Best walks near Maidstone by train
Kent · South East England | Walks by foot
Stations: Maidstone East · Maidstone West · Maidstone Barracks
MapA day hike in the countryside is just a simple train journey away — explore the most charmingly located railway stations in South East England and plan your next day of green.
Borough Green & Wrotham Station to Sevenoaks Station (Kent)
15m direct from Maidstone East.
16km. Moderate ascents. 4h30–7h30.
An essential walk! Greensand hills, apple orchards, woodland paths, streams, deer park, open parkland, and historic manor grounds. Mostly secluded. Can be muddy.
Highlights: Ightham Mote (14th century manor; a visit easily fits into a walk schedule), Knole House (enormous aristocratic estate, associated with the Bloomsbury Group; well worth a visit but consumes a day in itself), and Knole Park.
Lunch stops: the Plough (2h–3h in), or Ightham Mote café (2h–3h30 in).
End-of-walk rewards: the Chequers, the Restoration, or the Sennockian.
Otford Station Circular via the Darent Valley (Kent)
30m direct from Maidstone East.
Tough: steep ascents. 13km. 4h–6h30.
A rambler favourite! North Downs hills, chalk woodland, bluebell woods, open commons, grassy fields, disused golf course, Darent Valley riverbank, and quaint village. Can be muddy.
Lunch stops in Shoreham (1h30–2h in): the Samuel Palmer, the Kings Arms, or the Mount Vineyard.
End-of-walk rewards: the Crown, the Bull, or the Woodman.
Charing Station to Chilham Station (Kent)
30m direct from Maidstone East.
Tough: 21km. Moderate ascents. 4h30–8h.
A rambler favourite! Penultimate section of the Pilgrim's Way to Canterbury.
Highlights: Canterbury and Chilham.
Lunch stops: the Flying Horse (2h–3h in), or Perry Court Tea Room (2h–3h in).
End-of-walk rewards: the Chilham Square, the White Horse, Chilham, or the Woolpack Inn, Chilham.
Chilham Station to Canterbury East Station (Kent)
45m from Maidstone East, with one change.
14km. Moderate ascents. 3h–5h.
A rambler favourite!
Highlights: Chilham, Canterbury Cathedral, and Canterbury itself.
Lunch stops in Chilham (30m–1h in): the Chilham Square, or the Star Inn.
End-of-walk rewards: the Monument, the Unicorn Inn, the West Gate Inn, the Carpenters Arms, or the Old Buttermarket.
Folkestone Central Station Circular via Castle Hill (Kent)
1h from Maidstone East, with one change.
Tough: steep ascents. 16km. 5h–8h.
A rambler favourite! Verdant coastal cliffs, rolling hills, and suburban streets. Begins, necessarily, with a lengthy suburban segment, but then becomes very beautiful and surprisingly quiet. Particularly lovely on the walk along the cliffs east of Folkestone, where there are also a number of lunch spot choices. The narrow overgrown paths are best. But note that there is a LOT of steep ascents and descents on this walk.
Highlights: Folkestone.
Lunch stops in Capel-le-Ferne (3h–4h30 in): Cliff Top Café, the Royal Oak, or the Cliff Top Café.
End-of-walk rewards: the Royal George, the Harbour Inn, the Kipps' Alehouse, the Samuel Peto, the Pullman, the East Kent Arms, or the Lord Morris.
London Bridge Station to South Bermondsey Station (Surrey)
1h direct from Maidstone East.
Easy: 3km, flat terrain. 1h.
Documented by Railwalks — download GPX route
London Bridge Station to Blackfriars Station (Surrey)
1h direct from Maidstone East.
Easy: 1km, gentle ascents. 30m.
Riverside path.
Documented by Railwalks — download GPX route
Stratford Station to Stratford International Station (Essex)
1h from Maidstone Barracks, with one change.
Easy: 0km, moderate ascents. 30m.
Documented by Railwalks — download GPX route
Yalding Station to Sevenoaks Station (Kent)
15m direct from Maidstone West.
21km.
A rambler favourite! Undulating Kent farmland, orchards, bluebell woods, greensand escarpment, and deer park. Waymarking can disappear.
Documented by the Saturday Walkers Club.
Eynsford Station Circular via Otford (Kent)
30m from Maidstone East, with one change.
21km. 5h30.
A rambler favourite! Secluded valleys, chalk downland ridges, ancient woodland, golf course, chalk grassland nature reserves, riverside paths, and farmland. Can be muddy.
Documented by the Saturday Walkers Club.
Sevenoaks Station Circular via Knole House (Kent)
30m from Maidstone East, with one change.
16km.
A rambler favourite! Deer park, fields, woods, coppiced woodland, escarpment ridge, bluebell and wild garlic woods, and Weald views. Some mud inevitable.
Documented by the Saturday Walkers Club.
Sandling Station to Folkestone Central Station (Kent)
45m from Maidstone East, with one change.
17km.
A rambler favourite! Dismantled railway, chalky escarpment ridge, steep climbs, open downland with Channel views, cliff top promenade, shingle beach, and historic harbour. Steep climbs near start.