Friday 29th June - Walkers at Thurnham

A bracing day for walking without a doubt. Paws and I were out this morning early as we had two walkers at Thurnham. Paws was excited because he knows its a good stretch of the North Downs Way along to Cold Blow Farm, where we usually say goodbye to the self-led groups and leave them to either find their own way over to Leeds Castle or carry on along the North Downs Way directly to the next night's stop at Lenham village.

The rain streamed down but this week's walkers are pretty hardy and well equipped so they'll relish the downpours. I'd much rather be out walking in this than facing some of the hottest days in August.

Tommorrow we will visit the Lenham tithe barn first thing in the morning, just behind the church, which the owners have kindly given us access to show walkers. It's known as a rural cathedral - which is most apparent why when one goes inside takes in the vast expanse inside the barn. Itis believed to be one of the largest surviving tithe barns in England. The structure is absolutely impressive inside and the timber has becaome so hardened over time that I'm told on good authority that it is impossible to drill into the timber beams.

I like the strecth of the North Downs Way between Lenham and the Wye gap because much of it hugs the bottom of the North Downs chalk escarpment and is marked as ancient trackway on the Ordnance Survey maps. The chalk and flint path along this section certainly has many clues that suggest it may have been ancient trackway. It runs above the fields below but with enough height to benefit from drainage. The trackway also meets many of teh criterea laid down by the write Hillaire Belloc, when he wrote his account of the 'Old Road' in 1904. Moreover the trail also stays on the side of the chalk escarpment away from arable land.

Must liase with Tony Gowers (North Downs Way Manager) next week and find out how the Tour de France is going to impact on our walkers next. There are a number of road closures that mean we won't be able to get the Land Rover out to walkers. This will casue a few problems both at the Rocehster and Canterbury end of the walk for Walk Awhile.