Blue Bell Hill
Visit the Blue Bell Hill viewpoint on this circular walk on the North Downs Way near Chatham. From the hill there are great views over the River Medway and North Downs. The south west side of Blue Bell Hill is a Site of Special Scientific Interest with several rare plant species. The hill is also home to Kit's Coty chamber tomb, a Neolithic chambered long barrow which forms part of the Medway megaliths. The megaliths were constructed from local sarsen stone and soil between the 4th and 3rd millennia BCE. Our longer Medway Megaliths Walk visits three of the stones and starts from the same car park.
This walk starts from the car park on the hill which gives direct access to the footpaths. These take you across the hill and through woodland, scrub and chalk grassland with great views to enjoy. Flora and fauna is intersting with bulbous buttercup, salad burnet, hairy violet, bee orchid and wild strawberry. Look out for butterflies such as dingy skipper, grizzled skipper and chalk hill blue. It's a lovely place to spend a few hours with a picnic site where you can enjoy a snack and take in the views.
The hill is located just south of Chatham, Gillingham and Rochester in Kent.
Postcode
ME5 9QU - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locationsBlue Bell Hill Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Blue Bell Hill Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Blue Bell Hill OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Blue Bell Hill Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Pubs/Cafes
The Robin Hood in Blue Bell Hill village is an interesting pub worthy of some investigation. The pub dates back over 700 years and includes a charming interior with a wood burner for colder days. Outside there's a lovely garden area with BBQ facilities during the warmer months. You can find the pub on Common Road with a postcode of ME5 9RJ for your sat navs.
Dog Walking
The hill is a nice place to take your dog for a walk and there are some nice woodland areas nearby which are also ideal. The Robin Hood pub mentioned above is also dog friendly.
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
Head west from the hill and you can visit the ancient Coldrum Long Barrow and Trosley Country Park. The Long Barrow is about 3,000 years old and the only one in the Medway Valley to remain virtually intact.
A couple of miles north east of the hill there's the popular Capstone Farm Country Park. The park has some nice trails around ancient woodland and a small lake.
Just to the south of the hill you'll find the attractive village of Aylesford. Here there are a number of interesting sites to see including Allington Castle, Allington Lock, Aylesford Priory and the Museum of Kent Life. The open-air museum includes a thatched barn, an oast house and a farm with animals. The priory is also well worth a visit. Also known as The Friars this historic site dates back to the 13th century. You can explore the lovely grounds and take in the stunning medieval buildings, before enjoying walks down the Peace Garden and Rosary Way.
Head a few miles south east along the North Downs Way and there's the lovely village of Boxley to visit. Here you'll find the noteworthy Boxley Warren Nature Reserve and the remains of the 12th century Boxley Abbey. Near here you can also pick up the circular Bearsted Walk which visits the ruins of the 12th century Thurnham Castle in White Horse Wood Country Park. The village is also worth a visit with a nice village green, a 13th century church, a conservation area with many historic listed buildings and a 17th century pub to see.
Just east of Rochester there's the attractive village of Upnor with its English Heritage owned 16th century castle and quaint old village centre.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Kent Walks and North Downs Walks pages.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
Medway Valley from Blue Bell Hill. The village in the picture is Burham.
Blue Bell Hill Picnic site on the North Downs in Kent gives a view over the Medway Gap. In this photo you can see the Memorial to the Kent Air Ambulance Crew who crashed near to the site on the 26th July 1998.
View from the hill with Snodland, the Horseshoe reach meander of River Medway and the paper mills in front, and the North Downs on the other side of the gap at Trottiscliffe.
Robin Hood, Blue Bell Hill
Information board and dog walkers at the viewpoint in autumn.
A colourful view in June
Kissing gate to Burham Downs
View West towards Snodland from Blue Bell Hill