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Walks


Enjoy the summer in Kent with your best friend


WALKING your dog in the Kent countryside can be a delightful experience. Few counties can match Kent's breadth of landscapes, with barren marshes, sandy beaches, ancient woodlands, sedate rivers, fruit-growing farmland, dramatic Downs and the rolling hills of the High Weald. However, making the most of all this with your best friend can be a disheartening experience, as explained by David Staines, who has written a dog walker's guide to the county with his wife Hilary. He said: "It is hard to be sure, once you are off your home patch, where you can walk safely with your dog without the frustration of getting lost, finding your route blocked with impassable stiles or encountering busy roads. We have put together this collection of dog-friendly walks so that others can discover Kent's glorious countryside without these frustrations." The 20 routes (19 circular and one linear) have been


designed for maximum off-lead time and minimum exposure to roads, and vary in length from one and a half miles to nine miles. Each walk has information on the distance and terrain, livestock likely to be encountered, number and type of stiles en route and, in an emergency, the nearest veterinary surgery.


Mausoleum in Cobham Park (near Gravesend); the ancient ruins of Tonbridge Castle; the historic Chilham Mill on the River Stour (near Canterbury); and many picturesque villages and towns such as Groombridge, Lenham and Cranbrook. *Kent: A Dog Walker's Guide by David and Hilary


Staines is published by Countryside Books at £7.95 and is available from all good booksellers, some local garden centres and attractions and from the publishers at www.countrysidebooks.co.uk


THE HOOK & HATCHET Under new


management


In addition to the clear, numbered route instructions,


each section also includes a matching numbered map, information on how to get to the start, places of interest along the way, and local pubs and cafes that welcome dogs. The routes give dogs and their owners the chance to


explore our county's beautiful countryside, with walks through the ancient woodland of Toys Hill (near Westerham), and Shoreham Woods (near Sevenoaks); the lovely parkland of Penshurst Place (near Tunbridge Wells); the tranquil scenery of River Medway; the remote marshes at Oare (near Faversham); and along both the Royal Military Canal (taking in Hythe) and the glorious coastline of Reculver (near Herne Bay), Folkestone and St Margaret's Bay (near Dover). There is also the chance to visit the imposing Cliffe Fort on the Thames Estuary; the intriguing Darnley


The Hook Festival Weekend in aid of Demelza House Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th July with Live Music, BBQ, Hog Roast, Games & activities.


Tickets now available, call Simon or Debbie Sunday 8th July - Stark Family Band


Quiz Night - Every Wednesday with Quiz Master Ken Kuintessential


The Hook & Hatchet, Church Road, Hucking, Nr Maidstone, ME17 1QT


Tel: 01622 880399


Open 7 days a week from Midday to 11pm Sat/ Sun until Midnight


Food served daily 12-3pm, 6-9pm Mid Kent Living 21


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