Hamstreet to Ruckinge Loop

We last walked this in mid-April when the woods were full of bluebells and wood anemones – truly a delightful sight.

Parking is available at Hamstreet Village car park (TR0015 3329). There is a nice pub and a good village shop here as well as a Garden Centre with a nice café and toilets.

Left out of Hamstreet car park onto The Street. At the cross roads take the right turn onto Ruckinge Road past the Dukes Head. Take the left turn into Bourne Lane – the footpath signs for the Greensand and Saxon Shore paths indicate the way.

At the entrance to Hamstreet Woods – follow the indicated path for the Greensand Way/Saxon Shore Way. Continue to follow these signs out of the woods, follow the Saxon Shore Way north up Gill Lane and turn right past a few houses. As indicated by the Saxon Shore way markers, turn left into the driveway and then carry on past a house with a balcony on three sides, stay on the path to join the lane Ash Hill. Take the path opposite, cross two fields onto the byway between Norland Wood and Pierland Wood. Stay on this track – ignore the sign for the Saxon Shore Way which goes off to the left.

The track turns and heads south, down hill to Herne Hill on the Hamstreet Road east of Ruckinge, turn right onto this road and in about two hundred metres take the footpath on the left across from Marshside Farm, heading down to the Military Canal.

At the lane gate by the canal, turn right up the lane, cross the road at the T junction and take the footpath opposite, across from the The Blue Anchor. Keep heading north, this path runs parallel to Ash Hill for about 1km. When the path joins Ash Hill, immediately cross the road and follow the path heading west and at the footpath crossing point below Gill Farm, head south west, cross the byway back into Hamstreet Wood. When this path reaches the field at the gate, cross the field to the lane, drop down the lane to Ruckinge Road, turn right and take this as far as Cock Lane, turn left here and back to The Street and the village car park.

This is about 7 miles and in anything other than summer it is bound to be muddy so be warned!

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