(S) From the station go north along Church Hill. After just 50 yards, as the road turns left, turn right onto a narrow path through trees. Within a few yards the path comes out onto a dual carriageway (Crossways Boulevard, A206). Turn right along the pavement, soon past Travelodge Hotel.
After 120 yards, and just after a bus stop, turn left to cross the road via pelican crossing. Once overturn right along the pavement past a bus stop. NOTE: If you have come over the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge via the X80 bus, then this would have been the bus stop you should have got off.
(1) On reaching the roundabout, cross over service road (Claire Causeway). Once over follow a path (by right of Barnes Roffe sign) away from the road, past four large boulders and across the narrow car park to fingerpost, signed "Footpath".
Turn left and follow the path around two sides of a lake for 225 yards. Turn left through a wooden kissing gate and stay straight on along the grass verge between a metal fence and a road (Quadrant Court).
After 175 yards follow the gap through concrete bollards and go through a metal kissing gate. Stay straight on soon up grass embankment via steps. Then straight on down steps and up the third set of steps onto a second embankment.
(2) Turn left along the well-defined path with the River Thames to your right hand side. After another 0.8 miles we pass under the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at 1.3 miles.
(3) Just continue along this path, keeping the River Thames to your right hand side. At 3.28 miles the path divides. You can veer left and head straight for the huge Dartford Creek Barrier, or follow the path straight on around a large sweeping bend to join the Darent Estuary and past the Darent Creek Barrier. Both are about the same distance and achieve the same outcome. NOTE: If you take the first option, the path soon veers right and then turns left to a crossroad of tracks. Here turn right towards the large barrier.
Stay straight on past the Dartford Creek Flood Barrier to your right hand side (at 3.5 miles) and along the Darent Valley Path.
(4) As the path approaches a busy road (A206 at 5.4 miles) there are two options. The official path crosses the busy dual-carriageway, which is dangerous. However, as long as the river is not high, turn right and follow the path to the river and under the road. Then continue south along the Darent Valley Path. At 6 miles go through a metal gate and straight on behind industrial units, keeping the river to your right hand side.
(5) After another 400 yards turn right to cross a long footbridge over the river. Then along an enclosed path and out onto a road (Hythe Street). Turn left along the road.
(6) At the end of Hythe Street turn left, soon past the entrance to Langley Square, to your left hand side and a roundabout to your right hand side, and into Mill Pond Road.
NOTE: The route I use from here to the finish at Dartford Station is not the official route, but I believe it is a better route and is shorter. The official route crosses Mill Pond Street immediately the roundabout. Then turns left along Mill Pond Street. In 180 yards passes over the River Darent and after another 100 yards turns right into Overy Street and under the railway. 50 yards later it turns right onto a path along the edge of a car park. The path soon turns left, then right to cross a footbridge over the River Darent. From here you just continue straight on to Dartford Station. NOTE: The one thing the official route does do, is avoid a flight of steps.
(7) After 200 yards turn right to cross Mill Pond Road, via a pelican crossing. Just past the footbridge, climb the steps and turn left along a path which leads to Station Approach and continue straight on to Dartford Station at the end of the stage.
If you chose not to finish here and wish to continue along our route, just continue to follow the path next to the River Darent.
Dartford Station has regular services back to Stone Crossing at the start of the stage. It is just one stop and takes 4 minutes. There are also many other alternatives as Dartford Station is a major interchange in the North Kent Region.(E)
