Jubilee Greenway 7

A very cold day today, but we were brave and decided to walk the last section of the Jubilee Greenway route. For various reasons, we ended up doing the last few sections out of order, but we did cover the entire route.

We caught a train to Lewisham, then the DLR to Cutty Sark. After some issues finding the lift (we had Rocco with us), we eventually escaped the station and headed for the river:

Nice to pass the Cutty Sark without hordes of tourists crowding the place! Rocco was soon off the lead as we headed along the Thames Path with the Greenwich Foot Tunnel entrance behind us:

There was an interesting information board about the long gone Greenwich Steam Ferry (forgottenhighway.co.uk/greenwich2.html) – you can see what remains of the ramp for the moving platform behind the railings:

A bit further on was a statue of Peter the Great:

There were several diversions “inland” from here, but eventually we reached some green at Sayes Court Park and Pepys Park before rejoining the Thames at Deptford Wharf:

There were light flurries of snow at this point! There were a series of docks to cross, thankfully all with bridges:

By this time, we needed a pub; the first one we passed wasn’t open, but the next one was not only open, but gave the dog the best welcome he has had for a while. Nice beer too:

Suitably refreshed, we headed on to Rotherhithe:

and stopped for lunch (and more beer!) at The Mayflower. It was quite busy, so we had to sit in a semi-outdoor terrace OVER the Thames (which you could see through the gaps in the floorboards). One of the few times we were grateful for patio heaters!


A nice view of the Thames from the pub:

After lunch, we followed the river towards Tower Bridge:


This is the official end of Section 7; from there it was a short walk to London Bridge station and a train home. A nice day!

Lunch at Downe

It’s quite a while since we’ve managed a day out, and with good weather forecast, we decided to repeat a walk we did back in July (see Lunch at Downe) though in the other direction.

We caught an R11 bus from Orpington High Street (having just missed one, of course) to Green St Green. After negotiating the busy A21 roundabout, we were soon away from roads:

Rocco appreciated being able to run around and chew sticks:

Soon we were in High Elms, gently climbing through the autumn leaves:

We needed to cross High Elms Road at Sparrow Wood Car Park:

and then followed the permissive footpath into Downe village:

And then to the Queens Head for lunch, washed down with Timothy Taylors Landlord Dark – an excellent beer we both enjoyed.

After lunch, we had a bit of road walking, then escaped across the fields by Farthing Street:

Then back into the woods:

and across Farnborough Fields to Farnborough Village, where (again) we just missed a 358 bus back to Orpington. Not long to wait for another one though!

Jubilee Greenway 6 – Woolwich to Greenwich

Finally, time to complete another section of the Jubilee Greenway walk, which we started in 2018! We caught the slow train from Orpington to Lewisham, then a second train to Woolwich Arsenal station.

Nearby is the Elizabeth Line station and the Dial Arch Open Space where Rocco could burn off some energy:

Time for a coffee in a nice comfy chair:

We then headed through new housing developments to the River Thames – a nice attractive space and so much better than walking along busy roads:

This is the river bus pier in the background:

Finally on the Thames Path, we headed east:

And watched the (new) Woolwich Ferry dock:

Further on, the path goes through an industrial estate past the old Siemens factory, with information on past activities. I had a client many years ago whose factory was in this estate!

Soon we came to the Thames Barrier and views across the river to Docklands:

We saw some umbrellas and tables by the path, and only just noticed an open pub beside them. So a good opportunity to get out of the wind for a while and have a beer:

Further on, we passed through an aggregates site at Angerstein Wharf; rather noisy and dusty:

Things got quieter again, and we found somewhere to have our sandwiches:

Yet more new housing as we approach North Greenwich, which is the southern terminus of the cable cars:

The path now goes around the Greenwich Peninsular (and O2 dome), with odd bits of artwork dotted around:

We had to wait for an excavator loading gravel before being able to continue on this bit:

Further on, the area becomes a lot more industrial (as I remember Blackwall before it got redeveloped and renamed Greenwich Peninsular):

A bonus further on was another pub (also dog friendly):

It turned out that this was on the site of the Greenwich STC factory (another of my clients); remembered with a bit of art and a sign:

Further on was a decorated wall and the rather garish Trafalgar Tavern:

And not far away, the Cutty Sark and the nearby DLR station:

From here, it was a DLR train to Lewisham, and after a short wait on a windy platform, the slow train back to Orpington, with a tired Rocco:

Today was a much more interesting walk than we’d expected!

 

 

 

 

Lunch at Downe

A lovely day today, so we caught the 358 bus to Farnborough village:

This is a fairly modern bus, and had a nice area for wheelchairs/buggies/dogs and helped us keep Rocco out of everyone’s way.

The roads were fairly quiet, so we were soon in Farnborough Fields enjoying the sunshine (though with a stiff breeze in places):

After a rather overgrown footpath, we were back in fields, then a short walk into the village:

I’d not been to the Queens Head for many years (decades) and it’s a lovely quirky pub with a good range of beer and nice lunches:

After lunch, it was a short walk to Downe Recreation Ground, and then footpaths through High Elms to Green St Green:

From there, we caught a R11 bus back to Orpington. A nice day out, helped by a perfect temperature for walking.

 

Lickey Hills

We went for a walk around the nearby Lickey Hills.

The car park was by a large open area at the top of the hill, with good views of Birmingham and the surrounding area.

Once Rocco had off steam, we followed a nice path through woods and a golf course to the visitor center, which was closed but a cafe was open.

Then more woodland paths – Rocco really enjoyed chasing sticks:

We then stopped at a large monument:

Then more woodland paths back to the beacon, where Rocco still had enough energy to chase a stick:

A nice walk, and no rain, which was a bonus.

Bournville

We’re up in Birmingham visiting Gemma, and braved the showers on a walk to Bournville.

The first path followed the Rea Valley towards Kings Norton:

We then joined the canal network at the junction of the Birmingham and Worcester canal with the canal to Stratford.

And followed the towpath towards Bournville. Unfortunately Rocco wasn’t paying attention as a cyclist went past and ended up in the canal. Yet again… Gemma was able to pull him out, but we did have a very wet dog for the rest of the day.

Bournville station is right next to the canal, and has a very decorative entrance:

We then walked past the Cadbury chocolate factory to Bournville village:

Then stopped for a coffee and Roast Pork rolls from the baker:

Rocco made sure nothing was wasted:

Then back to the station to catch a local train to Northfield:

Notice that a lot of the station is painted Cadbury purple.

By then, the heavier rain had caught up with us, so it was a quick walk along the Rea Valley back home.

A nice day out, 6 miles of walking.

Sunrise at High Elms

It’s a lovely crisp morning, and really quiet at my favourite place to walk Rocco – High Elms Country Park. Not too muddy this morning, which is a bonus.

As we descended down the hill, the sun was just rising over the opposite hill, bringing a bit of colour to the woods:

Merry Christmas to one and all!

An ethereal evening walk

It was a particularly stunning evening at Poverest Rec on Saturday – the moon was large, orange and low, and the mist covering the area was only about six feet deep, giving a weird effect which this photo doesn’t really capture.

The air was very still and it was not at all cold.  Altogether quite a lovely walk!

Shoreham Woods

Rocco and I regularly walk in Shoreham Woods (at least we do when it’s reasonably dry!) so today I thought I’d document our walk in pictures.

The first bit is across the M25 motorway, so very noisy, but soon it becomes quieter and Rocco starts collecting sticks:

This section of the path is on a slope, and can be really muddy in winter:

The view down the valley is lovely:

We then climb into Pilots Wood:

and shortly arrive at the top of the North Downs:

The path soon dives back into woods

and follows the Darenth Valley, with views of Shoreham village:

All too soon, we’re climbing back up the hill:

then down and up across the valley. Luckily Rocco ignores the cows!

Another short break, then it’s back up the last hill to the car park:

A LOT of up & down in a short distance!

 

 

Tonbridge & River Medway

The forecast was for a very hot day, and our respective calendars were clear, so we took the train to Tonbridge.

Rocco is now getting quite used to trains:

Tonbridge really benefits from having the River Medway flowing through the town:

The ruins of Tonbridge Castle are in the background. First stop was a nearby pub, which had a nice courtyard at the back:

After many beers and a nice lunch, we set off for a walk along the river, which consists of many different channels and bridges to cross. It wasn’t long before Rocco had a swim, and luckily, managed to get out again (much of the river bank is quite steep):

Further on, we came across a (very) disused lock:

We headed back through Haysden Country Park and Barden Lake:

and after a bit of a trek through the back streets of Tonbridge, we returned to the station and our train home:

Another lovely day out!