Detling lies at the bottom of the north downs where they are crossed by the busy A249 from Sheerness to Maidstone. My sister and I had called in at Boxley Church 
where our parents are buried with the intention of placing some flowers and tidying the grave. The Kings Arms in Boxley was full and busy so we elected to have a look at Detling and lunch there instead.
You could say that Detling straddles the A249 but in fact the A249 splits Detling in two and the village straddles the Pilgrims Way.
The centre of Detling where The Street crosses the Pilgrims Way. The A249 obscures it and for those on foot the two parts are linked by Jade's Crossing, the footbridge that was eventually built across the busy main road.
We lunched at the Cock Horse Inn and dined on one of the specials of the day, haddock fish cake with cheesey peas. Now, if this was an example of their cuisine I should say that a walker would be missing out if they did not stop there for lunch. The service was friendly and prompt and the food is cooked on the premises and not heated up. Our meals were well presented, not too large and if we were at the end of our walk we would have taken a starter, main course and dessert (at least I would). Highly recommended. In other words, pay the Cock Horse Inn a visit and check it out.
where our parents are buried with the intention of placing some flowers and tidying the grave. The Kings Arms in Boxley was full and busy so we elected to have a look at Detling and lunch there instead.You could say that Detling straddles the A249 but in fact the A249 splits Detling in two and the village straddles the Pilgrims Way.
The centre of Detling where The Street crosses the Pilgrims Way. The A249 obscures it and for those on foot the two parts are linked by Jade's Crossing, the footbridge that was eventually built across the busy main road.
We lunched at the Cock Horse Inn and dined on one of the specials of the day, haddock fish cake with cheesey peas. Now, if this was an example of their cuisine I should say that a walker would be missing out if they did not stop there for lunch. The service was friendly and prompt and the food is cooked on the premises and not heated up. Our meals were well presented, not too large and if we were at the end of our walk we would have taken a starter, main course and dessert (at least I would). Highly recommended. In other words, pay the Cock Horse Inn a visit and check it out.
A view, on this rainy afternoon of part of the area called The Larches, a walking and horse riding area linked to the North Downs Way.
After lunch we strolled from the pub, feeling somewhat mellow, to Jade's Crossing and walked a short way along the Pilgrims Way to where the North Downs Way is posted. The weather was a little overcast then and a light rain fell which made photography with my small camera rather hit or miss so you have to imagine the dense woodland and the narrow slightly overgrown pathways with young silver birches filling the once open spaces and undergrowth covered in strong green foliage, birds busy in the woodland and the open spaces filled with wild flowers such as willow herb and ragwort with the odd wild buddlia, and the inevitable bramble bushes.
The pathways wound through the hills zigzagging up the steep slopes which helped in the high humidity. A notice at the beginning of the trails warned, or advised us, of a prolific number of Adders but unfortunately we saw none which for me was a disappointment but for my sister was a mild relief. Some likes snakes and some don't.
But let us cut to the chase. Detling is a great place to stop, have a meal in the pub and take a walk to through the hills - that is if you can ignore the attraction of
the shows on Detling Hill and remember that during WWII many young fliers based there did their bit for the Battle of Britain, some dying as a result of it, and the place was a stop on the way from Maidstone to Canterbury. The village is old and as you can see from the picture on the right once included a mounting block for travellers. (On horseback) A point is to look for these in villages and ancient houses. And note too the ragstone, flint and fine brickwork of the gate.
The Cock Horse Inn. Note the monument beyond the parked cars - it honours the RAF who were stationed at Detling airfield. 
The interior of the Cock Horse - it is an old inn like Detling itself it has been there long time in one form or another.If you think I am harping on too much about the inn then you are probably right. But opposite is the Pilgrims Way along which we walked and for a few moments watched village cricket at the local grounds and enjoyed the wonderful views offered by the downs. To the south there was a view across the flats to the outskirts of Maidstone and to the north the markers for the North Downs Way and the gate to the White Hills Forest project. Beyond that at about a mile or two is the Thurnham castle - and the Black Lion pub - another recommended eating house - and a walk across the downs to Hucking and the beautiful Woodland Trust area above Hollingbourne.
The amazing thing is that all this is within cooee of the M20 motorway and the Eurostar Railway. Yes, you hear them but after a time you dismiss them and get back to the days of Chaucer and a much more liesurely form of progression, and probably bawdier, but natural experience.
And finally check out the Cock Horse by visiting its website: http://www.cockhorseinn.co.uk/ and see what they have to offer.
