11/4/11 - Capital Ring Phase 2

Distance - 4 Miles
Starting Point - Falconwood
Ending Point - Grove Park
Number of Caches -2
Walk Details
Stage 1

Capital Ring Phase 2

Having never been to Falconwood before, who would have thought I would be back so soon.  Take the train  from Waterloo East to Falconwood and avoid the temptation of going for a chicken and ribs combo again and head off.  The skies are omninous and although it never rains too much, the hood is up for a large part of this walk.

I modified the start slightly to take in a couple of caches on the Green Chain walk, which the Capital Ring shares for many miles along the route.  The caches are straightforward and there are only two but at least I have recorded some progress on this odyssey.

Interesting building number 1 is the Eltham Conduit... there is no sign or anything saying what it was or did, but it looked interesting enough to warrant a photo.

Answers on a Postcard

This soon leads to Eltham Palace.  You have to pay to get in, and the Website says that it is worth it.  I tried to sneak a peak over the walls.  Didn't get a photo that did it justice.... so I lifted one from the web.

This leads onto St John's Walk which is easily the best part of the walk.  I almost didn't notice, as the texts were coming in about the boy being safe and well in America but look to your right for an awesome panorama of the City.  I think we are about 5 miles from Canary Wharf but you can pick out all the major structures from St Pauls, to Post Office Tower and the Eye.  What is amazing is how the Shard is going to dominate the sky line.

Lots of Photos on the everytrail link.

What I am circumnavigating

From this ancient walk way, I am deposited in Mottingham... this looks a nicer part of London than both where I start and finish on the walk.  Across a few fields and I walking alongside the wonderfully monikered Quaggy River.  It looked like an open sewer, if the truth is told.

The one rule I have on this walk is stop at any pub on route.  Phase 1 had a grand total of 1 - at the end.  Phase 2 follows suit.  I checked Grove Park on google maps and the Baring Hall hotel looked like it would do.  You can zoom in and read the menu.

Alas, like all explorers, I had to man up and cope with the major adversity on reaching the destination.

No tea for Mappiman

20:03 Back from Grove Park back into Charing Cross and a closer look at many of the sites that I could see in the distance.  A quick visit to the Coach and Horses on Romilly Street.  If you are ever in London go to this pub.  They have a cockney knees up on the old joanna on a Wednesday.