Tuesday, 31 December 2013
Coastwalk
The Plan, update 3
If you've helped us on the coast path — perhaps by putting us up overnight or joining us on a walk — then hopefully you'll have received a postcard from us sometime in the past month or so.
On the reverse were these words:
NT 9786 5753: "Fàilte gu Alba"
The end of one fifteen year walk; the start of another.
Thank-you for helping us walk the coastline of England and Wales.
We'll finish the last six miles in early 2014. Would you like to join us?
Yes, The Plan is on track.
We've plugged the gaps from 2011-12 and even nudged beyond our target for this year. We have just five walks left in England, and are hoping the last one will be en masse.
So next year's plans are rather modest: 45 miles. Less than one tenth of this year's distance.
We know the date we will cross the border into Scotland. We'd be delighted if you'd like to join us. Please email and we'll send you the details.
Happy New Year! It's going to be a landmark one.
[Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2011]
Sunday, 29 December 2013
The London Loop
Jubilee Country Park → West Wickham Common
Distance: 8.92 miles
Ascent: 211 metres
Duration: 3 hours 23 minutes
Bromley
« Not walked | Not walked »
We had planned to try to complete the entire Loop before resuming work in the New Year, but I suspect this slightly curtailed walk will be the last of the week: slipping and sliding on endless muddy trails saps energy and doubles the perceived distance travelled.
At times today it's been hard to believe that we're still within the confines of the M25. The path has worked its way across fields and country parks, down narrow green lanes and up surprisingly steep wooded hills. We've seen a spring named in Caesar's honour and the remnants of an oak tree associated with the abolition of slavery.
We had hoped to go further, but we stopped at West Wickham Common. Better to quit while were were still enjoying the walk rather than grumble for another nine miles.
Saturday, 28 December 2013
The London Loop
Erith → Jubilee Country Park
Distance: 14.75 miles
Ascent: 171 metres
Duration: 5 hours 5 minutes
Bexley, Bromley
« Not walked | Not walked »
The London Outer Orbital Path ("Loop") is the outermost of three circular walking routes promoted by Walk London. We've previously walked the Jubilee Walkway and the Capital Ring so at last it's time to tackle the big one: all 140 miles of it. By the time we've finished we'll have passed through most of the London boroughs on one of these three routes.
Today's leg took us from the south bank of the Thames in Erith to the mouth of the River Cray, which we followed almost all the way to its source.
Many of the route descriptions for the walk navigate by pubs, but today almost without exception we found boarded-up hostelries, faded signs hanging forlornly from rusting brackets. It's not an encouraging sight.
More encouraging were the babbling brooks flowing through public parks (surely the "park" is one of London's greatest contributors to culture), serene churchyards and unexpected gems like the open gardens at Hall Place.
Back to the present, the recent high winds have brought down fences and trees in places, and the rain has waterlogged playing fields and paths. We had to divert more than once to find our way around although particularly along the final stretch of the day — between the tall trees of Pett's Wood — nothing was deterring the large numbers of families walking off their seasonal overindulgences.
