26/9/11 - Capital Ring Stage 6 - Rutting and Wombles

Start - Wimbledon Park
Finish - Richmond
Distance - 8 miles
Caches - 2
Pubs - Loads of choice in Richmond.

Capital Ring Phase 6

The indian summer has provided a bonus in the quest and reaching the half way point at the river on the western side of the circle.

Both start and end point of the walk are on the District Line which has a stop opposite my hotel.  Getting dark at the end of the walk, so it may be the last of the year, but you never know.

I had high expectations for this and it didn't disappoint.  Some of the legs have had road walking and dodgy locations in south london but in Richmond Park, you feel like you are in the Scottish highlands.

Cross Wimbledon Park, with its large lake and onto the home of the Wombles.  The weather cannot make up its mind and a particulary strong downpour has me heading for the Windmill cafe for protection from the elements.  By the time I have ordered my coffee it has stopped.

Wimbledon Cafe

Take my coffee with me as I walk through the woodland on good paths.  First cache of the day is behind a tree next to kingston university playing fields.

Cross Kingston Vale Parkway.  This is like a motorway and then head into the wilds of Richmond Park.  Its rutting season and as you approach Pen Ponds, you can hear almost prehistoric bellowing.  It is like the start of Jurassic Park.  On the tube down, I read the Evening Standard that had the attached Story.  I didnt get close enough for a great picture - but you get the point.

Pen Ponds

Get off my land

Its quite a sight. I have a female come darting across the path and in the ferns you can see her persuer - well his antlers sticking out over the top at least.

This leads to a conversation with an incredibly nosey woman who insists on walking with me and repeating everything I say to her friend Sandra.  "Sandra - he's walking the capital ring".  It goes on.  She does ask me if I have lost weight by doing the walk.  I dont know if my trousers were hanging off me or she thought I was doing it in one go, but it seemed a strange question to ask a stranger.

Leave them behind at Pertersham where Cache number 2 is - next to a pub that is too posh for me.  Find the cache high in a tree and get showered in wood lice.  Nice.

Across Pertersham Meadows and I am back on the Thames on the run in to Richmond.  More nice views and quality places to eat that I am too smelly for.

Night fall over the Thames

There a cache at the end - found it last Jan

Richmond is a lovely place.  Even the tramp is popular and gets loads of people talking with him.  My first port of call is the White Cross.  Can't really avoid the call of the Neon.

Come in - we have Stella

Then its something to eat.... and an encounter with an amateur dramatics groups when I was looking for the loos.  They did ask if I would like to join, but I could have only accepted if they had a role for a man who needed a pee badly....

Best part of the Ring, so far.