Category: Blog

The London Loop Part 12: Coulsdon South to Ewell

And so we come to the penultimate section of the loop, a short eight miles on a Sunday afternoon leaving another roughly eight mile section to complete.

Starting back at Coulsdon South station the route climbs back up onto the North Downs through suburban 1930’s housing before crossing running alongside the first of many golf courses on this section at Woodcote Park.

The views from this reality high ground North towards the City of London are quite spectacular, and I have a soft spot of the downland pastures here.

I can imagine the Lavender Fields at Mayfield would be quite the site and smell in a couple of weeks time, but the cool April and early May mean the fields offer only a hint of whats to come.

A long straight bridlepath runs just to the south of High Down Prison before the route turns north missing the town of Banstead and starting to head North for the reminder of the route.

Crossing Banstead Downs Golf Course is almost and hazardous as crossing the busy A217, it was a busy day for Golfers !

The last few miles are mostly walking through roads of upscale housing, large detached houses which you would describe as Stockbroker Belt housing !

And so onto Ewell through the lovely Nonsuch Park, the grounds of Henry VIII’s last Palace project and the end of the section at Ewell West Station.

The London Loop Part 11: West Wickham to Coulsdon South

The loop so far has been rather gentle, but this section had some more challenging changes in elevation, Snowdonia it is not but the North Downs which todays walking crossed in a number of places still requires you to stop and catch your breath occasionally!

Starting back in West Wickham the path soon enters Spring Park Woods the another of the many areas of woodlands owned by the City of London Corporation in South London.

The next area of woodland Threehalfpenny Wood marks the boundary of the London Borough of Croydon and the beginning of the climb through Shirley up onto Addington Hill with it’s great view of central Croydon and the City of London and Dockands beyond.

The route now heads south for a considerable distance through Littleheath and Selsdon Woods until finally turning west once again just north of the village of Farleigh.

Walking into Hamsley Green is was lovely to cross paths with a group doing their Duke of Edinburgh Expedition walk, such a brilliant activity !

Beyond Hamsey Green the only Trig Pillar on the loop is found at Dispey Field, the route then drops rapidly into the valley carrying the A22 and East Grinstead Railway line before climbing back up again this time using steps onto Kenley Common.

At this point I’m afraid the Avgeek in me took over as I spend a very happy hour or two wondering around Kenley Aerodrome, one of the best preserved Battle of Britain airfields complete with dispersal pens and the old officers mess – and oh I might have had a pint at the Wattenden Arms to toast “The Few!”

From Kenley the route descends one again into the rather charmingly named “Happy Valley”, before once again climbing through some more woodland up onto the chalk grassland of Farthing Downs.

And from Farthing downs its all downhill into Coulsdon and the end of this section at Cousldon South Station.

The London Loop Part 10: Bexley to West Wickham

Well is was such a pleasant day, I walked for most of it covering 16 miles or more than 25km, a bit longer than usual and two sections of the loop from the official guide.

The first section continues along the banks for the River Cray, upstream now the water is remarkable clear and the highlight of this section is the Five Arch Bridge above a weir in the Foots Cray nature Reserve.

A little further on is a useful signpost informing me I have only 44 1/4 miles to go on the London Loop, so I have completed 2/3 all ready!

Passing through Foots Cray a commuter village I expect the estate agents might call it, the route crosses Sidcup Place Park and then crosses the busy A20 before entering the first of many woods to be experienced today, Scadbury Park’s Little Wood.

From Little Wood the route then enters Park Wood and eventually Petts Wood, the woodland which in this case has given it’s name to the local suburb. The bridleways here are quite difficult to cross the lack of rain for the last month or so having hardened them into a tough craggy surface and I needed my walking boots !

Walking into the town of Petts Wood the path rapidly crosses three railway lines via three footbridges, before this section of the route finishes at the edge of the Jubilee Country Park.

I continued South walking through the residential streets of the “other” Farnborough towards High Elms Country Park.

High Elms Country Park was a nice spot to take a break and grab an ice cream, walking the loop during the final stages of lockdown (hopefully) you really miss the ability to pop into a pub for lunch ! The Park was the site of a large Manor House owned by the Lubbock family which was unfortunately destroyed in a fire in 1967, the foundations of the building are still visible as is the Eton Fives court.. every house should have one!

As the route of the Loop starts to finally head West I was becoming more and more aware of the sound of aircraft operating out of Biggin Hill just a few kilometres south of the route, and was pleased to spot one of the Heritage Hangars two seat Spitfires in the circuit… (must do that one day…)

The route climbs onto the North Downs and passes the Wilberforce Oak, the site of a conversation between William Wilberforce and Prime Minister William Pitt the younger that began the process to abolish slavery in 1788.

The final section of the walk skirts the southern edge of Hayes common, finishing rather unceremoniously in Coney Hall, just a kilometre away from Hayes BR Station.