The 52 mile Green Chain Walk, London's first long distance footpath, opened in 1977. The network links together the open spaces in the great arc of protected, undeveloped land with a total area of 4,500 acres, that sweeps around South East London from Crystal Palace to the Thames at Erith and Thamesmead. I followed the maps and guidance from the Inner London Ramblers website. Although I have walked parts before this is my project for 2024.
Section 10 of the Green Chain starts just outside Beckenham Place Park and follows the route of Capital Ring section 3 to Crystal Palace. Much of the section is through the estates built by Sir John Cator in victorian times and is largely urban with just a few stretches of parks.
I arrived at Beckenham Hill station around 11.15am after a journey that took me via Elephant and Castle where I had to change between the underground and train stations. Then a short walk down to Beckenham Hill Park to where I ended last week by the mansion.
It is a further short walk along section 9 through the park, past a lake, to the start of section 10 a little down Southend Road by an inconspicuous Green Chain signpost.
The route now follows suburban streets, passing St Paul's Church then reaching New Beckenham Station. I overshot the subway so crossed the railway station via the bridge in the station, only seeing the subway from the other side.
Into Cator Park with The Beck flowing through it.
Another stretch of road walking and now it had started to rain fairly heavily so not too pleasant. Then into Alexandra Recreation Ground.
The route now passes Penge East and Penge West with impressive railway bridges before entering Crystal Palace Park.
The Park with its large lake and dinosaurs and the dominating big TV transmitting tower. Here section 10 finishes by the station where I caught the train to Victoria and lunched in the Wetherspoons outside before heading home.