18′N 0°24′E / 51.3°N 0.4°E / 51.3; 0.4