Walks you can reach from Bellingham by train

Highly recommended: Secluded valleys, chalk downland ridges, ancient woodland, golf course, chalk grassland nature reserves, riverside paths and farmland.

Shoreham (45 mins in)

Otford

3 lunch spots: Shoreham (1h30 in) — the Samuel Palmer (plenty of seating, including outdoors), the Honey Pot, or the Kings Arms

3 end-of-walk rewards: the Castle Hotel, the Five Bells, or the Malt Shovel

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Source: Trains2Green.

Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.

Highly recommended: Pleasantly rolling hills and dales, fields and vales, oast houses and hay bails. Beautiful expansive views to the South, which make you appreciate well preserved the wooded hills of the Kent Downs are. Wandering through Knole Park is idyllic, especially toward the evening when the humans are gone and the deer are in force. Mostly secluded.

Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.

Knole House: enormous aristocratic estate, associated with the Bloomsbury Group; well worth a visit but consumes a day in itself (National Trust; 45 mins in; 3h to visit).

Knole Park (National Trust; 45 mins in; 3h to visit)

One Tree Hill: A beautiful slice of Kent countryside (National Trust; 1h30 in).

Ightham Mote: Immaculately preserved medieval manor house with idyllic gardens. Touring the house thoroughly takes an hour, and the gardens another 30 minutes (National Trust; 2h15 in; 2h30 to visit).

Deer in Kent Downs National Landscape (National Trust; 3h45 in; 3h to visit)

3 lunch spots: Knole House café (45 mins in), Ightham Mote café (2h15 in), or the Bucks Head (3h30 in)

Warnings: Some mud inevitable.

Source: Trains2Green.

Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.

Highly recommended: Greensand hills, apple orchards, woodland paths, streams, deer park, open parkland and historic manor grounds. Mostly secluded.

Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.

Ightham Mote: Immaculately preserved medieval manor house with idyllic gardens. Touring the house thoroughly takes an hour, and the gardens another 30 minutes (National Trust; 2h in; 2h30 to visit).

One Tree Hill: A beautiful slice of Kent countryside (National Trust; 2h45 in).

Knole House: enormous aristocratic estate, associated with the Bloomsbury Group; well worth a visit but consumes a day in itself (National Trust; 3h30 in; 3h to visit).

Knole Park (National Trust; 3h to visit)

3 lunch spots: the Plough (45 mins in), Ightham Mote café (2h in), or Knole House café (3h30 in)

3 end-of-walk rewards: the Chequers, the Restoration, or the Sennockian

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).

Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.

Highly recommended: Undulating Kent farmland, orchards, bluebell woods, greensand escarpment and deer park.

Ightham Mote: Immaculately preserved medieval manor house with idyllic gardens. Touring the house thoroughly takes an hour, and the gardens another 30 minutes (National Trust; 3h30 in; 2h30 to visit).

One Tree Hill: A beautiful slice of Kent countryside (National Trust; 4h15 in).

Knole House: enormous aristocratic estate, associated with the Bloomsbury Group; well worth a visit but consumes a day in itself (National Trust; 5h in; 3h to visit).

4 lunch spots: the Swan on the Green (1h30 in), the Kentish Rifleman (2h30 in), Ightham Mote café (3h30 in), or Knole House café (5h in)

Source: Trains2Green.

Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.

Linear Darent valley sides on the North Downs Way and Darent Valley Path: three nature reserves including Lullingstone Country Park and Polhill Bank, panoramic Kent Downs views.

Otford

Walk details: Kent Downs National Landscape (tips, photos and local insights).

Similar walk: Slow Ways (inc. GPX).

Linear walk into the Darent Valley countryside, with breathtaking views, Lullingstone Roman Villa, the Eynsford Viaduct and the village's humpback bridge and ford.

Walk details: Kent Downs National Landscape (tips, photos and local insights).

A National Trust extravaganza; Knole House and deer park, the Greensand Way, moated Ightham Mote, bluebell woods.

Woodland: two fifths under tree cover.

One Tree Hill: A beautiful slice of Kent countryside (National Trust).

Oldbury Hill: Discover the remains of an Iron Age hill fort (National Trust).

Knole House: enormous aristocratic estate, associated with the Bloomsbury Group; well worth a visit but consumes a day in itself (National Trust; 3h to visit).

Ightham Mote: Immaculately preserved medieval manor house with idyllic gardens. Touring the house thoroughly takes an hour, and the gardens another 30 minutes (National Trust; 2h30 to visit).

2 lunch spots: Ightham Mote café, or Knole House café

Warnings: Steep drops and climbs through the woodland sections.

Walk details: Walking Post (tips, photos and local insights).

Linear middle Darent Valley Path beside the tranquil River Darent, Lullingstone Roman Villa, Eynsford Castle and valley views.

Walk details: Kent Downs National Landscape (tips, photos and local insights).

River valley, open fields, orchards, beech woods, golf course, ridge path and historic villages.

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Reverse direction: Kent Downs National Landscape.

Rolling Kentish farmland, fields, oasthouses, bluebell woods, steep greensand hillside and deer park.

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Greensand ridge, chart hills, undulating woodland, commons, deer park, historic estates and suburban old town.

Toy's Hill (National Trust)

Warnings: Steep climbs.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Darent Valley circular with panoramic views, the UK's largest lavender farm at Castle Farm (June/July), 500-year-old veteran trees at Lullingstone Country Park, a Roman villa and a castle.

Walk details: Kent Downs National Landscape (tips, photos and local insights).