With the ease of Lockdown, I wanted to go out freely and do things that I love, shopping, eating, and having coffee but somewhere deep down I was a bit skeptical about freely out and about. The mental pressure which we are facing as the new normal was not something I am still ready to take easily.
I have friends who are freely going out and about and maybe I also need to do the same but I guess I am just not prepared for that as of now. I agree this is the new normal and people who are going out are helping the economy and maybe doing the right thing but I just wanted to take some more time. So I decided rather go to central London I would prefer to go to Kent. Kent is not far from my home and I take almost 30 minutes by car to reach one of the greenest places around London.
I decided to park my car in Lullingstone car park as that was the easiest and quickest, I just wanted to start walking.
Lullingstone to Shoreham
This trail starts from the lullingstone car park and approximately takes 2.5 hours to return so it was not a bad option for a person like me who started my day a bit late that day or generally do on Saturdays. I started my walk and literally after walking 5 minutes, I see something really cool. Its the Castle Farm Truck. So for those who don’t know, Castle Farm is an independent lavender farm in kent and they have the most amazing lavender products. They also do fresh Farm eggs, Fruits, and meat, but I am always crushing on the lavender products.
They also have drive-in and walk through social distancing buying options, so you can actually visit them for some fresh products. I was a little distracted but then I moved on.
Walking through the fields without seeing anyone I enjoyed every single minute of my walk. Walks like these just make you think and appreciate every single moment of your life. I was enjoying every bit of it. The views around this trail are stunning and one can possibly see the most beautiful lavender fields around.
I walked, and every turn had something to offer me, views, and more happiness. I walked for around 1 hour and reached Shoreham. One can definitely finish this route within 45 minutes or even quick but I just took my time to see and absorb every little thing around me. The train is quite easy-moderate and can be taken by families or if you have a pet. I would advise please carry your own water and something to eat if you need, as you won’t find any Local shop on this trail.
I finally Reached Shoreham.
Shoreham is a beautiful town with few pubs and the most pretty high street. It has everything you need from a local store to tea shop, but due to the current situation, I only did window browsing and had my energy bar which I took from home. I spent almost 20 minutes in Shoreham and enjoyed the town. Also if you are a water person, there is a beautiful river /stream flowing through the town, where you can enjoy feet dip for a bit. (don’t feel shy as many people actually do that )
After spending some time in Shoreham, I started my Journey Back from a different route. If you need to get to Shoreham there are few different routes you can follow, Its completely up to you on that which terrain you would prefer. The route on the way back was much of a road walk and rest was again through the farm. But I managed to see some beautiful horses, so can’t complain.
I would highly recommend kent walks if you are a person like me and still need some time to get used to the new normal. There are a lot of websites which has further information on Kent walks and places you can see while maintaining your social distancing.