The North Downs Way along Nashenden Down Ridge...

Taking the North Downs Way towards Wouldham up the hill from the top of Nashenden Farm Lane leads to some spectacular views across the Medway Valley, particularly at this time of year just before harvest. It was a rather gloomy day but the views were no less impressive. 

Long may they remain unspoiled...

Looking north towards the M2 from the HS1 bridge at Nashenden...

Looking west towards the M2 bridges from just above Nashenden...

Red Admiral...

This somewhat battered specimen was the only one of several that would stay still long enough to be photographed. It has been a good year for butterflies and an exceptional one for Red Admirals...

M2 bridge seem across the oat fields from the bottom of the North Downs Way...

Cuxton from the Borstal North Downs Way...

Cuxton Church Hill from the Borstal North Downs Way...

Bores Hole chalk pit and North Halling...

Halling, the River Medway and Holly Hill...

Ivy Cottage, with Bores Hole and Church Hill in the background...

The St. Andrews estate from the Wouldham North Downs Way...

Common Poppies...

Panorama from the Wouldham North Downs Way...

Looking back towards Cuxton from the Wouldham North Downs Way...

Corn Chamomile...

Wall Butterfly...

Descending the slope (and down the hundreds of steps) down the Black Robin path brings you out (not surprisingly by the (very) old and former pub which is now Black Robin House. I was interested to see that this is up for sale...

Medway Terrace on the Burham Road Pilgrims Way. The Black Robin is the blue house on the left...

Wheat field view from the Black Robin...

Purple Viper's Bugloss (Echium plantagineum...)

At first I thought this was a common Vipers Bugloss but the flowers are not in the usual columnular form. I think I have the ID right, though. This is not a common UK wildflower and may be a garden escapee as the seeds and plants are often sold online...

After a few refreshers in the Waterman's Arms, I made my way through Wouldham village and back over Peter's Bridge...

View of the Medway north from under Peter's Bridge...

View across the river towards Wouldham from Halling...

View down the river south from Halling...

Nashenden Farm Lane...

Nashenden Farm Lane, junction with Wouldham Road, M2 construction works 1962...

The advent of the M2 in the early 60s rather disturbed the peace of Nashenden Farm and the surrounding houses. As part of the works the farm track was widened and metalled, presumably to improve access to the M2 roadworks. Things are a lot quieter since those days. Given its proximity to the M2, Nashenden Farm Lane is remarkably quiet, being tucked down far below the motorway.

The M2 pedestrian track across the bridge is currently shut but National Highways have laid on a hourly shuttle bus, which took me from the top of Sundridge Hill over to the Borstal side, courtesy of the friendly and chatty mini-bus driver.

Despite the time of year and the rather cool and wet weather of late, Nashenden Lane was still very much in bloom...

Sweet Pea (garden escape?)

Golden Rod (another garden escape?)

Common Ragwort

Hemp Agrimony

Yellow Toadflax...

Wild Rocket...

Great Mullein...

Mallow...

Yarrow...

Wild Carrot...

Pyramidal Orchid...

Broad-leaved Helleborine (an orchid)...

Broad-leaved Helleborine...

Bird's Foot Trefoil...

Clematis....

Down the Plough Path...

There is an old footpath that runs from Barn Meadow in Upper Halling, which itself is just along from Meadow Crescent past the former Black Boy pub (now a private house, on the corner of Pilgrims Road and Meadow Crescent) that leads down the hill to the A228. 

The former Black Boy pub, July 2022, now a private house...

If you are prepared to take your life in your hands, you can cross the busy main A228 at the bottom of the path. The traffic absolutely hammers down this stretch of the Halling by-pass (what 50 mph limit?), the visibility at the crossing is not good and it is not one for the very young, the less-nimble or the faint-hearted. 

Assuming that you make it over in one piece, the track takes you over the pedestrian railway bridge and into Lower Halling High Street. On the right-hand corner where the path comes out, there used to be a pub called the Plough. This, sadly, was demolished in 1998 and replaced by houses.

Site of the former pub, The Plough...

Nevertheless, the path is still known locally as the "Plough Path" and although a bit overgrown in places, it offers some nice views down the valley (for the most part - some of the fields have been fenced off with unnecessary prison-style wire mesh)...

Looking east towards the Medway Bridge...

View as above, a bit further down the path...

View south towards Peters Village...

Linseed flax, the blue flowers. Often used as a "cover crop"...

St. Andrews in bloom...

...formerly known as Clinkham Grey Pit, which doesn't sound as nice...

The old cement works in Halling has a long history. Originally it was called the Formby Brothers Clinkham works at the turn of the 20th century, it then became Batchelors, then Rugby Portland. It finally shut up shop in 2009, with the landmark chimney being demolished in 2010 (video).  Only the silos across the road now remain standing.

The Rugby Portland works, 1968.  Only the silos (seen on the right) remain...

A housing estate quickly sprang up on the brownfield site, with its developers (Redrow) naming it "St. Andrews Park".  A separate leisure company acquired the adjacent water-filled pit and adopted the name of the estate*. 

The above, as it is today, from the top of Knowle Road in Wouldham

All of a sudden, a deep and dangerous quarry magically became a perfectly safe water park offering fun for all the family. Still, at least the occasional visits of the air ambulance helicopter to the lake provide a degree of somewhat ghoulish entertainment to local residents...

Unlike other local companies who are new to the area, the developers of the cement works have at least given their enterprises a name that has a passing connection to local history.  Indeed, it seems that written records dating from the eighth century refer to a Charter for Halling (765-785 AD) in which Ethelbert II of Kent granted to the cathedral priory of St.Andrew The Apostle in Rochester, "ten sulings at Halling with rights to pasture swine in five districts".  

Whether by accident or design, it's nice to think that the naming of a new development has some sort of link to our locality's past.

Anyway, as part of their plans, Redrow provided a handy new pedestrian path that links Pilgrims Road in North Halling to the main A228, which runs past "St. Andrews Lake".  Whilst maintenance of that path can sometimes be a bit tardy, the "hands-off" approach seem to be blossoming, so to speak. The verges either side of the path have recently exploded with a spectacular bloom of wildflowers...

Mugwort...

Ragwort (with Cinnabar Moth caterpillar)

Hawksbeard and Wild Carrot...

Broad-leaved Willowherb...

Goat's Rue and Rosebay Willowherb...

Goat's Rue...

Marjoram...

Hollyhocks...

Hollyhock...

Bird's Foot Trefoil...

Evening Primrose...

Spear Thistle...

St. John's Wort...

Viper's Bugloss...

Red and White Clover...

White Melilot...

Wild Carrot...

Sheep's Sorrel...

*Some local cynics contend that with respect to the lake, the name "St. Andrews" is merely a bid  by St. Andrews Leisure Management Ltd to beatify the then River ward Conservative Councillor for Medway, Andrew Mackness (who also happened to be a director of said company) for "services rendered". Needless to say, I think that's utter nonsense and that the connection with the adjacent housing estate and thence with the ancient cathedral priory of St. Andrew The Apostle is the obvious and correct one.