Welcome to Poppy’s Postern Trail. This is a series of geocaches that take you around the Postern area of Tonbridge which is an interesting and picturesque area. Postern lane starts alongside the River Medway, before rising and giving views overlooking the Medway Valley and northwards towards Hadlow and the North Downs.
The walk is approximately 3.2 miles in total and is a circular route, although part of the return walk takes you back along the route you first walked along.
The Postern is a private road so you cannot drive along it – there is also a barrier across the road at the end of Postern Lane as it comes out onto Cannon Lane. The route takes you along public footpaths. Parking is best in the carpark at Swanmead sports ground (near Aldi) or the Retail parks of the Cannon Lane area (although check the length of time you can park for before any charges), which is near the first cache just off Cannons bridge over the Medway.
The route is on a quiet road and then footpaths, which can get muddy. Part of the route passes along a footpath near the railway and although fenced, there is a footpath that crosses the railway line (not part of this route but close by), so be careful with dogs and children.
Thanks to the books from Capel History Society for some of the information given here.
Note - the cache #5 has not yet been placed, so there are 11 active caches.
The first cache is a little way along Postern Lane, at a popular fishing spot on Botany stream, which flows into The Medway a little way further downstream.
The tributary flows off the main Medway at River Lawn, near the park in the town and flows through the industrial estate before it rejoins the main Medway a little further downstream from this cache. This area floods in winter, so wellies may be required !