North Downs Way
| North Downs Way | |
|---|---|
 At Hollingbourne , Maidstone , Kent |
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| map | |
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| Data | |
| length | 211 km |
| location | south east England |
| Markers | stylized upright white acorn on a brown background |
| Starting point |
Farnham 51 ° 13 ′ 0 ″ N , 0 ° 48 ′ 0 ″ W. |
| Target point |
Dover 51 ° 18 ′ 0 ″ N , 1 ° 19 ′ 0 ″ E |
| Type | Long-distance hiking trail |
| Lowest point | Dover , sea level |
| Level of difficulty | light |
| season | all year round |
| particularities | Follow the ridge of the North Downs ridge |
Map with all coordinates: The North Downs Way is a long distance footpath in southern England from Farnham to Dover that opened in 1978. It runs past Godalming , Guildford , Dorking , Merstham , Otford and Rochester , along the Surrey Hills and Kent Downs , both of which are classified as Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
East of Boughton Lees near Ashford , the route splits into two alternatives, the north route goes through Canterbury and the south route over Wye :
- The southern section east of Boughton Lees crosses the Stour Valley Walk and passes the Wye Crown .
- The northern section of the trail always runs along the ridges of the North Downs hills on the steep part of the Stour Valley to the west and roughly follows the Pilgrims' Way Path which was used by many pilgrims in the Middle Ages.
The two sections of the path then join again in Dover. The northern route is 211 km and the southern route 201 km, making the total length of the North Downs Way 150 miles.
The rights of way are mixed, they change in the course of the status as footpath, bridle path, byway and street. Around 19% of the way follows roads, but 75% of them are very small ways.
The path leads through the downland, the paths and the surrounding landscape are characterized by chalk-containing soils and limestone meadows and pastures as well as agriculturally used clay soils.
Photographs
Box Hill, Dorking with a memorial to Leopold Salomon, who bequeathed the site to the public.
Newlands Corner, Guildford and the Long Distance Footpath.
