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Sole Street Circular Walk January 30, 2010 | Map

No, Sole Street is not a street in London. It is a hamlet in north Kent, 43km from London Victoria, and you have probably noticed that I refuse to use Imperial units. Anyways, the most noteworthy aspect about Sole Street is perhaps its railway station, which was our starting point for a leisurely (and muddy) country walk. Hills, fields, greens, patches of forest, horses, a pregnant pig, a medieval church, a designated area of outstanding beauty, and we narrowly missed the lost village of Dode. Really nice to get out every now and then and to discover the countryesque beauty of the area so close to London. Sole Street Circular Walk22 pictures

Ah, and I should of course mention the two pubs that we did not leave out: the Amazon and Tiger in Harvel was our lunch spot and left us satisfied, even though they did not let us into the carpeted dining area thanks to our muddy boots. My Shepherd’s Pie was nice, good standard pub food, not outstanding but solid quality, going well with my TEA. No, not tea, the hot cup-sized camellia sinensis beverage, but TEA as in the pint-sized Traditional English Ale from Surrey’s Hog’s Back Brewery. More sweet than bitter, light and fruity, as enjoyable as a cuppa.

The second pub stop was at The Cock Inn in Luddesdowne, a true gem, almost worth a trip on its own. Here, we were immediately forced to remove our muddy boots and enter on socks, but upon entering the bar room, it became immediately understandable as to why. Yes, that was an old sewing machine on the table. And there’s a real open fire. And all those war-time posters. And…Köstritzer on tap?! Turned out that the landlord does regular trips to mainland Europe and brings back beers he likes. I, however, was longing for a tea, as in cuppa this time, but was surprised to be rejected. Filter coffee available, but no tea? Never heard that one before, but well, a pint of black German stuff was a rather enjoyable replacement.

Amazon & Tiger Review
The Cock Inn Review

View article in full for a map of the walk.

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