Walks near Maidstone by train
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 near Maidstone and plan your next day of green.
Alternatively, view walks directly from Maidstone.
Otford Circular via Shoreham (Kent)
30 minutes direct from Maidstone East.
Highly recommended: Quiet country lanes, meadows, rolling wooded hills, and two very attractive villages.
Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.
Shoreham (1h30 in)
Otford (3h30 in)
Time: 5h30 (4h walking, 1h30 lunch)
3 lunch spots: Shoreham (1h15 in) — the Samuel Palmer (Plenty of seating, including outdoors; excellent), the Kings Arms, or the Mount Vineyard
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.
Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.
Eynsford Circular via Otford (Kent)
30 minutes from Maidstone East, with one change.
Highly recommended: Secluded valleys, chalk downland ridges, ancient woodland, golf course, chalk grassland nature reserves, riverside paths and farmland.
Shoreham (45m in)
Time: 5h (3h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)
3 lunch spots: Shoreham (1h30 in) — the Samuel Palmer (Plenty of seating, including outdoors; excellent), 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.
Sevenoaks Circular via Ightham Mote (Kent)
30 minutes from Maidstone East, with one change.
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 (45m in).
The Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio (National Trust; 45m in)
Knole Park (National Trust; 45m in)
One Tree Hill (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 (2h15 in).
Deer in Kent Downs National Landscape (National Trust; 3h45 in)
Time: 6h30 (5h walking, 1h30 lunch)
2 lunch spots: Ightham Mote café (2h15 in; not bad), or the Bucks Head (3h30 in)
Warnings: Some mud inevitable.
Source: Trains2Green.
Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.
Yalding to Sevenoaks (Kent)
15 minutes direct from Maidstone West.
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 (3h30 in).
One Tree Hill (National Trust; 4h15 in)
The Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio (National Trust; 5h in)
Knole House: enormous aristocratic estate, associated with the Bloomsbury Group; well worth a visit but consumes a day in itself.
Time: 7h30 (6h walking, 1h30 lunch)
3 lunch spots: the Swan on the Green (1h30 in), the Kentish Rifleman (2h30 in), or Ightham Mote café (3h30 in; not bad)
Source: Trains2Green.
Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.
Borough Green & Wrotham to Sevenoaks (Kent)
15 minutes direct from Maidstone East.
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 (2h in).
One Tree Hill (National Trust; 2h45 in)
The Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio (National Trust; 3h30 in)
Knole House: enormous aristocratic estate, associated with the Bloomsbury Group; well worth a visit but consumes a day in itself.
Knole Park (National Trust)
Time: 6h (4h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)
2 lunch spots: the Plough (45m in), or Ightham Mote café (2h in; not bad)
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.
Charing to Chilham (Kent)
30 minutes direct from Maidstone East.
Highly recommended
Woodland: a third under tree cover.
Canterbury (4h15 in)
Chilham (4h15 in)
Time: 6h (4h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)
2 lunch spots: the Flying Horse (1h45 in), or Perry Court Tea Room (2h15 in)
3 end-of-walk rewards: the Chilham Square, the White Horse, Chilham, or the Woolpack Inn, Chilham
Warnings: Penultimate section of the Pilgrim's Way to Canterbury.
Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).
Sandling to Folkestone (Kent)
45 minutes from Maidstone East, with one change.
Highly recommended: Chalky escarpment ridge, steep climbs, open downland with Channel views, cliff top promenade, shingle beach and historic harbour.
Hilly: two fifths on high ground, rising above the surrounding land.
Time: 7h (5h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)
1 lunch spot: the Gatekeeper Inn (1h30 in)
3 end-of-walk rewards: Valiant Sailor, the Lord Morris, or the Park Inn
Warnings: Steep climbs near start.
Source: Trains2Green.
Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.
Folkestone to Dover Priory (Kent)
45 minutes from Maidstone East, with one change.
Highly recommended: Coastal cliffs, chalk downland, sea defences, wild landslip area, wartime installations, ridge between valley and sea and town crossing.
Hilly: a third on high ground, rising above the surrounding land.
Coastal: four fifths along the coast.
Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.
Western Heights (3h30 in)
Knights Templar Church Ruins (3h45 in)
Time: 5h30 (4h walking, 1h30 lunch)
1 lunch spot: Camping Café (1h15 in)
2 end-of-walk rewards: the Malvern, or the Priory Hotel
Warnings: Cracked sea defences.
Source: Trains2Green.
Similar walks: the Saturday Walkers Club and Slow Ways (inc. GPX).
Chilham to Canterbury (Kent)
45 minutes from Maidstone East, with one change.
Highly recommended
Chilham (15m in)
Canterbury Cathedral (2h45 in)
Canterbury (2h45 in)
Time: 4h30 (3h walking, 1h30 lunch)
2 lunch spots: Chilham (30m in) — the Chilham Square, or the Star Inn
5 end-of-walk rewards: the Monument, the Unicorn Inn, the West Gate Inn, the Carpenters Arms, or the Old Buttermarket
Warnings: A fifth urban.
Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).
Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.
Folkestone Circular via Castle Hill (Kent)
45 minutes from Maidstone East, with one change.
Highly recommended: Verdant coastal cliffs, rolling hills and suburban streets.
Hilly: a third on high ground, rising above the surrounding land.
Coastal: three fifths along the coast.
Time: 6h30 (5h walking, 1h30 lunch)
2 lunch spots: Capel-le-Ferne (2h45 in) — Cliff Top Café, or the Royal Oak
7 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
Warnings: 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.
Source: Trains2Green.
Faversham to Canterbury (Kent)
45 minutes from Maidstone East, with one change.
Recommended: Really beautiful woodland segments and occasional idyllic countryside vistas. The first segment, closest to Faversham, isn't great due to a busy road, but very quiet beyond that. Quiet and isolated.
Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.
Faversham: Very picturesque medieval market town with many interesting shops and historic sites.
Canterbury Cathedral (5h in)
Canterbury (5h in)
Time: 7h (5h walking, 1h30 lunch, 30m break)
Lunch: No lunch venues en route. There's a playground with picnic tables at Chartham Hatch that makes a good stop for a packed lunch.
7 end-of-walk rewards: the Black Griffin, the Lady Luck, the Old Weaver Restaurant, Marlowe's, the Drapers Arms, the Old Buttermarket, or the Shakespeare
Source: Trains2Green.
Similar walk: Slow Ways.
Hastings to Rye (Sussex)
1 hour from Maidstone East, with one change.
Highly recommended: Clifftop coastal path, steep climbs, remote naturist beach, flat marshland, ancient hilltop towns and panoramic viewpoints.
Coastal: three fifths along the coast.
Lamb House (National Trust; 6h in)
Time: 7h30 (5h30 walking, 1h30 lunch, 30m break)
Warnings: Crumbly cliff edges.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Reverse direction: Railwalks.