31/1/15 - London Loop Summary

Distance - 152 Miles
Geocaches - 126
Started - Erith, 16/11/13
Finished - Purfleet, 31/01/15



The Best Section - As expected on a journey of this magnitude, there were many highlights.  The eerie walk in dark through Pett's Wood, nearly getting a pint bought for me by my daughter after the Hatton Cross section and eating my sandwiches on a bench under Wildberforce's Oak all stand out. However, the best section had to be the unexpected chalk uplands in the Happy Valley on Stage 5.  A real surprise to be in such good walking country.

The Worst Section - Again, a few to choose from.  Not a big fan of the canals of the North Western section of the loop.  Erith had fine views as long as you were looking at the river and not the inland scrapyards but for pure misery, nothing beats the 1/2 mile down the A1 to go under a tunnel and walk 1/2 mile back up the otherside on Stage 11.

Purfleet, with its one down at heel pub, is no place for a finale.

The Stages (Click on the Hyperlink for Stage Details)

16/11/13 - Erith - Stage 1
12/12/13 - Bexley - Stage 2
18/01/14 - Pett's Wood - Stage 3
22/03/14 - Hayes - Stage 4 
12/04/14 - Upper Warlingham - Stage 5
17/05/14 - Banstead - Stage 6
07/06/14 - Kingston - Stage 7
12/07/14 - Hatton Cross - Stage 8
02/08/14 - Uxbridge - Stage 9
30/08/14 - Moor Park - Stage 10
18/10/14 - Elstree - Stage 11
15/11/14 - Cockfosters - Stage 12
03/01/15 - Chingford - Stage 13
31/01/15 - Harold Wood - Stage 14

Fresh Faced and Keen - 16/11/13

Bedraggled but triumphant - 31/01/15

Summary
After finishing the Capital Ring in September 2014, I was looking for my next challenge.  The London Loop was an obvious choice.  Further out and longer in duration, there was no chance of being able to do it over summer evenings when working in the smoke.

So, I committed to taking advantage of cheap Virgin Train tickets on the weekend (won't have a word said against them) and making a monthly pilgrimage.  Despite minor problems when the local trains weren't running because of the February 2014 storms, I stuck to my goal and finished exactly as planned in January 2015.

15 Trips to the Smoke

On reflection at having finished, its been a blast.  Exactly as expected, wild sections of woodland and farmland, canals, satellite towns, crossing over major roadways and under busy airport skies.  Nearly always well signposted and easily accessible.

Its taken me to places I would never have considered visiting before.

Who would have thought that you could lose yourself in woodland under the roar of landing aircraft near Heathrow?

How long does the train take to get down the single track line to Banstead? - I can still hear the tannoy announcements of stations when I drop off to sleep

Why was a fine looking pub near Stanmore Woods turned into a Gentlemen's establishment for people with clean garments?  I don't know as my mud caked hiking boots ruled me out of further investigation.

I'm delighted to have achieved my goal, but as always with finishing a long term plan, there is a slight feeling of melancholy.  Still, I will can cheer myself up with a certificate.

Certifiable

So what next for one weekend in every four?  Well, check out the London Countyway.  It ticks all the boxes - a third circle of London, this time even further out from the centre.  It is, however, an historical route that hasn't been publicised or maintained since the late 70s.  It will be interesting to see if it's still achievable.

Long out of print - thank god for Ebay

This can start in 2016.  For the rest of this year, I am spending my train money on investigating some vintage walks from London Underground in 1960s and 1970s guide books.

2015 Plans

31/01/15 - An Unfitting End

Start - Harold Wood
Finish - Purfleet
Distance - 13.7 Miles
Geocaches - 14


Carriage A of the 7:20am Birmingham International to Euston resounded to the cheers of middle aged women and the popping of champagne corks. Alas, this was nothing to do my final leg of London Loop but with me accidently finding myself in the middle of a pre-breakfast hen do.  Terry Thomas could have had a field day.

So this is it - 15 months in the making and I find myself travelling to Harold Wood for the final piece of the jigsaw.  A week looking at increasingly ominous weather forecasts suggest everything from blue skies to snowstorms.  In the end, I escape relatively lightly - even if the last four miles were through horizontal sleet.

I'm in for a lengthy haul today, so after a DNF at Harold Wood Station, I can ignore the geocaching and get on with a good few uninterrupted miles.  This walking is through a pleasant enough landscape following the minor Ingrebourne river, into a nature reserve.

Mud avoiding Tarmac Paths for most of Today

First signs of civilisation are at Upminster Bridge, but I'm on tight timescales, so have no time to stop for refreshments.  I also set a time limit on cache hunting, which means number 2 of the day is also a fail.

Never mind, there are loads in Hornchurch Country Park, a former WW1 and WW2 RAF base.  Somehow, the ground and many lakes did not look suitable enough to support the take off and landing of Spitfires.  There is plenty of evidence of its former use with many old pill boxes just off the paths.

Muggles avoided and an increase on my smiley count, I come to Rainham - where naturally enough, it starts raining.  I have factored in time for a break if the pubs on route look suitable.

They are not.

If you're going to name the pub the Albion, don't put it in Wolves colours.

The ones in town are even worse.  I take a look at the Norman Church and head off, thirsty.

Corporate Art, War Memorial and Norman Church

The tourist information signs don't really offer much in the way of quality entertainment.

Go past the Pylon to look at the Concrete Barges

It's a strange landscape once outside Rainham.  Over the railway line and into Rainham Marshes, were the usually ubiquitous London Loop signs disappear.  I do fancy a look at the concrete barges but despite being in the guidebook, the direction arrows are sending me in the opposite direction.

I revise my plans to make sure I complete every inch of the London Loop and set a course to the grey factories and warehouses.  It's that sort of landscape.  A last dissection of two industrial units bring me to the flood defences of the Thames and the original end - the site of the old Rainham to Erith ferry.

No Ferry running now

The guidebook suggests turning around and going back to Rainham station, but improvements to the loop have been subsequently made.  It's now possible to follow the river into Purfleet and get the train from there.

Its a cache laden stretch with industrial views.  The problem is that I get caught up in the Essex Husky Walking society and the sleet comes in horizontally to make these Arctic dogs feel at home.  Eventually, I wait for all 30 of them to disappear into the distance by pretending to take photos of art installations and the aforementioned concrete barges, which are thankfully on route.

Originally supporting the D-Day landings - now an unneeded flood defence

The Diver by John Kaufman

There's not much of beauty along this stretch, although it's popular with bird watchers.  All there is for me to do is keep the Dartford Bridge on the horizon and attempt to thaw out my freezing fingers between caches.

All Grey and Grim

Once past the RSPB centre, its a short walk into the town and the station.  There is a grand choice of one hostelry to celebrate the end of this 152 mile odyssey.

The website for the Royal Hotel makes a play of its former glory as a Royal Opera house and "it putting the Purfect into Purfleet".  TripAdvisor has a different view, with the majority of reviews poor or terrible, with pictures of mouldy bathroom fixtures.  I found friendly bar staff, no real ales and the Irish residents holding court at the bar and entertaining themselves by holding a swearing competition.

Joined in by ordering a Fecking Guinness

20 minutes to get the train, a tearful farewell to the last of the London Loop green signs and obligatory photo to mark the end.

That's the Loop Done

Click on the hyperlink for a full summary of the London Loop

03/01/15 - (Almost) A Grandstand Finish

Distance - 15 Miles
Walk Inspiration - Phase 13 of the London Loop
Geocaches - 4
Start - Chingford
Finish - Harold Wood


The penultimate Stage of the London Loop. To prove that God exists, all my Xmas walking has been completed in the most glorious of Winter Weather. Crisp Frosts, bright sunshine, firm underfoot.

Until today, when the longest walk - all 15 miles of it - is undertaken.  As the rail tickets cannot be wasted, there is no choice but to Goretex up and head out for 6 hours of constant rain, throwing down enough water on Essex that they closed lanes on the M25.

Fun, this wasn't.

Depart at Chingford Station.  Pop my head out the station to get the 1st cache of 2015 and then pop back in again after deciding that Berghaus Deluge Overtrousers are necessary.  Head up to the highlight of the walk.

After 10 minutes, on the edge of Epping Forest, there is a construction that is the last remaining of its type.  A galleried hunting Grandstand, built by Henry the VIII and used by Elizabeth I, who would ride her horse directly to the viewing platform.  They have added in the walls in later years.  They have also built a Premier Inn next to it.  But apart from that, this is living history that you can touch.  And it has a virtual cache next to it.

Somebody went to the trouble of carving the Deer a Johnston.

Having soaked up (oh, the irony) a bit of history, I can get the walk underway properly.  Brush the outskirts of Epping Forest, through Roding Valley recreation ground, over the M11 and some road walking up into Chigwell.

I was rather taken by old Chigwell Village.  A nice looking church, an old school and another highlight.  The King's Head Pub.  Built in 1547, frequented by everyone from Charles Dickens, to Winston Churchill, it dominates the street.  I would have so dearly loved to have gone in but it's 11am and at this point, I hadn't realised that Alan Sugar had bought it and leased it out as a Turkish Restaurant.

Sheesh, indeed.

Chigwell Church

Serving Ale since 1547.

Chigwell done, I plod through fields to get to the next forest, Hainhault.  Not as well protected at Epping, just 336 acres remain.  Presumably, they cut down most of it for the never ending golf course, that has possibly the worst waymarkers I have encountered.  I dont think I saw a single yellow band on a tree, so kind of made my own way across to Lower Park Farm.

A Forest could really do with more trees

The path from the farm to Havering Country Park is not one I will forget in a hurry.  2015 is only three days old and it already has a nadir.  It's gently uphill.  Which means all the rain water is running down hill.  And the mud means you can either take a battle with the thorn bushes to the left or try and hang on to the barb wire fence to the right and slowly make your way up.  I would struggle to explain the outdoor life to a non walker at this point.

Into Havering Country Park and are greeted by an imposing tree lined avenue of majestic Wellingtonia trees.  This is the second largest plantation of these Californian natives in the UK.  Maybe the mud was worth it.  Maybe, I could have got a better photo from Google.

A mixture or rain, sweat and tears

I promise myself lunch at the next shelter.  Its been 10 miles.  I hoped for a barn and got a bus shelter at Havering-Atte-Bower.  It will do.  Check how much water is inside the rucksack.  Thank god for Aquapacs for my electronics and a hastily repurposed plastic bag that the sausage roll came in that will hopefully protect my Game of Thrones book.

5 miles to go and I will admit they were a trudge.  Pygro Park leads to Paternoster Row and then a seemingly never ending drop down along a stream through parks and playgrounds to Harold Wood and my train.

After 15 miles, I dream of a nice country pub with roaring fires and the aforementioned deity provides.

The pub is absolutely packed.  For 3pm on a Saturday with no footie on, I am surprised.  Maybe this is the norm in Essex.  I bustle my way to the bar, looking that disheveled that room is made and then re-arrange the furniture to get the best seat in the house.

Speckled Hen and gently steaming pants made the day all worth while.

I knew Essex Man were prone to dropped aitches

Bliss - Chestnuts Roasting

15/11/14 - London Loop in a Nutshell

Distance - 14 Miles
Geocaches - 14
Start - Cockfosters
Finish - Chingford


Traditionally, Stage 12 of the London Loop should have ended after a more sedate 9 miles, at Enfield Lock Station.  Once again "Planned Engineering Works" on our railway system have meant a change of plan.  There really is no need to kick start the economy with HS2.  We are spending loads maintaining our existing infrastructure.

So, I will attempt to force three stages into two - even if we are double digit walking from now until the end of the Loop.

This stage is a perfect representation of the Loop.  Some fine walking, some unexpected oddities and the delights of walking past the chicken shops of some run down satellite town looking like an oddball in a Soft Shell Suit, carrying a rucksack.

It starts off wonderfully - the loop passes the entrance to Cockfosters Underground, so I am straight on it and into Trent Park and the former Royal hunting park of Enfield Chase.

Into the Woods

Wild woodland walking, with many cross country runners for company.  Three caches to find, the third at Camlet Moat.

This is what the Loop needs - a fine Arthurian legend.  Could this be the site of the legendary Camelot?  It certainly has it's royal associations and ghostly legends.

Avoiding the temptation to say it is "A Silly Place"

Autumn Colours.

Exit Trent Park at the Obelisk and cross the road into fields onto good green lanes.  This is notable for a start of a cache trail names after the London Loop.  And for the sun showing itself for the first time today.

This is London

Looking at some of the cache logs and other London Loop Logs, it would appear as though someone has been living on these paths since the summer.  There is talk of a large yellow tent and sure enough, even in November, it is still there.  The guy ropes are looking a bit slack but it's still standing.  I found it all a bit Blair Witch and scuttled off to the next cache.

With the extra miles and a named train to catch on the way back, I need to get a move on.  It's two hours by the time I reach Cuckolds Hill and I have only done about 4 miles.  At least there is a lengthy stretch with no caches which should enable me to gain speed.

If I don't Gallop, I will miss the 16:23 Return

Still in the countryside wilds, the loop delivers me to Turkey Brook.  The loop cannot help itself when it comes to water and this provides the navigational hand rail for a number of miles.  Good job it is fine walking.  Alas, too early for the first pub of the day that we pass.

Turkey Brook

Reputedly owned by Dick Turpin's Grandparents.  They loved the footie

By 12:30pm, I am delivered to Enfield Lock Station, the original end.  It's clear to see why I won't be going back into London this way.

No doubt phoning Poland to get the resources to finish the job.

So I continue, into the very uninspiring Enfield Wash, through housing schemes, past closed pubs and through inner city high streets.  A good couple of miles before I get into better walking territory at the River Lee Navigation.

This is a confusion of man made water ways, filling into the seemingly huge King George Reservoir.  As you cannot see over the banks, you are not quite sure of the scale.   On the map, it looks all of it's 420 Acres - making it the largest in London.

River Lee filling the Reservoir - hidden behind the green banks

It about this time that the legs are starting to feel it.  The signs aren't helping.  I can cope with Chingford Station being 3 miles away but not when I walk for 20 minutes and the next one tells me its 3.5 miles away.

After some lonely walking (all uphill), I reach the Scouting Facility of Gilwell Park.  You have to love Scouts.  They plant geocaches.  And there a three to get in quick succession.  With the height gained, I also get the first look of London that the loop has provided for sometime.

Scouting Badge for Survellience 

London - 10 Miles as the Crow Flies

Thankfully, after a slop through the park, Chingford is all down hill.  A last cheeky cache and then my reward opposite the station, in the only way I know how.

Deserved.

18/10/14 - Smell My Cheese

London Loop Stage 11
Start - Elstree and Borehamwood Station
End - Cockfosters
Distance - 10.5 Miles
Caches - 5 After a busy three weekends, I am back on the walking trail, adding another leg to the London Loop.

There is a ritual associated with these trips.  Due to the cheap rail tickets requiring an early start, refreshments are made the night before.  Malt loaf for breakfast, turkey rolls for lunch and a luxury sausage roll for a treat.  All made on the Friday night, wrapped in foil and left - with my car keys so I don't forget them - in the fridge.

Leave at 6:30am for a very busy 7:40am to Euston.  Carriage B is mental - with an army of men getting drunk and making an almighty racket.  Despite my reservation, I take Carriage A and settle down to a nice coffee and open up my Malt Loaf.

Oh Dear - I appear to have mistakenly packed the Stilton

One of the more unusual breakfasts.

Everything else with the journey goes swimmingly and thanks to going via Kentish Town, I alight at Elstree and Borehamwood station 30 minutes earlier than anticipated.

Nice to be greeted by a friendly face

Cache 1 is found instantly, up on the Station Bridge.  The walking can commence and its roads all the way Scratchwood, which provides some fine walking through the woods.

Autumnal in Scractwood 

One of the great things about the London Loop is the signposting.  It really is near impossible to get lost, with the green arrows continually pointing the way.  The Hertfordshire locals have added local information to aide the weary loopers.

Accurate Signage

I'm now 3/4 of the way through the path and I can say with some assurance that the worst bit of walking is on this leg.  On exiting Scratchwood, we are forced to walk about 1/2 a mile down the A1 to get to an underpass to walk the 1/2 mile back up the other side.  This is not pleasant.

From the golf course on the other side, the London Loop shares a stretch with the Dollis Valley Greenway.  Its starts off with some fairly uninspiring country walking through fields - with nothing much to look at - and gets progressively deteriorates as it skims a rough looking housing estate in Barnet.  There are a few caches to break things up.

Little going for this stretch of the Loop

Decide to cheer myself up with a lunch break in a park in the shadow of Barnet Football ground.  Open rucksack and am instantly surrounded by three dogs who have obviously been attracted by the smell of ripe cheese.

The owner calls one off by shouting "Arthur - Stop Poncing", which I am not sure is in the Barbara Whitehouse book of dog training.

More road walking and then suddenly things take a massive improvement for the better as I reach the delightfully named Monken Hadley.  The Loop does this sometimes - bores you to death and then suddenly reveals a gem of a location and introduces you to something unexpected.

All is revealed on an information board.  The location of the "Battle of Barnet" in the War of the Roses and also the home of Dr Livingstone.

It's also very pleasing on the eye.  A delight to walk through.

Dr Livinstone's Cottage

Information

Very Pretty Church

Enthusiasm restored, I walk through the woodland of Monken Hadley Common with renewed vigour.  A couple of caches are bagged before being delivered to the outskirts of Cockfosters, complete with a perfectly placed pub.

Just what is needed.

Tube station is over the road, where I share a trip back to the capital with a mixture of Hull and Arsenal Fans who are cutting it fine.  It's 2:30pm.

30/08/14 - How much are Taxis in Hertfordshire?

Distance - 12.5 Miles
Geocaches 6
Start - Moor Park Underground
Finish - Elstree

My overriding memory of Stage 10 of the London Loop will be woodland, posh houses and the thwack of golf balls. A pleasant enough walk, but a walk lacking in items of interest, views and most importantly, pubs.

Firstly, eagle eyed blogfans will notice that this is my 2nd, once a month visit to the London Loop in August.  I could argue that this is because there are five weekends in August 2014, but the reality is that I simply don't have any free weekends left in September.

Next week's blog is taking a different tack - a Kate Bush live review.

But how to get back down to Moor Park Underground, when once again, the Metropolitan line is not functioning.  I work out a convoluted route on public transport that involves 2 trains, a bus and a tube.  Then I look on Google Maps and work out its only 4.5 miles from Watford Junction.

I will treat myself and avoid the complexity of the original plan.

Despite having a ticket to Bushey, I mange to escape out through the barriers at Watford Junction and into the delights of a manky toyota with stained seats.

The driver is friendly and on hearing my adventures asks if I am in a competition.  Only with myself, I reply.  He then distracts me from the fact that he doesn't seem to have a meter by telling me that legally he doesn't need to wear a seat belt because he is driving a hackney carriage and you can't put seat belts on horses.

This gem of knowledge costs me £12.60.  For an 11 minute journey.

I am possibly in the wrong job.

But at least I am here.  What to say about the walking? Woodland and Golf courses to start before I am delivered to the road into the Private Housing Estate that I spied from the back of ancient Toyota.

Private Estate

Oxhey Woods and the first couple of caches of the day, before emerging into the fields around the rather nice Pinnerwood Farm.  Whilst taking photos of our national sporting arena in the distance, I get overtaken by another couple of loopers.

Loopers Ahead - how did they get here?

Unexpected views of Wembley.  After Albion's performance today, the closest I will get.

A couple more caches near and over the railway line and more golf courses before arriving at Grimm's Ditch.  This is the most interesting artefact on route.  A mound of earth that stretches from Harrow Weald to Bushey Heath.  There is an impressive house (now a hotel) that used to be owned by Gilbert, of Opera Fame.

Cache at the Dyke.  And the most amateur signage on the Loop.

I say hello to the cows within Bentley Priory and go off piste for a couple of caches.  One is completely out in the open.

Hid, Better than found.

10.5 miles into the walk and you know what my mind has been thinking of for at least the last 4 miles.  And then it comes into view - an oasis offering the weary traveller sustenance.

Guess What - I've been here before.  Evening meal when on a training course

Needed

As tempting as it seems, I cannot stay all day.  I just need to circumvent Aldenham Resevoir and cross a few fields and I will be in Elstree for my train back to the City.

Reservoir

Fields to Elstree

End of the Line - Back in October 2014