Named by Ordnance Survey as one of the 10 most popular walks in Britain during the past year, according to data from its mapping app, this walk in the Medway valley starts and finishes at the Carpenters Arms pub on the edge of Tonbridge.

We dispatched our man Rhys Griffiths to explore the trail and find out what makes this spot in the Garden of England so popular among walkers.

Not 10 minutes into my exploration of this glorious corner of the county, I can already see why this particular spot has found favour with so many walkers. It’s a little before 10am, the sun already high in the clear blue sky, and the Kent countryside stretches out before me.

I’ve taken a bus from the centre of town to the outskirts of Tonbridge, where the Carpenters Arms pub stands a short distance from the busy A26. Here the suburbs give way to open countryside and the Medway valley, and within moments I am entirely alone amid the fields and hedgerows.

The plan is to follow footpaths southward, down towards the river, before turning east and following its lazily meandering waters for a few miles before swinging back and around – finishing the day’s exertions with a well-earnt pint and lunch back at the pub.

This walk may be fairly well-known to those living nearby – but for someone from the east of the county, this was certainly a discovery of another of Kent’s hidden gems.

At first the paths skirt the edges of fields, some full of burgeoning crops, others empty, their soil cracked and dry after a long spell of warm, dry weather. The tranquility is magnificent, seemingly the only other people for miles around being another pair of walkers I spot pacing purposefully across a field in the distance.

Reaching the river, my path turns left, initially running along the edge of fields, the water itself obscured by vegetation, until eventually the path reaches the banks.

There is more life now, with numerous anglers unloading trolleys full of fishing gear as they set up in positions spaced out along the water’s edge. We exchange brief pleasantries and nods of acknowledgement as I pass. It looks, to my uneducated eye, like a fine day for fishing. The sort of day where the catch is secondary to the sedate pleasure of sitting back and watching the river roll by.

At one of the many locks which make this stretch of the river navigable to small craft, I stop on a bench to gulp down water and apply more sunscreen – it’s certainly getting hotter as the time passes. I’ve also got Test Match Special in my ears. All is good in the world.

The footpath crosses the river here, and on the south bank the way winds through thre trees, their foliage providing welcome shade. Later I pass by a lone fisherman on a jetty, the scene a perfect encapsulation of the splendid solitude offered up by this stretch of river.

Glancing at the map on my phone, I see opportunies to swing north ahead. But the going is so pleasant that I decide to follow the confluence of the Medway and the smaller Bourne which flows into it. I can’t help but think that on a day like this, in such a perfect setting, it would be lovely to follow the Medway as far as my legs could carry me.

Reaching the Bourne, I cross the river and begin to head back around in the direction I came. The way leads to the hamlet of Little Mill, on the edge of East Peckham, and the welcoming sight of the Man of Kent pub. I hadn’t planned a stop on the walk, but it’s after midday and the opportunity for a cold one under an umbrella in the beer garden is too good to turn down. The lunchtime crowd is beginning to arrive, and conviviality rules the day.

Setting off once more, I am now well into the second half of the walk. Unfortunately, away from the riverside, the way is rather more disjointed than earlier in the morning. Being an urbanite at heart, I make the odd navigational error – at one point leading myself right into a dead end – and eventually decide to follow the road as I head back towards the Carpenters Arms.

By now the sun is beating down relentlessly and I can feel the miles in my legs. There are still lovely rural views to enjoy, though, including what looks to my untrained eyes like fields of lavender, and oasthouses on the horizon beyond orchards. The Garden of England in all its summer splendour.

Soon I round the final bend and my destination is in sight. Rarely has the promise of a pint and a pub lunch felt so good. A pale ale and hearty ham sandwich just reward for three hours on my feet.

It’s not hard to see why this walk has proved so popular with users of the OS app. It really has it all. Gorgeous countryside, a lovely riverside walk, and a fine hostelry to welcome the weary wanderer.

If you want a taste of the enduring glory of this fine county, you’ll certainly find it in this wonderful corner of Kent.