Capital Ring

Falconwood → Wimbledon Park

Distance: 20.3 miles
Ascent: 157 metres
Duration: 6 hours 34 minutes

South
« Not walked | Not walked »

Eltham, Mottingham, Hither Green, Beckenham, Crystal Palace, Norwood, Streatham, Tooting, Balham, Wandsworth, Wimbledon: all place names I'm familiar with, places I've visited once or twice but never really put on a map. Today that changed as we strung them all together on a long walk across the heart of south London.

There was more road walking today compared to last week's walk, and still the parks were the highlights. Two in particular stand out: the wide and varied expanse of Beckenham Place Park and the off-the-wall dinosaur sculptures in Crystal Palace Park.

The dinosaurs really are something else. They may not be accurate according to today's understanding but that can't take away from the splendour of these hundred and fifty year old sculptures. Besides, can you think of any other Grade I listed animals?

Elsewhere, country houses and palaces once again remind us that these large swathes of greenery have not always been open to all. Eltham Palace looks majestic and is a fairly recent addition to English Heritage's portfolio. Beckenham Place Park itself was only acquired by London County Council in 1927. It's hard to imagine the office of the Mayor of London making a similar acquisition today but we can live in hope.