Start Day ( 8.6.2013 )
08/06/13 17:45
Weather forecast for today is great. Overcast in the morning followed by blue sky and sunshine and temperatures around 20 C.
Great,
I can finally start the project of walking around London. Today it's section 1: Erith - Bexley. Almost home turf, at least the final part.
The 9:40 departure from Sidcup station gets me to Erith. A short walk to the official unofficial starting point of the walk, situated directly at the Thames.
Erith is a very industrial town at the Thames estuary, not very charming but as soon as one has left the town and reaches the marshland it changes completely. Along the estuary, on top of the flood defenses it is a very pleasant walk through the wind-swept marshland with the QE2 bridge of the Dartford Crossing on the horizon.
One can still see old WW2 air defense bunkers surrounded with ponies grazing. Leaving the Thames behind one then follows the River Darent through the Crayford Marshes to the point where the River C ray flows into the Darent.
After a while one reaches Crayford with its nice town centre. Leaving the town along the River Cray one reaches a vast open space: Hall Place.
Build around 1540 by a former Lord Mayor of London it belongs now the the London Borough of Bexley. Both house and gardens are open the public and a nice restaurant directly of the river Cray forced me to have some tea and scones.
Refreshed the walk continued through Churchfield Wood and emerged then at St.Mary's Church Bexley with it's funny shingled spire. Through the busy Bexley High Street passing the big and weatherboarded mill on the Cray to reach Bexley station, the final point of this section.
8 ¾ miles are done, 143 ¼ to go
For some pictures of this section: click here
Great,
I can finally start the project of walking around London. Today it's section 1: Erith - Bexley. Almost home turf, at least the final part.
The 9:40 departure from Sidcup station gets me to Erith. A short walk to the official unofficial starting point of the walk, situated directly at the Thames.
Erith is a very industrial town at the Thames estuary, not very charming but as soon as one has left the town and reaches the marshland it changes completely. Along the estuary, on top of the flood defenses it is a very pleasant walk through the wind-swept marshland with the QE2 bridge of the Dartford Crossing on the horizon.
One can still see old WW2 air defense bunkers surrounded with ponies grazing. Leaving the Thames behind one then follows the River Darent through the Crayford Marshes to the point where the River C ray flows into the Darent.
After a while one reaches Crayford with its nice town centre. Leaving the town along the River Cray one reaches a vast open space: Hall Place.
Build around 1540 by a former Lord Mayor of London it belongs now the the London Borough of Bexley. Both house and gardens are open the public and a nice restaurant directly of the river Cray forced me to have some tea and scones.
Refreshed the walk continued through Churchfield Wood and emerged then at St.Mary's Church Bexley with it's funny shingled spire. Through the busy Bexley High Street passing the big and weatherboarded mill on the Cray to reach Bexley station, the final point of this section.
8 ¾ miles are done, 143 ¼ to go
For some pictures of this section: click here
