efog-blog
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
RSPB Rye Meads (Herts)
On November 25th, with a touch of frost on the ground and a cloudless sky above us,, we had a lovely sunny, though chilly, Saturday for a stroll round the RSPB site. We didn’t see any particularly rare/unusual birds, but did see magpies feasting on a dead goose.
The only kingfisher near ‘kingfisher hide’ was the sculpture we posed beside.
Shortly after ‘kingfisher hide’ we opted to leave the site through the one-way turnstile and do the 1km walk around the perimeter of the reserve. The total walk was 2.5 miles.
On returning to the car park most of us then went to the Rye House pub for a meal. Although it’s a large pub with a beer garden we discovered that at this time of year they don’t serve food outdoors, though we could take our drinks outside. As a result it was pretty full inside, but after 10/15 minutes a table did become free so we were able to enjoy a meal and then return home in plenty of time for the evening’s RNLI quiz in Loughton which some of us were taking part in.
Richard. 25th November 2023
Finsbury Park to Alexandra Palace
On a slightly mixed, but mainly sunny Saturday 11th November, a group of us met at Finsbury Park station and were led by Trevor through Finsbury Park, over the railway, then along Parkland Walk (South) – a disused railway route which ends just before a fenced off tunnel at Holmesdale Road. Along the way we passed various reminders of the route’s railway past, such as a Pub called ‘The Goods Yard’, a former station-master’s house and the old platforms etc.
Now there are also community nature trails and wild flower gardens off the main track as well as a community play/climbing area (alas for kids not us).
At one vantage point there was a good view across to Stratford and Ilford where we tried to pick out landmarks, the obvious one being the ArdelorMittal Orbit.
After leaving the Parklands Walk we followed the road up to The Woodman pub then crossed over to Highgate Woods. A short way into the woods and it opened out to the cricket field but half hidden behind trees and shrubs was the Pavilion Café were we stopped for refreshment.
We then carried on through Highgate Wood to join up with Parkland Walk (North) and follow that. As we crossed a bridge over Cranley Gardens we followed the guide book’s advice and didn’t think of the serial killer, Dennis Nilsen who used to live there, and who was recently portrayed by David Tennant.
We then proceeded to Alexandra Palace and on to Alexandra Palace station, a total of 6 miles.
Richard. 27th November 2023