Boughton Aulph: Woodlands, Walking Trails and Local History

Boughton Aulph combines woodland and walking with a layered local history. Nearby is King's Wood; the North Downs Way 10 walk from Wye to Chilham leads to the medieval All Saints Church. When planning your trip, it is worth keeping these themes distinct: woodland trails offer a different kind of activity from church and pilgrimage history.

Woodland and Walking Trails

King's Wood lies on the northern edge of the parish and covers 588 hectares of mixed coniferous and deciduous woodland. The woodland is in the Kent Downs AONB and offers public footpaths as well as a signposted 6 km circular route. The route information gives two specific options that differ in how you plan: you can take the public footpaths into account or follow the expressly signposted circular route. With its stated distance, the circular route offers a clearly defined framework for a walk in the woods.

North Downs Way 10 offers a different kind of walk: the route runs from Wye to Chilham and reaches All Saints Church in Boughton Aluph. This places a 6 km circuit through a large mixed woodland alongside a walk with named start and end points. On the walking route from Wye to Chilham, visitors can reach Perry Court Farm. There, visitors can sample apple juice; the farm's offerings may change.

All Saints Church and the Pilgrimage Routes

All Saints is a medieval church on the Pilgrims' Way, also known as the North Downs Way. It served as a resting place for pilgrims travelling to Canterbury. Thus, the historic pilgrimage connection and the present-day walking route are two distinct aspects of the place: the route leads to the church, while its former role as a resting place explains its history on the way to Canterbury. All Saints Church offers far-reaching views.

Stour Music concerts are held at All Saints Church, Church Lane, Boughton Aluph, Ashford, Kent TN25 4EU.

Roman Road and Historical Details

The area's history is also reflected in older routes. Boughton Aluph lies on the Roman road from the Weald of Kent to Canterbury. The Boughton Aluph and Eastwell War Memorial is a Grade II listed granite war memorial in the form of a Latin cross. These details represent different historical connections: a Roman road towards Canterbury and a named memorial with a distinct design and listing category.

Roman remains were found at Kempes Corner on the A28 Canterbury Road. Another architectural detail is above the gate at Tower Lodge: the chamber there contains a mosaic depicting the victories of Alexander the Great. The find at Kempes Corner and the mosaic represent different historical traces—archaeological remains on the one hand and a pictorial depiction in a building on the other.

Discover more destinations: Dartford, Petham, Greatstone, Barham, Chevening, Lamberhurst, Ramsgate, Wickhambreaux.

For the main travel overview: Kent.