The London Loop is a walking route of 150 miles length around the outer boundaries of London split into 24 sections. I am currently walking the loop and this is a blog of a few sections. See tfl.gov.uk/modes/walking/loop-walk for more details.
Another week, another walk, this time London Loop leg 14 from Moor Park to Hatch End, around 5 miles so quite a short one.
After a short bit of woodland the walk crosses the Sandy Lodge golf club which is big and it seems fees are also big even for golf clubs. There is a marked public footpath across the course with strict instructions to keep to this path. Of course I got lost and ended up off the track. But a friendly ground worker came along and gave me a ride on his motorised buggy to where I should have been. After a few ups and downs on that at high speed I was decidedly wobbly on my feet when I got off...
After the golf course I passed down a couple of roads to reach an 'almost hidden path' and so it was. I walked down the road past this innocent gap in the hedge twice before spotting it. Once through the path was actually quite decent and passing the so called Big Wood reached South Oxhey playing fields and further on Oxhey Woods which formed quite a long stretch of the walk.
Plenty of lovely woodland now, a little muddy in places and with at one point a fallen tree crossing the track but no real problems finding the way.
Woodland at its best.
As the guidebook said, a ''startingly knobbly beech tree. Cross the B4542 to enter the third and final section of Oxhey Wood which leads to Nanscot Wood with another golf club, Pinner Hill, to the right, clearly a well to do area.
There then follows a stretch through farm fields with inquisitive horses where I had to watch where I stepped. At one of the stiles one particularly curious horse was standing right by the stile I needed to cross so a few gently pats were needed before she moved away. This is Pinnerwood Farm house and close by Pinnerwood Cottage and Pinnerwood House where the 10th century author Edward Bulwer-Lytton lived. The guidebook showed a lovely photo of that house but mine was most disappointing because the trees were now in their summer glory and blocked everything from view.
So a short bit more to reach suburban roads and pass through Hatch End towards the station. Lunch, not too late, in the Moon and Sixpence, a Wetherspoons pub and the only pub in Hatch End, made a pleasant end to a nice day. 2.5 hours back to Bracknell via the full length of the Bakerloo Line and Waterloo, it certainly takes time to get to the starts and finishes. But even that has its ups - on the way out there was a woman with a little boy who was smiling at everybody and full of it. Together with another woman who goes every day all the way to Chesham (end of Metropolitan Line) to baby sit for her daughter. Great company.
More to come....