By January and February, we’ve had enough of hygge, log fires and long evenings in front of the telly. The hibernation phase of winter is starting to drag. Vitamin D levels are low, spirits are lower, and the family is climbing the walls.
The only way to style your way through to spring is to tackle winter head on. Throw everyone outdoors at every opportunity. Enjoy crunching through crisp leaves, tinged with frost, take a deep breath of cold air to refresh the lungs and make the most of the few hours of sunshine spent outdoors.
If you need a moment alone for some calm reflection, or whether you want to stretch your legs with company, there are plenty of places to wrap up warm and embrace the joys of nature. Take a stroll through a wintry garden with coffee in hand or splash bravely through the puddles with the kids in tow. Or stride out in the blustery countryside in search of big skies and inspiration. Here are the walks you need to get through winter.
Best for romantic views of castle and countryside.
- Scotney parkland trail
- 2miles (3.2km), moderate terrain
- Dogs welcome, please keep on leads around livestock
Explore the gardens on a quick loop or take a longer stroll around the historic parkland surrounding Scotney Castle, revealing iconic views of the Old Castle and mansion, and some secrets about the Scotney estate.
Blue-topped posts will lead you on a loop around the parkland, across fields and stiles. Keep an eye out for bomb craters and a ‘trompe l’oeil’ Edwardian bridge that isn’t quite what it might first seem.
As you pass through open fields enveloped by impressive woodlands and distant views of traditional oast houses, the walk presents a picture-perfect slice of Kentish countryside that lifts the spirits in all weathers.
After your walk, pop into the tea-room for the winter menu along with hot drinks and treats and the shop is perfect for stocking up on goodies to cheer you up in the New Year.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/kent/scotney-castle/scotney-parkland-trail
Best for history.
- Westerham to Chartwell Trail
- 2 miles (3.2 km)
- Dogs welcome, please keep on leads around livestock
Enjoy a countryside walk linking the beautiful village of Westerham to Chartwell and back again. Start from the bronze statue of Winston Churchill on the green in Westerham and pass through Hosey Common on the way to Chartwell. Along the way explore Quebec House, the childhood home of General James Wolfe, victor of the Battle of Quebec (1759).
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/kent/chartwell/westerham-to-chartwell-trail
Best for families.
- Knole’s Family Walk
- 3miles (5km), majority hardstanding ground
- Dogs welcome on short leads
This 5km walk starts at the front of Knole House, Sevenoaks, taking you past views of the historic house and parkland. Little ramblers will enjoy spotting the wild deer herd from a safe distance - but please don’t encourage them to approach you or interact with them.
Most of this approx. 1-hour walk is on hardstanding ground, making it a good option for little legs and sturdy buggies and the Brewhouse Café is a welcome pit stop for a drink and bite to eat too.
Pick up a map from the Visitor Centre or simply follow the red waymarkers.
Please note: The National Trust car park at Knole is for National Trust members and paying visitors to Knole House. To guarantee entry pre-book your tickets for everyone in your party. Blue badge holders and National Trust members can book tickets free of charge. Non-members will need to purchase an admission ticket to use the car park. Alternative parking can be found in Sevenoaks town centre.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/kent/knole
Best for a woodland escape.
- Emmetts Garden estate walk
- 1.1mile (1.8km). Easy terrain
- Dogs welcome on short leads
Emmetts Garden sits at one of the highest points in the Weald of Kent, and the starkness of winter reveals the many shapes and features of the surrounding landscape. Stop along the route at one of the many viewpoints along the estate walk to take in the towering church spire in Ide Hill and the reflections on Bough Beech Reservoir, a wildlife reserve bursting with bustling nature.
Within Emmetts Garden, spot the splashes of bright pink berries on the prickly heath bush Gaultheria mucronate. Evergreens such as the pines and distinctive spiny Monkey Puzzle tree soften the stark winter beds too.
Take one of the additional routes into the surrounding Kentish woodland, passing impressive beech hangers and majestic trees lying still where they fell during the 1987 Great Storm.
The section of the walk within the garden is buggy and wheelchair accessible. Additional woodland sections include rough, unpaved ground. Trail map available in the welcome leaflet from the Visitor Centre. Normal admission applies.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/kent/emmetts-garden
Best for local history.
- Octavia Hill Centenary Trail - life and history
- 6miles (9.6km), moderate terrain
- Dogs welcome, please keep on leads around livestock
Celebrate the life of Octavia Hill (1838–1912), founder of the National Trust, on a walk past the church where she is buried.
Octavia was a social reformer, philanthropist, artist, and writer. It's easy to see how the beautiful views and open countryside of this route may have helped inspire her to found the Trust in 1895.
The route passes Crockham Hill village, Octavia’s resting place, before stretching up to Mariners Hill and on past Chartwell, former home of Winston Churchill.
Keep an eye out for special features that bring the history of the area to life. From a well, originally sunk in 1898 by Octavia Hill for local villagers, to the remains of one of the first properties she donated to the Trust and a seat dedicated to one of her five sisters, Harriot York.
Walk starts and finishes at Toys Hill National Trust car park.
Octavia Hill Centenary Trail - life and history | National Trust
Best for literary links.
- Puck’s Walk, Bateman’s
- 2.5miles (4km), moderate terrain
- Dogs welcome, please keep on leads around livestock
- Paths can be muddy, suitable footwear is a must
The estate at Bateman’s, Burwash, is full of small fields, hedgerows, old trees, abandoned iron ore pits, hidden ponds and magical deserted trackways.
Puck's Walk is inspired by Kipling's famous story, 'Puck of Pook's Hill. Written for his children this magical tale took its inspiration from the re-enactment of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' by Kipling and his children one summer in the early 1900s.
The route from Visitor Reception takes you out to Park Mill, through woods and over hills towards Burwash Weald, before looping back to cross the river and return to the Mill Pond.
The walk takes in some great views, and it is easy to see how the rolling hills, woods and Dudwell river inspired Kipling's writing.
Stop by the Mulberry tea-room afterwards for a warming winter treat.
Walking at Bateman's| Sussex | National Trust
Best for two places in one walk.
- Ightham Mote's circular walk to Knole
- 8.5miles (13.6km), moderate terrain
- Dogs welcome, please keep on leads around livestock
Take in two National Trust properties in one go, on this circular loop linking Ightham Mote, near Sevenoaks, with Knole.
The route includes part of the popular Greensand Way and runs through ancient woodland and open countryside. The terrain includes some steep inclines and drops.
Areas of outstanding natural beauty and perfectly placed viewpoints offer plenty of distraction if legs start to tire. The Brewhouse café halfway along the route at Knole and Ightham Mote’s café at the end are also tempting spots to recuperate.
Download a map: Ightham Mote's circular walk to Knole | National Trust
And, for a walk and a fry up, join us on Boxing Day or New Year’s Day for an English Breakfast in the Ightham Mote café followed by a guided walk around the Estate. (Booking essential, £25 per person including walk and breakfast). Ightham Mote | Kent | National Trust
Thanks to your help, the National Trust cares for hundreds of walking trails in beautiful locations across the county. For more ideas for winter walks see: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/kent
image credit: © National Trust Images_Rob Stothard
