Route overview:
The vast woodland around Toy’s Hill is owned by the National Trust and is crisscrossed with numerous colour-coded walking routes and well-signposted public footpaths. One option is to park at Toy’s Hill car park then meander eastwards along part of the Greensand Way, a long-distance rural path between Kent and Surrey, on to the pretty village of Ide Hill where you can revive and revitalise with traditional food at the cosy and kid-friendly Cock Inn pub. Your options then are to simply retrace your steps back to Toy’s Hill car park or complete a circular route via Emmetts Garden and Scords Wood.
Total walking time (excluding food stops): approximately 2 hours
Route difficulty: Woodland paths with some leg-testing grassy hills and farm tracks thrown in. Not suited to buggies and pushchairs.
Mud factor: One for the wellies/walking boots as the walk crisscrosses woods and fields.
Pit stops: The Cock Inn pub (highchairs but no baby changing facilities), plus tea rooms and public toilets at Emmetts Garden.
Route directions - to the Cock Inn:
Toy’s Hill car park to The Cock Inn, Ide Hill (approximately 50 mins walking)
- Walk east out of car park entrance, cross over road and join footpath opposite. Bear left at fork following sign marked Greensand Way.
- Where 5 tracks meet in a clearing, head straight over and downhill (following the yellow Public Footpath and red National Trust route arrows. Tip: Bough Beech Reservoir seen below in the distance should be on your right.
- Pass through metal squeeze stile into a field, turn left and head towards far-right corner of field.
- Cross wooden stile and continue downhill bearing right. Cross wooden bridge over stream, through gate then steep uphill walk to join farm track on right side of field.
- At the top, go through metal gate and onto narrow tarmac lane (passing school on left) towards Ide Hill village.
- Turn right onto Sundridge Road, left at roundabout then left onto Camberwell Lane. Cock Inn is on the left.
Route directions - to the car park:
The Cock Inn to Toy’s Hill car park (circular route via Emmetts Gardens, approximately 1 hr 10 mins walking)
- From pub, retrace your steps to roundabout. Turn right onto Sundridge Road. Turn left onto path signposted Ide Hill Cricket Club and Emmetts Garden.
- Follow track uphill, through wooden gate and enter Emmetts Garden. With tea rooms and toilet block immediately on your right, follow path towards small wooden gate and leave Emmetts Garden.
- Through wooden gate and into Scords Wood. Turn left at track crossing and follow path downhill.
- At next crossing go straight over (past wooden gate on your left), and head uphill.
- Straight over next crossing.
- At next crossing (large wooden gates on either side), turn right and uphill.
- At clearing where 5 paths meet, turn left just before path climbs steeply uphill. Continue to Toy’s Hill car park on opposite side of road.
Sat nav info:
Toy’s Hill car park (sat nav TN16 1QG). Parking is free – beware height restriction barrier if you have roof-mounted bikes.
The Cock Inn, Camberwell Lane, Ide Hill (TN14 6JN, tel: 01732 750310) Kitchen open daily from 12pm.
Emmetts Garden, Ide Hill (TN14 6BA, tel: 01732 868381)