The North to South London Trail is a new walking route launched in May 2024 by Walking Post. A 34 mile walk from Cockfosters to Carshalton in five sections. I have walked quite a lot of this before but there is also a lot of new territory.
Section 3 goes across central London through Hyde Park, St James Park, Trafalgar Square then along the Thames to Battersea. For convenience I ended the day at Charing Cross for easy access to Waterloo. All the tourist spots so on familiar ground covered before in these pages.
Leaving Baker Street tube station the walk follows some quieter streets through Marybelone. St Mary's church has an impressive frontage.
Bryanston Square is a private garden for residents of the nearby streets. At the southern end is a drinking fountain by William Pitt Byrne, erected in 1862/3.
Marble Arch is undergoing restoration work and is currently boarded up. Passing around this Hyde Park is entered.
Hyde Park Corner. Then straight across the park to the Serpentine at the other end.
Through the Rose Garden. This very tame squirrel tried to attract my attention and almost insisted I took a photograph of it.
The Boy and Dolphin fountain made in 1862 by Alexander Munro, a friend of the Alice in Wonderland author, Lewis Carroll. Then out of the park through Aspley Gate to the busy Hyde Park Corner roundabout.
Past the Wellington Arch and onto Constitutional Hill. The official route goes along there but I made a short diversion through Green Park, slightly less touristy.
Down to Buckingham Palace where the crowds were gathered for the Changing of the Guard. The Royal Standard was flying indicating His Majesty was in residence.
The Band of the Grenadier Guards and the Band and Bugles of the Rifles leaving the Palace.
Through St James's Park.
Onto the Mall with the Duke of York Column. At the end Admiralty Arch, also undergoing restoration and a long diversion around it.
Then to Trafalgar Square. The official route seems to bypass this as well but I mingled with the crowds on it, having to negotiate the interesting pedestrian crossings on what seemed on of the the busiest roundabouts in London. Then the equally strange fourth plinth with its artwork by Teresa Margolles. No I couldn't understand it either but the theme sits in with the pedestrian crossing lights.
Across to Charing Cross then down to the Golden Jubilee footbridge and across the Thames to the south bank. Here I finished the walk for the day and headed back to Waterloo where I lunched in the Lion and Unicorn at the station before heading home.