Shipbourne and the Fairlawne Estate

Walk back along Upper Green Road towards the main road (A227). Cross over the main road and go straight ahead up the small gravel drive to reach the lichgate for St Giles Church. Pass through the gate and follow the path to the right of the church through the graveyard. At the far side of the church, pass through a kissing gate made with a circular section of the stone wall. Immediately afterwards turn right over a stile in a gap in the hedge. Cross over the tarmac drive and then follow the grass footpath running parallel with the black metal fence on the right. Cross over the drive again (with a cattle grid to the right) and continue to the bottom corner of the lawns. Cross over a pair of stiles marked with yellow waymarker arrows for the Greensands Way. Go ahead onto a grass footpath with fenced fields each side. When you reach a small clearing at the end, go over another stile onto a mud track. Follow the waymarked footpath opposite to go straight ahead into an open grass field, keeping to the hedgeline on the left. Ignore the left fork, instead continue straight on with the hedgeline on the left and the open grass field immediately on your right. At the top of the field as the hedgerow ends by a large oak tree, bear slightly right to continue uphill with a crop field now on the left. Soon you will reach another stile.

Cross over the stile to follow the fenced path into dense woodland- South Seers Wood. In the springtime the woods boast a beautiful carpet of bluebells. Follow this path as it climbs and then as it starts to slowly descend. Soon you will reach a further stile. Cross over and follow the obvious path as it bears slightly right alongside the hedgeline on the right with open grass fields to the left. Pass through the gap in the hedge ahead and then follow the path along the left hand edge of a crop field. At the end of the field, cross over the final stile to reach the road. Turn right onto the tarmac lane heading once again uphill. Pass Mote Farm on the left. Soon afterwards, you will reach the entrance to Ightham Mote on the right.

Pass through the brick pillared entrance to Ightham Mote. Follow the path as it bends to the right with the main house, managed by the National Trust on the left. Ightham Mote is a Grade 1 listed medieval moated manor house, originally dating from 1320. The house has been owned over the years by medieval knights, courtiers to Henry VIII and high society Victorians. Continue ahead along the tarmac lane and you will pass the gift shop on the left. Soon after you will pass the car park and signs to the visitor entrance on the left. Go straight ahead on the public bridleway between hedges. Soon, over the lefthand hedge you'll get a great view of a pair of oast houses, buildings designed for drying hops as part of the brewing process, which are typical of the Kent countryside. After another field's length continue ahead, ignoring the path to the left marked with a red arrow. At the end of the hedgerows, pass through a large wooden gate into a grass field. Note this field will probably be holding sheep so make sure dogs are on a lead. Turn right to follow the field edge with the boundary fence on the right. At the end of the field pass through another gate and after a few paces turn left up a fenced stone track to reach the main road.

Cross over the road with care and go through the wooden gate opposite to enter the Fairlawne Estate. Fairlawne Estate was owned in Stuart times by Sir Henry Vane the Elder who was Secretary of State to Charles I. Sir Henry Vane the Younger was a Royalist, then a Roundhead and then switched back to being a Royalist. As a result he was executed in London after being reported to be too dangerous to live. His ghost is said to wander the village of Shipbourne. Follow the path downhill and at the bottom of the slope with a bridge over the lake ahead, turn left - marked as the footpath and bridleway. As you draw level with the house on the left, turn right again marked with the footpath sign. Pass through a gate into grass fields (probably holding sheep). Follow the grass path uphill and bending slightly left marked initially by vehicle tracks. You will soon pick up the footpath across the fields marked with yellow posts. After some distance pass through a five bar wooden gate (which is likely to be open) and continue along the well defined wide grass path. The path begins to run alongside woodland on the right. At the end of the woodland follow the path as it bends to the right to reach a grass avenue of lime trees.

Walk down the beautiful avenue lined with lime trees. At the end of the avenue, pass through the metal gate onto School Lane. Turn right and follow the tarmac lane with care as there are no pavements. After a little distance you will pass a stone cottage with an oast house behind. About 200 yards later you will come to a black and white sign for Fairlawne Home Farm on the right. Turn right here onto the drive entrance. Pass through the gate alongside the cattle grid- again entering a field of sheep. Pass through a second gate alongside another cattle grid and continue along the farm drive. Pass by the farm and farmhouse on the right and then continue straight ahead down the grass and stone vehicle track. Follow the track downhill and as it crosses a stream and then uphill across a crop field. At the end of the field, pass through the kissing gate and follow a short section of grass path with hedges to private gardens each side. When you reach the road, turn right and follow the road as it bends first left and then right. Ahead you will see the church, follow the road straight ahead to reach the car park on the right.