The idea of forming a local group of the Ramblers Association was first floated by David Wilkinson when he, together with a group of keen walkers, started going on regular walks together in March 1987. The Sevenoaks group was founded on 25th March 1987 during the course of a public meeting held at the "Farmers" pub, Sevenoaks. As a result of this meeting, a committee was elected, with David Wilkinson as the Secretary. Their enthusiasm, together with some financial support from the Ramblers' Association, resulted in a published walks and social programme. From this beginning membership has grown from fifty at the start to well over two hundred and fifty ramblers who now enjoy a wide ranging walks programme together with regular social events. Some of the earliest members from that time included Chris Pitt, Kate Evans (social secretary, who looked after our photo albums for years), Jane Hadlow, Betty and Michael Collins.
Minutes from some of the earliest committee meetings (long before computers!) can be viewed by clicking on these links:
1987 - April, 1987 - May, 1987 - July, 1987 - August, 1988 - April, 1988 - May
AGM minutes / accounts from the early 1990s are available here:
1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994
Ten years later the installation of a commemorative bench was proposed by Michael Collins, Chairman of Sevenoaks Ramblers at the time, to mark our 10th anniversary, and a suitable site was sought. The Committee and other Group members searched for and selected several potential sites, but permission was refused on all of them. It was not until mid 1998, more than a year later, that Arthur Russ, with his personal contacts in Chevening as a Parish Councillor, managed to secure the permission of John Darke, the tenant of Morants Court Farm on the Chevening Estate, to site the bench on his land on Star Hill, a perfect south-facing location on the North Downs Way with wonderful views over Chevening and the surrounding countryside. Arthur Russ also made all the arrangements for the fine teak bench to be commissioned from a local craftsman and delivered to the site. The installation was carried out by four members of the Committee - Arthur Russ, Harvey Mahn, Graham Canfield, who made and supplied the metal brackets, and Michael Collins, who supplied the sand and cement for the base.
On the morning of 6 June, 1998, the day of the dedication, a group of Sevenoaks Ramblers assembled at St Botolphs Church, Chevening, and walked up to the site on Star Hill for the formal ribbon cutting ceremony, but found the bench was already occupied by another group of walkers who were having a drinks stop there. However, they moved away so that the ribbon could be attached and the ceremony was performed by Chris Barrow, Chairman of Kent Area Ramblers Association.
In 2020 the bench again became the subject of the Sevenoaks Group's attention after a photograph of it was circulated to the Committee. The bench, now 22 years old, was in good condition structurally, but was well weathered, and the suggestion to clean and restore it to something approaching its original colour was proposed. However, after researching how best to undertake the task, and having sought the advice of several experts, it became apparent that the job of refurbishment had been grossly underestimated; it was a much more extensive and skilled an operation than had been anticipated. The expert advice and opinion was that the bench would be best left untouched as it was too weathered to restore, and in its present condition it would probably last for another 75 years. However, as the original inscription is now so weathered that it is illegible a brass plate has been mounted on the backrest with the following inscription:
Sevenoaks Ramblers Founded 25 March 1987 Installed to commemorate its 10th anniversary in 1997
Originally migrated from https://sevenoaksramblers.org.uk/walks.html.