POINT OF VIEW
This is a circular walk in the North Downs, close to Wye village and within the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The route follows a stretch of the North Downs Way with outstanding views and passes the famous hillside chalk crown figure before dropping down into the beautiful village of Wye, once featured in the BBC TV show ‘The Perfect Village’. Beyond the village, the route follows peaceful paths through arable farmland before climbing steeply up the chalk grassland of Wye National Nature Reserve to complete the journey.
The route has several climbs and descents, including one steep final climb back up to the top of the downs. The paths are mostly unmade and, while often firm after dry periods, they can be very muddy after periods of rain and in winter. There are stiles, gates, kissing gates, squeeze chain gates (which should be fine for all but the broadest of dogs) and steps along this trail. The stretch along the North Downs Way crosses the nature reserve and some large hillside pastures which can be holding cattle and/or sheep. The whole route is well-walked, but there are a few stretches that are narrow and so are prone to becoming a little overgrown. There are shops, pubs and other facilities in the village, halfway round.