Posts tagged Middlesex

Walking The London Loop: South Oxhey to Hill End

Start: Oxhey Woods Car Park, Oxhey Drive South, Watford, HA6 3EX
Finish: On street parking near Harefield Care Home Hill End Road, Harefield, Uxbridge, UB9 6UX
Distance: 10km (6.4 miles)
Elevation change: + 93m / - 136 m. Net -43m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Hillingdon Trail
Other routes touched (cycle): N/A
London Coal Duty Posts: 52, 53, 54, 55
Pubs / Cafes on route: Ye Olde Greene Manne, Batchworth Heath, Rickmansworth, WD3 1QB
Map: OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East and OS Explorer Map (173) London North, The City, West End, Enfield, Ealing, Harrow & Watford
Guidebook: The London Loop: Recreational Path Guide
Links: Cycling The London Loop, London Loop - Transport for London, London Loop - Wikipedia, London Loop - Long Distance Walkers Association
- South Oxhey, Oxhey Woods, Moor Park

In our quest to complete the point-to-point trails of the Colne Valley there was one final part of the London Loop to do. Although I had (kind of) completed the London Loop few years ago, it was on bike and took many road diversions to avoid footpaths. This is one example of a section that is not suitable for bikes, so coming back for a walk gave me a new perspective on it.

I chose the car park at South Oxhey Woods as the starting point. This was mainly designed to give us a 10 km walk that finished at Hill End, where the London Loop joins the Hillingdon Trail. This worked well for us as we were able to take 2 cars and leave one at either end. If you’re relying on public transport, then this section wouldn’t make sense.

As with any trip on the London Loop, Colin Saunders’ book is the definitive guide so I’ll leave it to that book to provide the route description.

Next sections of the London Loop:

Clockwise: Stanmore Common to South Oxhey
Anti-clockwise: Hill End to the Grand Union via the Hillingdon Trail, then via the Colne Valley Trail to Yiewsley

Back to London Loop Index

Richard gower4 July 2020Trek, London, Middlesex, England, Coal Duty PostComment

Walking The Hillingdon Trail

The Hillingdon Trail is a ~20 mile walking route from Springwell Lock near Maple Cross to Cranford Park near Heathrow Airport. It was another local route that I’d had on the back burner for later and decided to try out as the country was emerging from the Covid lockdown. Hillingdon is the closest London borough to us and I’d only ever visited busy parts of it so had never associated it with nice country walking. As it turned out it took us through some beautiful parts of the area that we’ll be returning to for other walks soon.

SECTION 1 - Springwell Lock To Ruislip Lido

Start: Parking spaces at Springwell Lane, Harefield, Uxbridge UB9 6PG
Finish: Car park at Ruislip Lido, Reservoir Road, Ruislip HA4 7TY
Distance: 10.2 km (6.4 miles)
Elevation change: +143m / -135m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Grand Union Canal Towpath, The London Loop, Colne Valley Trail
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 6, 61
Other Pubs / Cafes on route: The Water's Edge, Reservoir Road, Ruislip HA4 7TY (end of route).
Map: OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East
Links: Hillingdon, Harefield, ANZAC Memorial, Ruislip Lido

We had already passed the official start of the trail at Springwell Lock a few weeks ago on the Colne Valley Trail. This stretch of the Grand Union Canal has a lot of trails passing through it and is especially well sign-posted. As we had covered the first 2 km many times before, we decided to start this section a bit further South at Harefield Locks. This is the point where the trail diverts off from the Grand Union and Colne Valley Trail, heading South East.

The whole trail is well sign-posted either with traditional metal arrow footpath signs or short wooden posts with HT marked on them. We were also following a GPS route but found that there were some inconsistencies. All of these were pretty minor and any diversions would come back together pretty quickly. I recommend not completely trusting the signs but take a GPS route or marked-up map too.

From the Grand Union the trail ascends through fields up to Harefield Village before heading back into undulating countryside. As you leave Church Hill Road in Harefield, take a moment to visit the ANZAC Memorial by St Mary’s Church. From here the rest of this section takes you through Bayslip Woods and Ruislip Woods, ending at Ruislip Lido.

SECTION 2 - Ruislip Lido To Yeading Brook Meadows

Start: Car park at Ruislip Lido, Reservoir Road, Ruislip HA4 7TY
Finish: On street parking near Yeading Brook Meadows, Hayes, Northolt, UB4 9JA
Distance: 9.8 km (6 miles)
Elevation change: +29m / - 53m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Celandine Route, Willow Tree Wander, Dog Rose Ramble,
Other routes touched (cycle): N/A
Other Pubs / Cafes on route: Home Bar & Kitchen, 16 High Road, Ickenham, Uxbridge UB10 8LJ
Map: OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East and OS Explorer Map (173) London North, The City, West End, Enfield, Ealing, Harrow & Watford
Links: Hillingdon, Ruislip Lido, River Pinn, Yeading Brook, RAF Northolt, Yeading, Yeading Brook Meadows

Following the mostly wooded Section 1, the trail now enters residential areas of Ruislip and Yeading. From Ruislip Lido, the trail heads roughly South through housing, re-joining the countryside near the River Pinn. Watch out for signs here as we took a wrong turn immediately after crossing the Pinn and started following the Celandine Route.

Once back on track we crossed what were once quiet meadows and have now become a building site for HS2. At the time of writing there is still a fenced off path through the site. Check before you attempt this section as the building will go on for years and may be diverted in future. Once through the building site you’ll cross under the existing GWR mainline and into West Ruislip. After some more housing you’ll cross over the Metropolitan underground line and back into the countryside.

With West Ruislip behind you, the trail curves round to the Western perimeter of RAF Northolt, continuing to follow the Yeading Brook. Unless any planes are taking off overhead you wouldn’t know that the airport is there. The growing rumble that you’ll hear is the A40 Western Avenue. A small tunnel takes you safely under the dual carriageway where the path follows a South-Easterly direction. Continuing on you’ll pass through Gutterage Wood, then Ten Acre Wood. The path will change direction again and head due South continuing to follow the Yeading Brook.

This section finishes at the start of Yeading Brook Meadows as you cross Kingshill Avenue. There’s no car park here, but lots of free on-street parking on The Greenway that runs along the Eastern border of the Meadow.

SECTION 3 - Yeading Brook Meadows To Cranford Park

Start: On street parking near Yeading Brook Meadows, Hayes, Northolt, UB4 9JA
Finish: Car Park at Cranford Park, London TW5 9RZ
Distance: 7.4 km (4.6 miles)
Elevation change: +29m / - 31m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Grand Union Canal Paddington Branch Towpath, Grand Union Canal Towpath, The London Loop
Other routes touched (cycle): N/A
Other Pubs / Cafes on route: N/A
Map: OS Explorer Map (160) Windsor, Weybridge & Bracknell and
- OS Explorer Map (173) London North, The City, West End, Enfield, Ealing, Harrow & Watford
Links: Hillingdon, Yeading, Yeading Brook Meadows, Southall, River Crane, Cranford Park

Picking up from where you left off at the end of Section 2, continue South-East through Yeading Brook Meadows. Cross over Yeading Lane and under the A312 into Brookside where you’ll join the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal. Cross over the bridge and follow the towpath in a South-Westerly direction. After ~3 km the canal meets the main channel of the Grand Union at Bulls Bridge. Take a right and follow the canal for approx 300m until you get to the A312 Parkway overpass. Use the zig-zagging footway to climb up to road level and follow the footpath to the side of the road South over the bridge. By now you’ll be missing the quiet countryside of section 1 as you walk through the busiest, ugliest part of the trail.

At the roundabout to the South of the overpass take a left onto North Hyde Road and a left onto Watersplash Lane. Here you’l enter Cranford Park and the home stretch of the trail. You’ll now be following the River Crane which splits off from the Yeading Brook a bit further North at Minet Country Park. After ~500m cross under the M4 via St Dunstan’s Subway and into the main part of Cranford Park. You’ll pass by St Dunstan’s Church and the remains of Cranford Manor.

As we were using 2 cars to get to the start and end points of the trail, the car park next to St Dunstan’s Church was the obvious place to end our walk. If you’re using public transport, continue South through Cranford park to the A4 Bath Road where there’s several options servicing the Heathrow area. This final section of the trail from the Grand Union canal also follows the London Loop which continues South towards Kingston.

Next sections of the London Loop:

Clockwise: South Oxhey to Hill End
Anti-clockwise: Cranford Park to Bushy Park

Back to Colne Valley Walking Trails Index

Richard gower3 July 2020Trek, Colne Valley, Canal, Middlesex, London, EnglandComment

Walking The Beeches Way

For a well signed route very close to my home, it’s odd that I’d not completed this one years ago. At 27km (18 miles) this would have made for a good training for an ultra marathon so I kept it on the back burner for when I needed it. When the Covid-19 Lockdown came and all races cancelled, it was time to bring it forward. So, as soon as it was acceptable to travel a small distance from home, we decided that it was time to tackle it.

The guidance below will help you navigate but don’t use it as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide. Always take a map and/or a GPX route and prepare well for the weather and terrain.

SECTION 1 - COOKHAM TO STOKE COMMON

Start: The Ferry, Sutton Road, Cookham, Maidenhead, SL6 9SN
Finish: Bus Stop on the B416 at Stoke Common, Stoke Poges, SL2 4DP
Distance: 11.5 km (7.1 miles)
Elevation change: +118m / -69m. Net -49m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Thames Path, Chiltern Way Berkshire Loop, Shakespeare’s Way, Buckinghamshire Way
Other routes touched (cycle): Beeches Cycleway
Other Pubs / Cafes on route: The Blackwood Arms, The Beeches Eco Cafe, several in Farnham Common
Map: OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East
Links: Cookham, Hedsor, Burnham Beeches, Farnham Common, Stoke Common

The best place to start is the Ferry, a lovely riverside pub and restaurant next to the road crossing on the Thames at Cookham. The car park is for customers only but there’s other parking options nearby if you’re driving to the start. For the rail-return option (see below for details), Cookham Station is a 1.3 km walk to the Ferry.

From the Ferry, cross the road bridge and look out for the footpath on the right hand side of the road past the county sign for Buckinghamshire. Here you’ll cross a field and rejoin the Thames for a short distance. After passing through a small gated estate you’ll cross Hedsor Hill Road and onto a track that passes St Nicholas Church on the right and Hedsor Folly on the left. The 1km from Hedsor Lane to Broad Lane is pretty steep but once you get to the top the rest of this section is fairly flat.

As you continue along the Beeches Way you’ll notice that there’s a lot of signage to assist you. Be careful though as the Beeches Way signs are poorly maintained and many have faded or have moved, pointing in ambiguous directions. As the route also follows Shakespeare’s Way, you can look out for that route’s stickers, but a map or GPS route would be very helpful.

At approx 5.5 km in you’ll pass the Blackwood Arms, location of some Midsomer Murders episodes and a good place for a rest at approximately half way in. From here you’re only 1 km from the section than runs through Burnham Beeches, a well maintained country park and nature reserve. From Burnham Beeches you’ll pass through Farnham Common and woodland before reaching the end of this section at Stoke Common.

There’s a bus stop at the B416 Gerrards Cross Road with connections to Amerham, Wycombe, Gerrards Cross and Slough. If you’re driving the parking options are extremely limited here so an alternative end point would be Farnham Common. This would reduce section 1 by just over 2 km and add it to section 2.

SECTION 2 - STOKE COMMON to Langley Park

Start: Bus Stop on the B416 at Stoke Common, Stoke Poges, SL2 4DP
Finish: Langley Park Car Park, Billet Lane, Iver, SL0 0LT
Distance: 7.3 km (4.5 miles)
Elevation change: +48m / -65m. Net -17m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Shakespeare’s Way
Other routes touched (cycle): Beeches Cycleway
Pubs / Cafes on route: The Black Horse Fulmer, San Remo Kiosk Black Park, Langley Park Tearoom
Map: OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East
Links: Stoke Common, Fulmer, Black Park, Langley Park

From the B416 Gerrards Cross Road enter Stoke Common and follow the main North-Easterly path to the footpath exit on Stoke Common Road. Take a left onto Windmill Road down to Fulmer village centre. The Black Horse pub is one of our favourites and a good, albeit pricey, stop for a meal. On the North side of St James’ Church, take the footpath to the right before the bridge over the Alderbourne Stream. The trail follows the stream for ~300m before heading uphill through fields and into the private Fulmer Rise Estate.

Continue through the Fulmer Rise estate to exit and take a left onto Fulmer Common Road. When we got to the big metal footpath gate we found that one of the residents had locked it off with a bike chain. Some other walkers had already turned around and gone back to Fulmer. We asked a nice lady in the nearest house to open the car gate for us and continued on our way. Hopefully that was a one-off incident of public right-of-way blocking but we reported it to the council anyway.

A short way down Fulmer Common Road, take the first right onto Black Park Road and then a path ~400m on the left into Black Park. This is one of my favourite Country Parks and location of my home parkrun event. There’s many trails through the park but you’re basically heading South East to the footpath exit onto the A420 Uxbridge Road. Keeping to the Western side of the park will take you around the lake and past 2 cafes while the Eastern side will give you a glimpse of the back of Pinewood Studios at the North End.

At the South-East corner of Black park you can cross over the A420 Uxbridge Road to enter the North Eastern corner of Langley Park. Be very careful crossing this road as it can be extremely busy with cars travelling very fast. With the noisy road behind you, you can now enjoy the peace of the Rhododendron walks through Temple Gardens. This stage of the walk ends at the Langley Park cafe and car park as you emerge from Temple Gardens.

SECTION 3 - Langley Park to West Drayton Railway Station

Start: Langley Park Car Park, Billet Lane, Iver, SL0 0LT
Finish: Station Approach, Yiewsley, West Drayton UB7 9DY, United Kingdom
Distance: 8 km (5 miles)
Elevation change: +29m / -61m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Shakespeare’s Way, London Loop, Grand Union Canal, Grand Union Canal Slough Arm, Colne Valley Trail
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 61
London Coal Duty Posts: 69
Pubs / Cafes on route: Langley Park Tearoom, The Swan At Iver, The Rail Road Cafe West Drayton
Map: OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East and OS Explorer Map (160) Windsor, Weybridge & Bracknell
Links: Langley Park, Iver, Yiewsley

From the Langley Park car park follow any of several footpaths through the park to the South Eastern corner. Here you’ll pick up a path heading directly East with sign-post for the Beeches Way, Shakespeare’s Way, Colne Valley Trail and NCN 61. Continue following the Beeches Way for 3 km on an Easterly direction. You’ll cross over Billet Lane, Wood Lane and Love Lane along the way, each of these running North/South. When you reach Bangor’s Road South you’ll turn right onto it, following South-East for ~300m before turning left onto Coppins Lane. Continue North along Coppins Lane and follow it as it turns from a road into a footpath and curves to the East. Watch out for a junction in the footpath and be careful to turn right rather than continuing on the Colne Valley Trail

After leaving Coppins Lane you’ll continue due South for just over 1 km and will reach Iver High Street. Cross over the High Street and continue South along Thorney Lane North. When you see signs for the Beeches Way pointing left down Victoria Crescent DO NOT follow them. A bridge over the canal further down this section has been removed but the signs have not been updated. See this blog post for more details. Instead, continue South down Thorney Lane North until you cross the Grand Union Canal. On the South West corner of the bridge you can walk down to the canal towpath. Walk East along the towpath and you’ll rejoin the Beeches Way.

Follow the canal for ~1 km, crossing over both the Colne Brook and River Colne. When you reach a big metal footbridge crossing over the canal watch out for sign-posts and a Coal Post. Take a right onto the path leading from the bridge and continue South East. After ~1 km you’ll cross the River Frays and across a residential island then over the main section of the Grand Union Canal. Follow the Grand Union South East for ~500m until you reach the end of the route at West Drayton.

Accessing the start and end by train

We tackled the Beeches way by leaving a car at either end of each of the point-to-point sections. If you want to complete the route in 1 day there’s also an option to take a train from one end to the other. Cookham Station is 1.3 km from the start of the route at the Thames river bridge and the end of the route is very close to West Drayton station. From West Drayton you can take a train heading west and change at Maidenhead. From Maidenhead take a train towards Marlow or Bourne End and get off at Cookham.

Back to Chiltern Walks Index

Richard gower19 June 2020Trek, Chilterns, Colne Valley, Canal, Thames, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Middlesex, England, Coal Duty PostComment

The Chiltern Rivers

Here’s a Tube-style map of the rivers of the Chiltern Hills AONB and “Greater Chilterns Area”. Let me know if you spot any mistakes and I’ll donate £1 per correction to one of my causes. If you would like a printable PDF version, please Buy Me a Coffee and send me your e-mail via the Contact page. All copies for personal, not commercial use.

It started in 2016 with my Winter Solstice walk along the River Chess. I loved the walk and soon my mind turned to contemplating how many rivers there were in the Chilterns. More importantly, how many of them could be walked, cycled or ran? Over the following few weeks I went on a desk-based adventure researching the source and mouth of every waterway in the area. Unlike the Chess most of them don’t have a well-signed path following them. For these I started planning cycle trips to discover them. These would be circular routes, one section keeping as close as possible to the river, and the other section a return trip along quiet country lanes.

Each trip took me to places I’d not been to before. It also taught me a lot about the geography of an area that I’d grown up near but knew little about. I could see first hand how the rivers formed the valleys that cut through the chalk hills. I also discovered how many of the towns and villages that I knew so well were named after the river that runs through them.

The tricky part what knowing when the adventure would come to an end. Every time I got close I discovered a new stream that I never heard of and had to find that one too. I also had to make a decision about what would classify as a Chiltern River. The main criteria was that either the source had to be in the Chiltern Hills AONB and / or most of the river’s length had to be through the Greater Chilterns area. Some didn’t quite match this but I included them anyway. The Lea, for example, originates North of Luton in the gap between the 2 sections of the AONB. From here it flows away from the Chilterns to meet the Thames on the other side of London. It still felt like a Chiltern River though so I included it. I’m very happy that I did as the cycle trip along it was one of the most enjoyable of the set.

There’s a few that I didn’t include. The Flit and the Hiz both touch the Greater Chilterns area but originate outside of it. I may explore them later but for now I’m happy to give them a miss. I’m sure that there will be other rivers, streams or waterways that I have missed. If you know of any and have a recommendation for an adventure that includes them, post a note in the comments section below.

Scroll down for maps, links to blog posts for each river-based trip and a section on Chilterns towns that take their names from the rivers.

Click on the linked river name below to see the blog post for each river-based trip.

Alderbourne: Source in Fulmer, runs ~5 miles to the Colne Brook at Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire
Ash: Splits from the Colne on Staines Moor, runs ~6.2 miles to meet the Thames at Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
Assendon Stream: Source in Stonor, runs ~4 miles to the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
Bulbourne: Source at Cow Roast, runs ~7 miles to the River Gade at Two Waters, Apsley, Hertfordshire
Chess: Source in Chesham Vale, Buckinghamshire, runs ~11 miles to the River Colne at Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire
Colne: Source near North Mymms, Hertfordshire, runs ~11.2 miles to the the Thames at Staines, Surrey
Colne Brook: Splits from the Colne at Uxbridge Moor, Greater London, runs ~9 miles to the Thames at Hythe End near Staines, Surrey
Ewelme Brook: Source in Ewelme Village, runs ~2 miles to the Thames near Benson Lock, Oxfordshire
Frays River: Splits from the Colne at West Drayton, Greater London, runs ~5.5 miles and rejoins the Colne near Staines, Surrey
Gade: Source at Dagnall, Buckinghamshire, runs ~16 miles to the Colne at Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire
Hambleden Brook: Source at Skirmett, runs 4.1 miles to meet the Thames at Mill End, Buckinghamshire
Hugenden Stream: Sourced from springs near Hughenden Village, runs ~2.2 miles to meet the Wye in High Wycombe
Lea: Source in Leagrave, Bedfordshire, runs 42 miles to meet the Thames at Leamouth, Greater London
Mimram: Source near Whitwell, runs 12 miles to the River Lea at Hertford, Hertfordshire
Misbourne: Source at Great Missenden, runs ~17 miles to the Colne at Denham, Buckinghamshire
Ouzel: Source at Dagnall, runs 20 miles to join the River Great Ouse at Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire
Pinn: Source at Pinner, runs approx, 11.4 miles joining the Grand Union and the Frays at Yiewsley, Greater London
Wraysbury: Splits from the Colne at West Drayton, runs ~5.5 miles and rejoins the Colne near the confluence with the Thames at Staines, Surrey
Ver: Source at Kensworth, Bedfordshire, runs ~15 miles to the Colne at Bricket Wood, Hertfordshire
Wye: Source at Bradenham, runs 9 miles to the Thames at Bourne End, Buckinghamshire

Canals & other man made waterways

Chilterns Towns Taking Their Name from the Rivers.

Ashford - River Ash
Bricket Wood - Rivers Ver and Colne: "Bright-coloured small island or piece of marshland"
Bourne End (Buckinghamshire) - River Wye
Bourne End (Hertfordshire) - Bourne Gutter, a short stream that flows into the Bulbourne near Hemel Hempstead
Chalfont St. Giles - River Misbourne. Chalfont means "spring frequented by calves"
Chalfont St. Peter - River Misbourne. Chalfont means "spring frequented by calves"
Colnebrook - Colne Brook (obviously)
Colney - River Colne. Also London Colney, Colney Heath
Fordbridge - River Ash
Fulmer - Alderbourne. Means "Mere or lake frequented by birds", possibly due to the small lakes feeding the river at the end of Framewood Road
Gadebridge - River Gade
Great Gaddesden - River Gade
Great Missenden - River Misbourne
Halliford (Upper and Lower) - River Ash. Means “holy ford”
Little Missenden - River Misbourne
Leagrave - River Lee (possibly - alternative meaning exist that are not connected to the river)
Longford - River Colne and Wraysbury: "Long Ford across the river"
Loudwater - River Wye
Luton - River Lee: "Farmstead on the River Lee"
Pinner - River Pinn
Redbourne - River Ver: "reedy stream", reedy could be a derivation of Reade who owned the manor in the 16th century
Ruislip - River Pinn (could also be Yeading Brook): "leaping place across a river where rushes grow"
High Wycombe - River Wye
St Albans (Roman name = Verulamium) - River Ver
Stanwell - River Colne - "Stoney spring or stream"
Two Waters - Rivers Gade and Bulbourne
Watford - River Colne - "Ford used when hunting"
Wooburn Green - River Wye
Wraysbury - Wraysbury River. River could be named after the town. Strangely the river doesn't go through the town, although the Colne Brook Does
Uxbridge - River Colne: "Bridge of the tribe called the Wixan"

Primary sources: A Dictionary of British Place Names (Mills) and Wikipedia

Tube-style Maps

English and Welsh National Trails

Scottish Great Trails

Brecon Beacons Rivers

South Downs Rivers

Colne Valley Trails

Richard gower2 January 2020Cycle, NCN, Canal, Thames, Chilterns, Colne Valley, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Middlesex, London, Surrey, EnglandComment

Cycling The NCN Route 4

Documenting a long-term project to complete the NCN Route 4 and connecting routes:

Stage 1: Fishguard to Caerphilly: 182 miles (not yet attempted)
Stage 2: Cardiff / Caerphilly to Bath: 82 miles. Completed in 2011
Stage 3: Bath to Reading via Kennet & Avon Canal. 78 miles. Completed in 2010
Stage 4: The Thames Path / NCN4 Reading to Thames Barrier. 183 miles. Completed in 1997

ConnectING Routes

NCN Route 8: Holyhead to Cardiff: 243 miles. Completed in 2010
Thames & Severn Canal: Gloucester to Kemble: 49 miles. Completed in 2019

Back to Cycle Index

Richard gower1 January 2020Cycle, NCN, Canal, Disused Railway, Thames, Glamorganshire, Monmouthshire, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Surrey, Middlesex, London, Wales, EnglandComment

Two Counties Jungle Bell Run 10k

When: December 17th 2019
Where: Merchant Taylors’ Senior School, Sandy Lodge, Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 2HT
Course: Twisty turny, MUDDY, route around the grounds of Merchant Taylor’s School with a lap of the lake and following a section of the River Colne.
Other routes touched: course of the River Colne
Finish time: 57 minutes

Back to Run Index

Richard gower15 December 2019Run, 10k, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, EnglandComment

Adidas City Runs - Fulham 10k

When: November 17th 2019
Where: Fulham, London, UK
Course: Twisty turny on-road route around Waltham Green, Fulham and Parson’s Green including a loop of Stamford Bridge stadium. Start and end at Eel Brook Common.
Other routes touched: None
Finish time: 54 minutes

Back to Run Index

Richard gower17 November 2019Run, 10k, London, Middlesex, EnglandComment

Vitality London 10,000

When: May 27th 2019
Where: London, UK
Course: Flat, on-road out and back (ish) from The Mall taking in Trafalgar Square, The Strand, Chancery Lane, St Pauls, Bank of England, Whitehall, Westminster Square and Birdcage Walk
Other routes touched (walk): Jubilee Walkway
Finish time: 52.5 minutes

Back to Run Index

Richard gower27 May 2019Run, 10k, London, Middlesex, EnglandComment

Thames Path Challenge 28k

When: September 8th 2018
Where: Bishop's Park, Fulham, London, UK
Course: Thames Path from Bishop's Park to Hurst Park, West Molesey, Surrey
Other Trails touched (walk): Thames Path, Beverley Brook Walk, Capital Ring
Other Trails touched (cycle): NCN 4,
Finish time: 7 hours 16 mins (Walk)

This was a return to the Thames Path for my first long-distance walk with Timea and the start of our training for next year's Camino. We were part of a group from Timi's company, Activision, some of whom did the 50k or 100k options. Just like the Threshold series that I'm more familiar with, this was a really well organised event from Action Challenges.

Back to Thames Path Index

Richard gower8 September 2018Trek, London, Thames, Middlesex, EnglandComment

Cycling The River Crane & The Hounslow Baseline

A geek cycling microadventure along the River Crane and Hounslow Baseline on sections of the London Loop, Capital Ring and Thames Path.

Start / Finish: Minet Country Park, Springfield Rd, Hayes, UB4 0LL
Distance: 46.7 km (29 miles)
Elevation Change: +/- 153m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (walk): Hillingdon Trail, Grand Union Canal Towpath, Shakespeare’s Way, London Loop, Thames Path, Capital Ring
Other Routes Touched (cycle): None
Map: OS Explorer 173 London North and OS Explorer 172 Chiltern Hills East
Links: River Crane, Minet Country Park, Cranford Park, Crane Park, Hounslow Baseline
- Drawing The Line at Hounslow (article, St Margarets, 2010)
- Heathrow Airport honours the work of Major General William Roy (article, Ordnance Survey 2013)

The idea for this trip came whilst reading Mike Parker's book, Map Addict. In his fascinating and funny account of all things map-related Chapter 2 covers the beginnings of the Ordnance Survey. Prior to the establishment of the Ordnance Survey General William Roy pioneered the techniques that would later be used to map all of the UK. The Hounslow Baseline was the first point to point measurement and was chosen “because of its vicinity to the capital and the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, its great extent, and the extraordinary levelness of its surface, without local obstruction whatever to render measurements difficult.”

I won't go into the rest of the story as its well documented elsewhere and Mike Parker's book is a great place to start. Instead, this blog post describes a ~50k circular cycle adventure that explores the Hounslow Baseline and the nearby River Crane.

The River Crane

The best place to start is the car-park at Minet Country Park in Hayes. A few hundred metres West you'll cross a bridge giving the first sight of the Crane. The source is further North in the park but you can't see it so its not worth venturing further.

From the bridge continue North-West through the Parkway underpass, then take a left and follow the cycle path that runs parallel to the Parkway.
The Parkway will cross over the Grand Union Canal and mainline railway. Don't forget to marvel at the industrial wasteland along the way. Once you have crossed the Grand Union Canal you'll also be on the well-signed London Loop which you can follow for much of the route of the Crane.
Take a right at the roundabout, then first left at the Crane Pub onto Watersplash Lane.
From Watersplash Lane you'll enter Cranford Park, the first of a chain of parks and green spaces that follow the Crane for most of its course.
At around KM 5 you'll cross over the A4 Bath Road then through a small housing estate in Cranford before re-entering the park.
At KM 7 you'll reach the A30, a busy dual carriageway with a solid central reservation. Unless you want to risk cutting across you'll need to cycle West for ~1km to the nearest crossing then back on the other side.
Once over the A30 continue along the green spaces including The Causeway, Donkey Wood, Brazil Mill Meadows, and Pevensey Road Nature Reserve then into Crane Park, home of Crane parkrun.
The Crane passes under the A316 and B358 as they cut across Crane Park. After the B358 continue alongside the River Crane but don't follow the London Loop signs as they leave the Crane at this point.
Continue through Crane Park and Kneller Gardens into Twickenham. From here is harder to stay next to the river so you'll need to navigate through several residential streets. This is where a map and a GPX file is essential.
The Crane eventually meets the Thames next to an apartment block off Railshead Road. Take the footpath next to the Capital Ring sign to see the confluence of the 2 rivers.

The Thames Path & Capital Ring at St Margarets

From the end of the Crane there's 2 options to get you to the Hounslow Baseline: a direct but busy road route through St Margarets, Twickenham and Strawberry Hill or a marginally longer but more scenic Thames Path route. Taking the latter (as I did) also takes you along 500m of the Capital Ring before it crosses Richmond Lock Footbridge. A stop at the Barmy Arms and a visit to Eel Pie Island make a great half-way rest stop for the trip.

From The Thames Path opposite Eel Pie Island:

Turn right onto Wharf Lane, then left onto Heath Road and left onto Hampton Road.
Continue along Hampton Road for approx 2 KM, taking a right onto Burtons Road.
Continue along Burtons Road, taking a left onto St. James' Road an continue all the way to the junction of Windmill Road and The A312.
Turn left onto the A312 (Uxbridge Road) and look out for a small footpath on the right near a zebra crossing.
Follow the footpath into a small cul-de-sac called Roy Grove where you'll find the South-Eastern end of the Hounslow Baseline.

The Hounslow Baseline

The street name, Roy Grove, is the first clue that you've found the right place. The actual monument is on the opposite side of the turning circle in an unloved patch of grass between 2 houses. The monument is a barrel of a cannon sticking the ground, next to a plaque describing the life and work of Major General William Roy. To cycle the Baseline:

Return back down the footpath and take a left onto the A312 Uxbridge Road.
Follow the A312 for ~7 KM until it crosses the A30 and reaches the Hatton Cross Roundabout at Heathrow. The road name will change several times along the route from Uxbridge Road, to Hampton Road West, Harlington Road East and Faggs Road. There's very little navigation to do as its a pretty straight route, presumably following the original Baseline.
At the Hatton Cross Roundabout take the 4th exit onto Envoy Avenue, then left onto the Eastern Perimetre road. This is a bit of a diversion from the original route of the Baseline but unfortunately necessary as the airport is not keen on people cycling across the runways.
The Eastern Perimeter Road will become the Northern Perimeter Road. Follow this until the junction of Nene Road.
The end of the Baseline is on a grassy triangle of the North East side of this junction.

The monument, a twin of the South West one at Roy Grove, is in the far corner of the grassy triangle. You can barely see it from the road so you'd have to be looking for it to notice it. The rest of the site is now a Heathrow Business parking car park. The area could have been used for another 25 parking spaces with hundreds of thousands of pounds of revenue. Its nice that a little-visited monument has been preserved there instead.

I've read a few opinions that the Ordnance Survey should do more to preserve and promote the 2 monuments that are so important to their history. I don't agree. It seems fitting that they are hard to find and you'd need a map and some navigation skills to find them.

Doomed Village

From the monument it's just over 7 KM back to Minet Park. The easiest way is to continue North over Nene Road, crossing the A4 and taking the A408 through Sipson. This is one of the "Doomed Villages" that will be lost to the future expansion of the airport. As you pass by Sipson Close, look left as this will be the end of the proposed 3rd runway. I've been through here a few times in the past and normally see "Stop Heathrow Expansion" banners on most roads, presumably preaching to the converted. Maybe the lack of them this time is due to the increasingly lost cause of trying to stop the inevitable?

From the A408, turn right onto Sipson Lane, then left at the roundbout onto the High Street.
Turn right at the A437 North Hyde Road and continue until the Parkway roundabout from the start of the trip.
Retrace the route along the cycle path next to the Parkway, crossing back under into Minet Park

Red = course of the River Crane, Yellow = cycle route, Blue = Hounslow Baseline. Green = (approx) future site of proposed Heathrow 3rd runway

Elevation plan of the cycle route (marked as yellow in the map)

Back to Cycle Index

Richard gower19 August 2018Cycle, Canal, Thames, London, Middlesex, EnglandComment

Middlesex parkrun & The Eel Pie Pilgrimage

Back in April I completed my 100th different parkrun event at Hazelwood. What I didn't know at the time was that it was also my last of the 20* parkruns in the historic county of Middlesex. This only became important in the last few weeks when looking for new parkrun challenges to tick off. I'd completed LonDone and the Channel Islands Region in July. Next up would be the South-East England region but there's 84 of them and I've only ran 26 so it will take ages. I needed some smaller, more frequent hits, and the mini-regionnaires of the Historic Counties would do the job. It would also be a nice match with my other current obsession, the UK County Tops.

The Historic County of Middlesex has been chopped and changed over the years and now doesn't really exist except as a legacy in some postal addresses. Most relevant to the parkrun geek, it's also in the address of parkrun Headquarters that can be found at the bottom of every page on parkrun.org.uk. A pilgrimage to the parkrun HQ would be a fitting end to the Middlesex mini-regionnaire.

So, as a part of a different micro-adventure, I headed towards Eel Pie Island. This is a quaint, quirky place in the Thames just South of Twickenham. I'd read about it and its interesting musical history a few years ago and had wanted to check it out. Discovering that it's now the Global HQ for parkrun meant that I had to go immediately. I wasn't really sure what to expect though. I had visions of a sprawling HQ complex, maybe under a volcano, with Paul Sinton-Hewitt at the centre of it, stroking his cat and surveying a huge map of the world, planning his next country to conquer.

As it turned out there were no volcanoes and if there was a sprawling complex it was well hidden. Although you can walk onto the island over a footbridge, there's no access to Phoenix Wharf where the offices are. There's some cute cottages along a quiet footpath but no obvious signs of a global HQ. I assumed that the secrecy was for a reason. They're probably in league with the Illuminati and the Bilderberg Group is probably also behind the fence. Assuming I was being watched by parkrun's crack security militia I decided to retreat before being captured, never to be seen again.

*at the time

Completing Middlesex parkun

If you've done LonDone , you've pretty much also done Middlesex as its only Hazelwood that sits outside of the Greater London region. The other odd exception is Oak Hill. It's the only North-West London event that's not within the Middlesex boundary, due to an oddly shaped scoop of old Hertfordshire that plucks it out from its neighbours. I'm now hoping for a new parkrun to be set up in Wrotham Park as it would have the honor of being the only event that's inside old Middlesex but outside of both Greater London and the M25.

Here's the full list of all parkruns, at the time of writing, that are in the Historic County of Middlesex.

Actual course routes and positions for events that I have completed

*Hackney Marshes starts and ends in Historic Essex but most of the course is in Historic Middlesex

Greater London parkruns by Borough

The London Boroughs are the 32 local authority districts that together with the City of London make up the administrative area of Greater London.

Bromley has the most parkrun events with 5.
There are 2 boroughs that do not currently have a parkrun event: Kensington and Chelsea and the City of Westminster.
The City of London also doesn’t have a parkrun event. Due to its small size and lack of green spaces it’s unlikely to ever have one.
4 parkrun events share their name with the borough that they are in: Bexley, Bromley, Harrow and Southwark.
Another 6 parkrun events have all or part of their name in the name of the borough that they are in: Barking, Fulham Palace, Hackney Marshes, Kingston, Richmond Park and Walthamstow.

The table above shows parkrun events listed by London Borough where the current start line is located. Most events are fully within the boundaries of their respective borough, however some cross borders. Events in italics with a * have explanations below. Thanks to the members of the various Facebook parkrun groups for input on these. Events like Clapham Common may be under the jurisdiction of a borough council but shown above in a different borough due to the start line location.

Clapham Common has the start and finish in Wandsworth although the course crosses into the eastern side of the Common which is part of Lambeth. The event is under Lambeth jurisdiction (thanks to Cal Jones for this info), although I’ve listed it under Wandsworth in the table for consistency of where the start point is.

Crane Park parkrun is half in Hounslow borough and half in Richmond - as the river Crane is the boundary. On the current course the start is in Hounslow and the finish in Richmond (thanks to Mike Dennison for this info).
Kingston parkrun starts and ends in Kingston upon Thames and crosses over into Richmond upon Thames in the middle section (thanks to Mike Dennison for this info).
Roundshaw Down parkrun has the briefing in Croydon, the start line just over the border in Sutton, and the finish in Croydon. Much of the course is in Sutton with the eastern edge in Croydon. (thanks to Robert Butlin for this info).
The Wanstead Flats course is in Redbridge, although the post-code for the Harrow Road Pavilion is in neighboring Waltham Forest. This is presumably because the entrance to the Pavilion is off Harrow Road which is right on the border.
Wimbledon Common parkrun is mostly in Wandsworth although the finish line and funnel is inside the Merton boundary - the Wandsworth border is a few metres north of the drinking trough next to the finish line. The old Wimbledon Common parkrun course, which was used as an alternative course (due to hornets on the usual course) in 2016 was entirely in Merton (thanks to Charles Leonard for this info).

Greater London parkruns by Historic County

Before the creation of Greater London, the area was split between 5 Historic Counties:

23 Greater London parkrun events were previously in the historic county of Middlesex. Hazelwood is the only parkrun event that was in Middlesex but is not now in Greater London.

17 Greater London parkrun events were previously in the historic county of Surrey. The Riddlesdown event crosses the current border of Greater London and present-day Surrey but is classified as London.
14 Greater London parkrun events were previously in the historic county of Kent. Both Crystal Palace and Bethlem Royal Hospital cross the border of Historic Surrey and Kent, but the parkrun courses are mostly on the Kent side.
10 Greater London parkrun events were previously in the historic county of Essex. Hackney Marshes was all inside Middlesex when I did it in 2014, however the new course now starts and ends on the east side of the River Lea in Essex but still has most of the route in Middlesex.
1 Greater London parkrun event (Oak Hill) was previously in the historic county of Hertfordshire

All of the London parkrun events …

Below are each of the Greater London parkun events in alphabetical order. A few things to note:

The interactive maps below take you to the approximate location for the course, typically the centre of the park. See the course instructions in the parkrun page for each event for specific directions to the start.
Course maps and elevation profiles show the route at the time that I ran it and may have changed since then. See the Course page in the event’s page on parkrun.co.uk for the current course outline.
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram details are based primarily on the public transport description in the Course page for each event plus input submitted by readers of this page.
See the LonDone parkrun travel connections page for more details on stations, driving and facilities.

parkrun LonDone Tracker

If you would like a PDF version of my manual LonDone tracker, please BuyMeACoffee and let me know on the Contact Page. It’s a table of all current Greater London parkrun events, plus all events inside the M25, with space for future new events. You can track your date completed and finish time. It’s simple and you could easily make one yourself, but let me know if you want a copy of mine. 20% of each virtual coffee goes to parkrun Forever and the rest goes toward the running of this website.

Ally Pally

I completed this event on: January 1st 2015 with a finish time of: 27:01
Other routes touched: Alexandra Palace and the Parkland Walk Circular
Greater London Borough: Haringey
Historic County: Middlesex
Inaugural: December 3rd 2011
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Alexandra Palace (National Rail via Great Northern, Thameslink). Walking Distance: 0.3 miles (0.48 km). Alternative: Wood Green (Tube).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

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Avery Hill (formerly Greenwich)

I completed this event on: May 13th 2017 with a finish time of: 34:07
Other routes touched (walk): Shuttle Riverway
Greater London Borough: Greenwich
Historic County: Kent
Inaugural: March 6th 2010
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Falconwood (National Rail via southeastern). Walking Distance: 1 mile (1.6 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Barking

I completed this event on: October 28th 2017 with a finish time of: 26:40
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Barking and Dagenham
Historic County: Essex
Inaugural: July 28th 2012
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Barking (National Rail via c2c. Overground. Underground via Bakerloo, District, Hammersmith & City). Walking Distance: 0.6 miles (0.96 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Battersea

I completed this event on: December 28th 2024 with a finish time of: 28:30
Other routes touched: N/A, although the Thames Path runs through the park.
Greater London Borough: Wandsworth
Historic County: Surrey
Inaugural: October 12th 2024
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Battersea Power Station (Underground via Northern). Walking Distance: 1 miles (1.6 km). Alternatives: South Kensington and Sloane Square (Tube). Battersea Park Overground & National Rail.
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, Blog7t write-up

Beckenham Place

I completed this event on: February 3rd 2018 with a finish time of: 25:51
Other routes touched (walk): Green Chain Walk, Capital Ring
Greater London Borough: Lewisham
Historic County: Kent
Inaugural: November 19th 2016
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Beckenham Hill (National Rail via Thameslink). Walking Distance: 0.5 miles (0.8 km). Alternative: Beckenham Junction (Tram).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

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Beckton

I completed this event on: January 6th 2017 with a finish time of: 27:28
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 13
Greater London Borough: Newham
Historic County: Essex
Inaugural: June 2nd 2012
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Royal Albert (DLR). Walking Distance: 0.3 miles (0.48 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Bedfont Lakes

I completed this event on: January 18th 2014 with a finish time of: 24:13
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Hounslow
Historic County: Middlesex
Inaugural: May 9th 2009
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Ashford (National Rail via South Western). Walking Distance: 1.1 miles (1.76 km). Alternative: Hatton Cross (Tube, then take a bus).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

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Bethlem Royal Hospital

I completed this event on: May 25th 2019 with a finish time of: 25:15
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Bromley
Historic County: Surrey & Kent (course is on the border of the 2 counties)
Inaugural: May 25th 2019
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Eden Park (National Rail via southeastern). Walking Distance: 0.7 miles (1.12 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

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Bexley

I completed this event on: March 31st 2018 with a finish time of: 26:13
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Bexley
Historic County: Kent
Inaugural: February 4th 2012
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Welling (National Rail via southeastern). Walking Distance: 1.2 miles (1.92 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Brockwell

I completed this event on: May 26th 2018 with a finish time of: 27:28
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Lambeth
Historic County: Surrey
Inaugural: December 11th 2010
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Herne Hill (National Rail via southeastern, Thameslink). Walking Distance: 0.4 miles (0.64 km). Alternative: Brixton (Tube).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Bromley

I completed this event on: March 17th 2018 with a finish time of: 26:38
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Bromley
Historic County: Kent
Inaugural: August 29th 2009
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Bromley South (National Rail via southeastern, Thameslink). Walking Distance: 0.9 miles (1.44 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Burgess

I completed this event on: December 2nd 2017 with a finish time of: 25:17
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 425
Greater London Borough: Southwark
Historic County: Surrey
Inaugural: September 22nd 2012
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Elephant & Castle (National Rail via southeastern, Thameslink, Underground via Bakerloo, Northern). Walking Distance: 1 miles (1.6 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Bushy Park

I completed this event on: March 1st 2014 with a finish time of: 23:30
Other routes touched (walk): London Loop
Greater London Borough: Richmond upon Thames
Historic County: Middlesex
Inaugural: October 2nd 2004
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Hampton Court (National Rail via South Western). Walking Distance: 0.8 miles (1.28 km). Alternative: Teddington (Train), Hampton Wick (Train)
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Canons Park

I completed this event on: November 12th 2016 with a finish time of: 26:03
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Harrow
Historic County: Middlesex
Inaugural: October 8th 2016
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Canons Park (Underground via Jubilee). Walking Distance: 0.4 miles (0.64 km). Alternative: Harrow & Wealdstone (Train)
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

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Catford

I completed this event on: June 2nd 2018 with a finish time of: 25:47
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Lewisham
Historic County: Kent
Inaugural: April 28th 2018
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Hither Green (National Rail via southeastern). Walking Distance: 0.5 miles (0.8 km). Alternative: Catford, Catford Bridge.
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Charlton

I completed this event on: December 4th 2021 with a finish time of: 25:13
Other routes touched (walk): Capital Ring
Greater London Borough: Greenwich
Historic County: Kent
Inaugural: October 2nd 2021
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Charlton (National Rail via southeastern, Thameslink). Walking Distance: 0.8 miles (1.28 km). Alternative: DLR Woolwich, North Greenwich (Jubilee).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Clapham Common

I completed this event on: April 14th 2018 with a finish time of: 25:41
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Start and finish in Wandsworth although the course crosses into the eastern side of the Common which is part of Lambeth. The event is under Lambeth jurisdiction (thanks to Cal Jones for this info).
Historic County: Surrey
Inaugural: March 24th 2018
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Clapham South (Underground via Northern). Walking Distance: 0.4 miles (0.64 km). Alternative: Clapham Junction (Train)
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

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Crane Park

I completed this event on: October 4th 2014 with a finish time of: 24:24
Other routes touched (walk): London Loop
Greater London Borough: Crane Park parkrun is half in Hounslow borough and half in Richmond - as the river Crane is the boundary. On the current course the start is in Hounslow and the finish in Richmond (thanks to Mike Dennison for this info).
Historic County: Middlesex
Inaugural: June 9th 2012
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Whitton (National Rail via South Western). Walking Distance: 1.1 miles (1.76 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

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Crystal Palace

I completed this event on: December 17th 2016 with a finish time of: 26:23
Other routes touched (walk): Capital Ring
Greater London Borough: Bromley
Historic County: Surrey & Kent (course is on the border of the 2 counties)
Inaugural: May 29th 2010
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Penge West (National Rail via Southern. Overground). Walking Distance: 0.2 miles (0.32 km). Alternative: Penge East (Train), Crystal Palace (Train, Overground).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

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Dulwich

I completed this event on: October 22nd 2016 with a finish time of: 25:18
Other routes touched (walk): Green Chain Walk
Greater London Borough: Southwark
Historic County: Surrey
Inaugural: April 14th 2012
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: West Dulwich (National Rail via southeastern). Walking Distance: 0.8 miles (1.28 km). Alternative: North Dulwich.
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Finsbury Park

I completed this event on: January 24th 2015 with a finish time of: 28:06
Other routes touched (walk): Capital Ring, New River Path
Greater London Borough: Haringey
Historic County: Middlesex
Inaugural: October 31st 2009
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Finsbury Park (National Rail via Great Northern, Thameslink. Overground. Underground via Piccadilly, Victoria). Walking Distance: 0.4 miles (0.64 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Foots Cray Meadows

I completed this event on: October 20th 2018 with a finish time of: 28:36
Other routes touched (walk): N/A but runs very close to the London Loop and Cray Riverway
Greater London Borough: Bexley
Historic County: Kent
Inaugural: July 21st 2018
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Albany Park (National Rail via southeastern). Walking Distance: 0.5 miles (0.8 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

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Fulham Palace

I completed this event on: October 19th 2013 with a finish time of: 23:28
Other routes touched (walk): Thames Path
Greater London Borough: Hammersmith and Fulham
Historic County: Middlesex
Inaugural: October 19th 2013
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Putney Bridge (Underground via District). Walking Distance: 0.6 miles (0.96 km). Alternative: Putney.
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

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Gladstone

I completed this event on: November 1st 2014 with a finish time of: 24:14
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Brent
Historic County: Middlesex
Inaugural: June 30th 2012
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Dollis Hill (Underground via Jubilee). Walking Distance: 1.1 miles (1.76 km). Alternative: Cricklewood.
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Grovelands

I completed this event on: January 1st 2015 with a finish time of: 25:24
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Enfield
Historic County: Middlesex
Inaugural: July 24th 2010
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Winchmore Hill (National Rail via Great Northern, Thameslink). Walking Distance: 0.8 miles (1.28 km). Alternative: Southgate (Tube).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

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Gunnersbury

I completed this event on: March 8th 2014 with a finish time of: 23:11
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Hounslow
Historic County: Middlesex
Inaugural: October 29th 2011
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Acton Town (Underground via District, Piccadilly). Walking Distance: 0.6 miles (0.96 km). Alternative: Kew Bridge (Rail).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

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Hackney Marshes

I completed this event on: January 1st 2014 with a finish time of: 25:12
Other routes touched (walk): Lea Valley Walk / Lea Canal Towpath
Greater London Borough: Hackney
Historic County: the course was all inside Middlesex when I did it in 2014, however the new course now starts and ends on the east side of the River Lea in Essex but still has most of the route in Middlesex
Inaugural: May 29th 2010
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Hackney Wick (Overground). Walking Distance: 1.1 miles (1.76 km). Alternative: Stratford International DLR
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

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Hampstead Heath

I completed this event on: January 4th 2014 with a finish time of: 26:31
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Camden
Historic County: Middlesex
Inaugural: May 14th 2011
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Hampstead Heath (Overground). Walking Distance: 0.5 miles (0.8 km). Alternative: Hampstead (Tube).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

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Hanworth

I completed this event on: June 15th 2019 with a finish time of: 27:24
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Hounslow
Historic County: Middlesex
Inaugural: May 4th 2019
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Feltham (National Rail via South Western). Walking Distance: 0.9 miles (1.44 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Harrow

I completed this event on: November 7th 2015 with a finish time of: 25:24
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Harrow
Historic County: Middlesex
Inaugural: May 9th 2015
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Harrow on the Hill (National Rail via Chiltern Railways. Underground via Metropolitan). Walking Distance: 0.4 miles (0.64 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Harrow Lodge

I completed this event on: March 25th 2017 with a finish time of: 25:33
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Havering
Historic County: Essex
Inaugural: January 12th 2013
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Elm Park (Underground via District, Hammersmith & City). Walking Distance: 0.6 miles (0.96 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Highbury Fields

I completed this event on: January 1st 2014 with a finish time of: 25:13
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 162
Greater London Borough: Islington
Historic County: Middlesex
Inaugural: November 12th 2011
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Highbury & Islington (National Rail via Great Northern. Overground. Underground via Victoria). Walking Distance: 0.2 miles (0.32 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

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Hilly Fields

I completed this event on: May 27th 2017 with a finish time of: 26:53
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Lewisham
Historic County: Kent
Inaugural: September 8th 2012
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Ladywell (National Rail via South Western). Walking Distance: 0.4 miles (0.64 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

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Hoblingwell

I completed this event on: February 10th 2018 with a finish time of: 26:02
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Bromley
Historic County: Kent
Inaugural: July 15th 2017
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: St Mary Cray (National Rail via southeastern, Thameslink). Walking Distance: 0.8 miles (1.28 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

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Ingrebourne Hill

I completed this event on: March 29th 2025 with a finish time of: 26:57
Other routes touched: London Loop, Ingrebourne Way
Greater London Borough: Havering
Historic County: Essex
Inaugural: December 14th 2024
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Rainham (National Rail via c2c). Walking Distance: 0.7 miles (1.1 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Kingston

I completed this event on: January 3rd 2015 with a finish time of: 25:26
Other routes touched (walk): Thames Path
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 4
Greater London Borough: Starts and ends in Kingston upon Thames and crosses over into Richmond upon Thames in the middle section (thanks to Mike Dennison for this info).
Historic County: Surrey
Inaugural: March 20th 2010
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Hampton Wick (National Rail via South Western). Walking Distance: 1.7 miles (2.72 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Lloyd

I completed this event on: October 1st 2016 with a finish time of: 26:08
Other routes touched (walk): Vanguard Way
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 232
Greater London Borough: Croydon
Historic County: Surrey
Inaugural: October 23rd 2010
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Lloyd Park (Tram). Walking Distance: >0.1 miles (>0.1 km). Alternative: East Croydon (Rail)
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Lordship Recreation Ground

I completed this event on: November 12th 2022 with a finish time of: 25:26
Other routes touched: None
Greater London Borough: Haringey
Historic County: Middlesex
Inaugural: October 22nd 2022
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Turnpike Lane (Underground via Piccadilly). Walking Distance: 0.8 miles (1.28 km). Alternative: Bruce Grove (Overground)
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Mile End

I completed this event on: April 22nd 2017 with a finish time of: 26:02
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 1. (walk): Jubilee Greenway
Greater London Borough: Tower Hamlets
Historic County: Middlesex
Inaugural: February 4th 2012
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Mile End (Underground via Central, Circle, District, Hammersmith & City). Walking Distance: 0.6 miles (0.96 km). Alternative: Limehouse (Train, DLR).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Morden

I completed this event on: August 24th 2024 with a finish time of: 26:42
Other routes touched (cycle): None, although NCN 208 runs very close to the north-eastern edge of the course.
Greater London Borough: Merton
Historic County: Surrey
Inaugural: June 15th 2024
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Morden South (National Rail via Thameslink). Walking Distance: 0.4 miles (0.64 km). Alternative: Morden (Tube)
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Northala Fields

I completed this event on: July 26th 2014 with a finish time of: 23:58
Other routes touched: N/A
This event is also part of parkrun Compass Club
Greater London Borough: Ealing
Historic County: Middlesex
Inaugural: June 21st 2014
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Northolt (Underground via Central). Walking Distance: 0.5 miles (0.8 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

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Oak Hill

I completed this event on: January 10th 2015 with a finish time of: 24:58
Other routes touched (walk): Pymmes Brook Trail
Greater London Borough: Barnet
Historic County: Hertfordshire
Inaugural: August 27th 2011
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Oakleigh Park (National Rail via Great Northern, Thameslink). Walking Distance: 0.6 miles (0.96 km). Alternative: Southgate (Tube)
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Old Deer Park

I completed this event on: September 21st 2013 with a finish time of: 23:32
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Richmond upon Thames
Historic County: Surrey
Inaugural: August 21st 2010
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Richmond (National Rail via South Western. Overground. Underground via District). Walking Distance: 0.4 miles (0.64 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

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Orpington

I completed this event on: December 24th 2016 with a finish time of: 28:04
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Bromley
Historic County: Kent
Inaugural: September 15th 2012
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Orpington (National Rail via southeastern, Thameslink). Walking Distance: 1.6 miles (2.56 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Osterley

I completed this event on: January 25th 2014 with a finish time of: 23:35
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Hounslow
Historic County: Middlesex
Inaugural: August 31st 2013
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Osterley (Underground via Piccadilly). Walking Distance: 1 mile (1.6 km). Alternative: Isleworth (Train)
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Peckham Rye

I completed this event on: December 25th 2016 with a finish time of: 25:36
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Southwark
Historic County: Surrey
Inaugural: June 21st 2014
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Honor Oak Park (National Rail via Southern, Overground). Walking Distance: 1.1 miles (1.76 km). Alternative: Nunhead (Train)
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

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Pymmes

I completed this event on: February 7th 2015 with a finish time of: 26:09
Other routes touched (walk): Pymmes Brook Trail
Greater London Borough: Enfield
Historic County: Middlesex
Inaugural: April 9th 2011
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Silver Street (Overground). Walking Distance: 0.2 miles (0.32 km). Alternative: Edmonton (Train), Seven Sisters (Tube)
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Raphael

I completed this event on: February 11th 2017 with a finish time of: 26:36
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Havering
Historic County: Essex
Inaugural: May 2nd 2015
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Romford (National Rail via greateranglia. Overground, Elizabeth Line). Walking Distance: 0.9 miles (1.44 km). Alternative: Elm Park (Tube).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Richmond Park

I completed this event on: February 1st 2014 with a finish time of: 24:14
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 4
Greater London Borough: Richmond upon Thames
Historic County: Surrey
Inaugural: October 20th 2007
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Richmond (National Rail via South Western. Overground. Underground via District). Walking Distance: 1.1 miles (1.76 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

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Riddlesdown

I completed this event on: January 1st 2017 with a finish time of: 26:24
Other routes touched (walk): London Loop, Tandridge Border Path
Greater London Borough: Croydon
Historic County: Surrey
Inaugural: July 2nd 2011
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Whyteleafe (National Rail via Southern). Walking Distance: 1 mile (1.6 km). Alternative: Upper Warlingham (Train)
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up
Note that the start, and most of the course is in Greater London, however the finish is in Surrey.

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Roundshaw Downs

I completed this event on: January 1st 2017 with a finish time of: 27:28
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Sutton. Roundshaw Down parkrun has the briefing in Croydon, the start line just over the border in Sutton, and the finish in Croydon. Much of the course is in Sutton with the eastern edge in Croydon. (thanks to Robert Butlin for this info).
Historic County: Surrey
Inaugural: July 18th 2009
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Waddon (National Rail via Southern). Walking Distance: 1.1 miles (1.76 km). Alternative: West Croydon (Overground), Wandle Park (Tram)
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

route-26832661-map-full - Roundshaw Downs.png

Southall

I completed this event on: February 12th 2022 with a finish time of: 25:03
Other routes touched: None
This event is also part of parkrun Compass Club
Greater London Borough: Ealing
Historic County: Middlesex
Inaugural: January 8th 2022
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Southall (National Rail via GWR, Underground, Elizabeth Line). Walking Distance: 0.7 miles (1.12 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

South Norwood

I completed this event on: December 23rd 2017 with a finish time of: 28:28
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 21
This event is also part of parkrun Compass Club
Greater London Borough: Croydon
Historic County: Surrey
Inaugural: July 8th 2017
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Arena (Tram). Walking Distance: 0.4 miles (0.64 km). Alternative: Alternative: Elmers End (Train), Norwood Junction (Overground).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

route-26832933-map-full - South Norwood.png

Southwark

I completed this event on: November 23rd 2017 with a finish time of: 24:26
Other routes touched: N/A
This event is also part of parkrun Compass Club
Greater London Borough: Southwark
Historic County: Surrey
Inaugural: September 7th 2013
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Surrey Quays (Overground). Walking Distance: 0.2 miles (0.32 km). Alternative: South Bermondsey (Train), Canada Water (Tube)
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Stockley Country

I completed this event on: January 7th 2023 with a finish time of: 26:07
Other routes touched: The London Loop
Greater London Borough: Hillingdon
Historic County: Middlesex
Inaugural: January 7th 2023
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: West Drayton (National Rail via GWR, Elizabeth Line). Walking Distance: 1 miles (1.6 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Sunny Hill

I completed this event on: April 13th 2019 with a finish time of: 26:48
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Barnet
Historic County: Middlesex
Inaugural: March 30th 2019
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Colindale (Underground via Northern). Walking Distance: 1.3 miles (2.08 km). Alternative: Mill Hill Broadway (Train).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

route-29706760-map-full - Sunny Hill.png

Sutcliffe

I completed this event on: November 20th 2021 with a finish time of: 25:01
Other routes touched: None
Greater London Borough: Greenwich
Historic County: Kent
Inaugural: September 11th 2021
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Kidbrooke (National Rail via southeastern). Walking Distance: 0.7 miles (1.12 km).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Thames Path, Woolwich

I completed this event on: May 20th 2023 with a finish time of: 24:47
Other routes touched (walk): Thames Path
Other routes touched (walk): NCN 1, Q14
Greater London Borough: Greenwich
Historic County: Kent
Inaugural: May 6th 2023
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Woolwich (Elizabeth Line). Walking Distance: 0.3 miles (0.48 km). Alternative: Woolwich Arsenal DLR
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Tooting Common

I completed this event on: January 28th 2017 with a finish time of: 26:55
Other routes touched (walk): Capital Ring
Greater London Borough: Wandsworth
Historic County: Surrey
Inaugural: January 30th 2016
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Tooting Bec (Underground via Northern). Walking Distance: 0.8 miles (1.28 km). Alternative: Balham (Train), Clapham Junction (Overground).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

route-26835331-map-full - Tooting Common.png

Valentines

I completed this event on: November 5th 2016 with a finish time of: 25:54
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Redbridge
Historic County: Essex
Inaugural: February 19th 2011
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Gants Hill (Underground via Central). Walking Distance: 0.7 miles (1.12 km). Alternative: Alternative: Ilford (Train), Woodgrange Park (Overground).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

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Victoria Dock

I completed this event on: April 28th 2018 with a finish time of: 24:23
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 13
Greater London Borough: Newham
Historic County: Essex
Inaugural: March 17th 2018
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Royal Victoria (DLR). Walking Distance: 0.3 miles (0.48 km). Alternative: Custom House (Train), Canning Park (Tube).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

Walthamstow

I completed this event on: December 3rd 2016 with a finish time of: 26:11
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Waltham Forest
Historic County: Essex
Inaugural: January 26th 2013
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Higham's Park (Overground). Walking Distance: 0.8 miles (1.28 km). Alternative: Walthamstow Central (Train, Tube).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

route-26835403-map-full - Walthamstow.png

Wanstead Flats

I completed this event on: December 10th 2016 with a finish time of: 25:27
Other routes touched (walk): Greenwich Meridien Trail, Epping Forest Centenary Walk
Greater London Borough: Redbridge, although the post-code for the Harrow Road Pavilion is in neighboring Waltham Forest. This is presumably because the entrance to the Pavilion is off Harrow Road which is right on the border.
Historic County: Essex
Inaugural: May 21st 2011
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Leytonstone High Road (Overground). Walking Distance: 0.5 miles (0.8 km). Alternative: Stratford International (Train), Leytonstone (Tube), Forest Gate (Elizabeth Line).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

route-26835421-map-full - Wanstead Flats.png

Wimbledon Common

I completed this event on: November 29th 2014 with a finish time of: 25:14
Other routes touched: Capital Ring
Greater London Borough: Wandsworth. The course is mostly in Wandsworth although the finish line and funnel is inside the Merton boundary - the Wandsworth border is a few metres north of the drinking trough next to the finish line. The old Wimbledon Common parkrun course, which was used as an alternative course (due to hornets on the usual course) in 2016 was entirely in Merton (thanks to Charles Leonard for this info).
Historic County: Surrey
Inaugural: January 6th 2007
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: Southfields (Underground via District). Walking Distance: 1.4 miles (2.24 km). Alternative: Putney (Train), Wimbledon (Tram).
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

route-26835466-map-full - Wimbledon Common.png

Wormwood Scrubs

I completed this event on: June 15th 2013 with a finish time of: 24:10
Other routes touched: N/A
Greater London Borough: Hammersmith and Fulham
Historic County: Middlesex
Inaugural: June 11th 2011
Nearest Train/Tube/Tram: East Acton (Underground via Central). Walking Distance: 0.4 miles (0.64 km). Alternative: Acton Main Line (Train)
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up