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TheWarren

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The Blue Lake

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A gentle stroll by themarshes or longerrambles over theDowns above the

village and itsindustrial heritage.

Route directions

From the New Bell Inn, turn left along the High Street, keepgoing through the traffic lights until you reach the New TownSocial Club at the end of the village on the right. You now havetwo choices. Firstly, you can cross the A228 (carefully!) andthen on to the pedestrian bridge, from which you can follow thefollow the footpath where the remains of the old Cemex factorywill be on the right and the locally famous “Blue Lake”on theleft. The top of the footpath takes you out onto Pilgrims Roadin North Halling.

Alternatively you can continue along the west side of RochesterRoad to the next footpath and take that route up to PilgrimsWay. From either route turn left until you find a footpath on theright which leads up by the Warren.

A spectacular view of the Medway Valley stretching out beforeyou awaits when you reach the top. Walk the path in springtimeand the woodland will be covered with blankets of bluebells.

You then need to follow the paths set out on the map anddecide if you want to do the shorter four mile walk or go on todo an eight mile walk. This shorter walk takes you past CourtFarm with its large shop selling locally sourced meats, includingtheir own lamb and beef, cheese and vegetables.

HallingCommunity

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Downs walks

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The Blue Lake

Walking route

Follow North Downs Way waymarkerson this section of the route

Link to Marsh Walk

Railway line and station

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HALLING

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Marsh Road

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Howlsmere Close

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ToDowns Walk

This trail is part of the Valley of Visions CommunityTrails project, encouraging people to enjoy, exploreand learn about their local area and surroundingcountryside. Why not explore one of the othercommunity trails in the Medway Gap? Visit www.valleyofvisions.org.uk for furtherinformation.

For more information about Halling visitwww.halling-pc.gov.uk

Apply to join the Old Pictures of Halling group onFacebook.

You can find out more about the wildlife and naturereserves of the area at www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk

Halling Parish Council has just taken a lease on anold chalk pit in the parish, which contains somebeautifully preserved old industrial lime kilns. It iscurrently anticipated that guided tours of the area willbegin later in 2011. For more information on that,anything else in this leaflet or anything at allconcerning our parish, please contact the ParishOffice at 01634 241551.

HallingCOMMUNITY TRAILSIN THE MEDWAY GAP

Historic Halling

Introduction

Today the upper slopes of the Kent Downs are largely covered bywoodland. Old photographs of the parish show chalk grassland

on the same slopes. Changes in agricultural patterns over thecenturies have shaped much of the area’s landscape. The woodsaround Halling were traditionally a source of fuel but the growinghop industry in the 17th century created a demand for chestnut andash poles. In later years the cement industry took advantage of theby-product, bavins (faggots of brushwood), for use in firing theirkilns. The Medway Valley has been a location for lime burning andcement production for centuries. However the industry expandedsignificantly in Halling in the latter part of the 18th century to itsboom period in the second half of the 19th century. A number ofdifferent quarries and factories were set up around the parish. Thisdevelopment was mirrored in the growth of its population from 550people in 1851 to 2,095 in 1891.

The river was the key means of transport for freight before the arrivalof the railway line through Halling over 150 years ago. The RiverMedway was once teeming with barges laden with coke, mud,cement and lime, serving the industries built in the valley. There waseven a barge building industry in the village, connected to the Lee’scement workings. Ironically the river contributed to the decline ofthe cement industry in Halling by the early decades of the 20thcentury. No large sea-going vessels could navigate upstream of thenew Rochester Bridge. This meant that cargoes for both import andexport had to be double handled and businesses in the MedwayValley were at a disadvantage, leading to the closure of many of thelocal factories by the 1920s.

During World War II many of the derelict chalk pits were used asarmy training areas, rifle ranges and ammunition stores. Those thatstill remain today have become distinctive features of the locallandscape. Just recently, in 2010, the Cemex (Rugby) Factory ceasedits production and for the first time in many years, no cement isbeing produced in Halling Parish.The Hilton and Anderson Cement Works in 1899

Halling Parish lies between the slopes of the Kent Downs andthe River Medway. Using the routes we have designed, you

can either take a gentle stroll by the marshes or if you are slightlymore adventurous, you can try the longer walks over the Downsabove the village.

The history of Halling surrounds you as you stroll around withevidence of a rich industrial past marked by several old chalkpits which have largely been returned to nature and theremnants of the Cemex (Rugby Cement) factory which was thelast factory to quarry chalk in Halling.

There are many historic buildings in the parish, perhaps themost iconic being the remains of the medieval Bishop's Palace,set in its recently landscaped grounds. This can be discoveredwhilst undertaking the Marsh Walk.

The name “Halling” is thought to derive from the Saxon word“haling” meaning a wholesome low place or meadow. This isreflected in the street name “Low Meadow which you will passon most of the walks suggested below. The name also forms thetitle of the excellent book “Across the Low Meadow”, written bylocal historians Edward Gowers and David Church.

View over Halling and the Medway

Bishops Palace

Halling Marshes

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Route directions

Leave the New Bell Inn (if you can!), turn left along the HighStreet and right into Marsh Road immediately before the trafficlights, Marsh Road is behind the bollards preventing vehicularaccess. Halling Marshes stretch out to the left and you will see avariety of flora and fauna, constantly changing according to theseasons. At the end you can turn left and walk a little furtherbefore returning to cross the stile and walk along the waterfrontin Maximilian Drive, with Wouldham village immediatelyopposite.

The ferry to Wouldham plied its trade until 1964 before closingafter nearly 600 years of use, but not always with the sameboat! In its later years the ferry was used by Wouldham villagerscrossing to work in the cement industry or to use the rail servicefrom Halling and by Halling villagers to work in the factories atWouldham. The Old Ferryman’s House which was opposite thesteps behind the riverside railings at the end of Maximilian Drivehas long since been demolished. The steps on the Halling sideremain in excellent condition, but sadly those at Wouldhamhave deteriorated considerably.

From here you will see the remains of an old industrial railwaythat transported carts carrying chalk quarried from the nowdisused Hilton Pit on the other side of the A228. You wouldn’tthink it now, but the entire river frontage here was once linedwith industry, all serving the Hilton and Anderson CementWorks where Maximilian Drive is today. Behind the old railwaylie the remains of the medieval Bishop's Palace next to St Johnthe Baptist church and marked by the last remaining stone wall.Only the outlines of its lancet windows mark it as a building ofsome significance. The palace was built towards the end of theeleventh century by Gundulph, Bishop of Rochester, as a manor

Marsh walk

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Continue along this pathto the end then turn backand retrace your steps.

house. Used by the bishops of Rochester on and off overhundreds of years it eventually fell into disuse and by the 1700shad become a workhouse for the poor of Halling and surroundingvillages. Much of what remained in the nineteenth century wasdemolished as a result of the development of the cement industry.

Walking route

Link to Downs Walk

Railway line and station

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