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The Queen Anne facade of Lullingstone Castle conceals a Tudor mansion

Walk through a parking area and onto a lane by the castle’s gatehouse entrance. Keep on this lane for almost ½ mile/800 metres, but immediately before reaching Lullingstone Roman Villa, turn left on a footpath rising among trees.

Lullingstone Roman Villa dates from about AD100, but was enlarged over some 300 years of occupation to house what was probably an important Roman official. There were baths and underfloor heating, a Christian chapel, and superb mosaic floors on public display now via English Heritage (www.english-heritage.org.uk).

Above the trees the way continues to climb, and near the head of the slope a path breaks off to the right. Ignoring this, continue ahead alongside trees, then veer left through the trees to cross the open brow of a hill with long views over the Darent Valley. Now the path slopes downhill, passes between scrub trees into a dip, then rises on the other side. When it forks keep ahead on the right branch, soon coming to an open meadow which you cross along its right-hand edge. On the far side the path divides again. Take the left branch (the other is a bridleway) which takes you through a long strip of woodland with a golf course on the left. At a crossing track continue directly ahead through another section of woodland, but when you emerge from this at a paved way on the golf course, turn right towards a car park and the clubhouse.