Forty Hall Estate and Hilly Fields Walk

Saturday 24th February saw a bright and sunny morning after 2 days of almost continuous rain. Cathy, Lorraine (Cathy’s friend), Louise, Richard and I arrived at Turkey Street station, and were soon joined by Jill S. and Sue, and after a while, by Annick and Peter who had problems with the Central Line.

With all nine of us (a good turnout) now arrived, we set off from the station following the London Loop footpath, heading towards Forty Hall Estate, alongside Enfield Cemetery before crossing the A10 via the “step aerobics” bridge, and continuing on the loop to enter Forty Hall Estate. Ignoring the path to the left we continued ahead with Turkey Brook, which was flowing fast after the recent rain, to our right and woods and ponds to our left, stopping to admire some fungi which had grown on some fallen trees, like a fungi city. After a diversion to avoid a length of flooded footpath, we exited the park and crossed the road to enter Hilly Fields Park.

Entering the park, we followed the lower path beside Turkey Brook before eventually turning right to cross over the brook and heading uphill, with a grassed area to our left, to St John’s Church for our lunch break. The churchyard offered several seats, although they were well spaced throughout the garden, and was an ideal place for lunch at the halfway point of the walk.

After lunch, a brisk saunter downhill saw us briefly enter into Whitewebbs Park before retracing part of our outward walk, with Turkey Brook now on our left. After a while, we turned right towards the hall, heading uphill through the woods and some wet and muddy fields, not helped by the short shower of rain which was now falling, and passing the grazing cattle.

We soon reached the hall and headed for the cafe for a drink and some shelter from the rain. However, there was a considerable queue and we were then informed that they were running short of food and drinks, so as the rain had now stopped we headed off. We had a look at the front of the hall and the pond constructed in front of the hall, before heading downhill to rejoin the London Loop and retracing our footsteps back to the station, a total distance of about 6 miles. .

It had been a good walk, with a few wet and muddy spots, but not a bad as I had originally feared given the recent rain, and we all made it back in good spirits.

Trev “Pathfinder” Eley

Photos by Jill S.

Walking the Green London Way, from Wimbledon to Richmond Park.

Four members met on January 28th 2024 (myself, Richard, Trevor and Eileen) to continue walking the Green London Way. I’d started doing this “around London” route in 2014, but had to stop due to family circumstances in 2016. (See here for the last in that series)

It was good to pick up where we left off. The weather couldn’t have been better – an unexpectedly sunny and warm day, providing lots of promises of spring on-the-way. We began in Wimbledon itself, as we walked to Wimbledon Common, looking at the huge variety of houses reflecting the different populations which had settled there as a result of the spread of coaches, trains and trams. We passed what must be one of the oddest listed building in London – a Victorian electricity transformer, and heard about the origins of the first World Tennis Championship (in 1877) including the prophecy (by the first champion) that “Lawn tennis will never become one of the great games”.

The main part of the walk took us across Wimbledon Common, by far the largest in London. It included a visit to Cannizaro Park. As in previous walks, we discovered how we could easily have lost access to this former estate, had it not been for the persistent efforts of ‘ordinary’ people who prevented the common being sold-off and enclosed in the 1870s. Today, even in winter, the variety of natural habitats, flora and fauna was obvious. The nightingales might now be long gone, but there was no dearth of beauty everywhere we went. The Windmill – once a quite dangerous place as well as a popular duelling spot, provided a welcome break.

The last leg of the walk took us through a forested area of the common. This proved to be a bit of a challenge. Writing this, I NOW know where I went wrong! I set off from the wrong corner of the car park and the wrong entrance to a golf club (there are a lot). Sorry folks. Fortunately (especially when the leader had forgotten to put a back-up map in her rucksack), the wonderful EFOG team work came into play when I finally admitted I was definitely lost! By combining knowledge from compass and map reading sessions, similar experiences, asking passers-by, and trying to interpret different phone ‘trackers’, we finally got back on track and reached Beverley Brook. Even so, we had walked an estimated 8 miles instead of 6 (the original maximum estimate). Hopefully, that won’t put off my 3 amigos (or anyone else) from walking with me again in future? I promise I will not forget the map again – and will bring a compass as well.

The next walk in this series, from Richmond Park to Kew Bridge will be on Sunday April 14th. “Will anyone be brave enough to come?” I ask. I hope so.

Pam,  31st January 2024

Boxing Day Walk 2023 Wanstead Park

Following a rainy Christmas Day, the 26th December dawned bright and sunny and a total of 8 Efoggers turned up at Wanstead Park for a short walk, organised by Louise and Madeleine and kindly led by Ian, being the one who knows the way round the best. 

We were joined by Brian, Kathy, Lynne, Frances and Parviz and enjoyed a slightly muddy walk until we reached the tea hut which was open, where we had a brief pause for hot drinks and snacks.  Then we carried on, spotting a heron and a few cattle brought over to graze for the winter, and got back to our cars just as darkness started to fall, and the weather started to change.  A very pleasant walk, thanks to Ian for leading, and to those who came.

Madeleine and Louise, 2nd January 2024

Isle of Dogs walk

On a rather dreary and wet 9th December, a group of us met at Canary Wharf Station. En route we’d heard an order to evacuate Whitechapel Station when we were changing trains on the Elizabeth Line, but that turned out to just be a fire alarm test.

We walked first to the Museum of London Docklands, where we learned the origins of the names ‘Isle of Dogs’ and ‘Canary Wharf’ as well as being able to learn about the Docklands trades, slavery etc.

After an hour or so we left the museum and were pleased to find that the rain had stopped.

Going past Westferry Circus we joined the Thames Path on this northern bank of the river.

We saw several Cormorants and a Heron around one pier. We carried on past the Sir John McDougall Gardens (the flour magnate), then passed the launch site for Brunel’s SS Great Eastern and continued until we could see the Cutty Sark and the Old Royal Naval College.

We then cut through Millwall Park to Mudchute Farm where we saw Indian Runner Ducks, Golden Pheasants, llamas, sheep, goats and pigs and then up to Asda for lunch and caught the DLR back from Crossharbour Station, having walked a total of about 4 miles.

Richard,  13th December 2023