Exploring the Heart of the North Downs Way #3 - (Oxted to West Malling)
Ambling Trails
775 views
Join me on Day 3 of my through-hike of the North Downs Way! In this episode, I leave Oxted behind and make my way across the border into Kent, heading towards the village of Otford.
It was a day of contrasts—from the "white noise" of the motorways to the absolute silence of the woodlands where I noticed a surprising lack of birdsong. The heat was a real challenge today, reaching 30°C, which meant carrying significantly more water and rethinking my pack weight.
Highlights include crossing the Kent border, spotting a massive herd of deer in the open fields, and finally reaching the official halfway point of the trail! I also gained a little "direction caterpillar" passenger along the way. After a long 25-mile day, I finally found a spot to wild camp as the sun began to drop.
If you're enjoying this North Downs Way series, don't forget to like and subscribe to Ambling Trails for the rest of the journey toward Dover!
Chapters: 0:00 Intro & Morning Reflections 0:40 The "White Noise" of the Motorway 1:15 A Lack of Birdsong 1:40 Leaving Oxted 3:16 Morning Mist & Rising Heat 5:34 Heading to the Kent Border 6:00 Route Planning: Oxted to Otford 7:38 Entering Kent & Wind in the Willows 8:00 My New Hiking Passenger 9:42 Navigating the Kent Countryside 10:22 Spotting a Large Herd of Deer 11:31 The M25 & Approaching Otford 13:54 Arriving in Otford 14:35 The Steep Climb Out of Otford 15:00 Water Management & Pack Weight 17:30 Reaching the Halfway Point 19:28 Trail Blooper! 19:56 Wild Camping & 25-Mile Finish
#NorthDownsWay #HikingUK #SurreyHills #NationalTrail #WalkingUK #kent #AmblingTrails
20 Comments
Visually the NDW looks great, but that white noise drone... I might have to use earplugs overnight on this one or I might not get any sleep. I'm glad it will be the first walk in next year's trip so I can look forward to following it with more peaceful trails (sound-wise). I found, when wild-camping last year, that I walk longer distances each day due to having to wait until near dark to pitch up (like you did on this day), and that makes me wonder if I will do the NDW in less than the 6 days (and a bit on day zero to get to Puttenham once I arrive) that I have planned. Anyway, keep up the good work!
Cheers,
Ryk.
How many national trails do you have remaining?
Cheers from New Zealand
Exploring the Heart of the North Downs Way #3 - (Oxted to West Malling)
Ambling Trails
775 views
Join me on Day 3 of my through-hike of the North Downs Way! In this episode, I leave Oxted behind and make my way across the border into Kent, heading towards the village of Otford.
It was a day of contrasts—from the "white noise" of the motorways to the absolute silence of the woodlands where I noticed a surprising lack of birdsong. The heat was a real challenge today, reaching 30°C, which meant carrying significantly more water and rethinking my pack weight.
Highlights include crossing the Kent border, spotting a massive herd of deer in the open fields, and finally reaching the official halfway point of the trail! I also gained a little "direction caterpillar" passenger along the way. After a long 25-mile day, I finally found a spot to wild camp as the sun began to drop.
If you're enjoying this North Downs Way series, don't forget to like and subscribe to Ambling Trails for the rest of the journey toward Dover!
Chapters: 0:00 Intro & Morning Reflections 0:40 The "White Noise" of the Motorway 1:15 A Lack of Birdsong 1:40 Leaving Oxted 3:16 Morning Mist & Rising Heat 5:34 Heading to the Kent Border 6:00 Route Planning: Oxted to Otford 7:38 Entering Kent & Wind in the Willows 8:00 My New Hiking Passenger 9:42 Navigating the Kent Countryside 10:22 Spotting a Large Herd of Deer 11:31 The M25 & Approaching Otford 13:54 Arriving in Otford 14:35 The Steep Climb Out of Otford 15:00 Water Management & Pack Weight 17:30 Reaching the Halfway Point 19:28 Trail Blooper! 19:56 Wild Camping & 25-Mile Finish
#NorthDownsWay #HikingUK #SurreyHills #NationalTrail #WalkingUK #kent #AmblingTrails