We got beautiful weather for our walk on Sunday 9th March. Starting at Uxbridge, the first part was mostly along the Grand Union canal, passing two lakes and two nature reserves. We stopped briefly at a cafe, ‘The Hubb’, which had a large OPEN sign but was actually closed. Fortunately, we were able to use their loo behind the building, which was open, although there was a bit of resistance from the staff. Promising to move on fairly sharpish was enough to persuade security to let the final three walkers needing the loo to do so!
Back along the canal we arrived at the Coy Carp pub, ate our lunch on a green area nearby and then visited the pub to wash it down.
The second part of the walk was very different. A steep ascent took us up onto rolling Hertfordshire countryside, green paths with a lovely long stretch through Bishop’s Wood. We had a little bit of backtracking to do on this bit, missing a loop sign and then taking a path next to the correct one! Reminder to myself not to chat when leading! Fortunately, these diversions didn’t involve long distances so we did get back on track and completed in good time, our final stretch running parallel to the railway lines at Moor Park.
It was such lovely weather that some of us sought a cafe or pub to extend our day out. However, Moor Park was very quiet, no cafe or pub in sight, and we settled for chocolate from a little grocery store and headed for the train home.
It was a chilly, foggy, start at Isleworth but the sun was soon out to cheer us on our walk. Isleworth was once a well-cultivated farming and trading settlement, the boundary stretching from the Middlesex bank of the River Thames, westward to the centre of Hounslow and as far as Southhall in 1066. Much of Isleworth became orchards and market gardens in the 19th Century. Many royal and noble houses were built there including Syon House.
The leader welcomed 20 polyrambers at Isleworth station where we started our walk to Old Isleworth. We walked along a street with rows of workmen‘s cottages which were built for workers of the famous Pears soap factory. The Red Lion Pub in the same street has won the local CAMRA pub of the year prize four times since 2003. It was one of only three buildings in Hounslow to be recognised as ‘assets of Community value’. Then we walked through the Silverhall Park which sits either side of the Duke of Northumberland River. We entered Mill Plat, one of the oldest paths giving access to the Flour Mill built in 1635. The Ingram’s Almshouses built in 1664 are the oldest almshouses in the Borough.
Apparently there are often up to 20 herons resting in the area during night time. We looked at Warkworth House built in 1866, later becoming West Middlesex hospital accommodation for nurses. Now new houses have been built in the complex. Then the Mill Bridge : over the Duke of Northumberland’s River which was man-made in the 16th century to provide water for the Isleworth Flour Mill. The Tudor mill was made of wood and was destroyed by fire in 1795 and replaced by a brick built structure. It closed in 1934 and was demolished in 1941. Tolson’s Almshouses for the poor is located where the Duke of Northumberland River meets the Thames, and these are now flats.
There were many water puddles along the route after lots of rain over the past few days. The group enjoyed lovely views of the Thames. We followed the Capital Ring/Thames Path on the north side of the Thames, crossed Richmond Lock then we were walked through the Old Deer Park. We crossed the busy A316, to the town centre, through two alley ways and passed the house where Virgina Wolf lived for 9 years. We made our way along the Vineyard Passage, St. Matthias Church ( a victorian gothic style Grade II listed building) to the top of Richmond Hill. Finally, we arrived at our lunch stop in Terrace Gardens where some had their picnic lunch and some lunched at the Hollyhock Cafe.
After lunch 17 polyramblers continued walking back up to the top of the Hill where we enjoyed fantastic views over the Thames and further afield. It was not long after entering Richmond Park that we reached the Poet’s Corner Pollinator Garden and the John Beer Laburnum Walk. It was a fine clear afternoon and we spent some time at King Henry VIII’s Mound marvelling at the unrestricted view of St. Paul’s Cathedral.
We carried on walking towards Ham gate. I had promised there would be some mud for the group to enjoy, so we took the path to the left side of Ham Common instead of the formal path on the right. After walking for a mile, we arrived at Teddington Lock. One member decided to finish his walk there. The remaining 16 carried on along the Thames Path towards Kingston and we had a water stop under the 64 year old replacement of Half Mile Tree, a sign marking the official ‘half mile’ to Kingston.
Overall we had a very rewarding day with glorious sunshine that made the walk very enjoyable. This section of the Thames is thoroughly recommended for anyone seeking a metropolitan ramble with plenty of historical interest.
On a bright cold Sunday morning, seventeen ramblers assembled at Manor House station for a pre-Xmas 5 mile walk through a part of London’s Northern Heights.
We first crossed Finsbury Park, a green Victorian-era haven, created on the remnants of old Hornsey Wood to offer the poor population of North London some breathing and recreation space. Leaving the park by a footbridge over the train tracks out of Kings Cross, we joined the Parkland Walk, created on the route of a disused railway closed to passengers in the 1950s. Declared a local nature reserve in the 1990s, it has become a crucial car-free corridor for both humans and animals. Much artwork adorns the structures en-route including the sculpture of a ghostly goat-man said to haunt the footpath.
Closed tunnels by Highgate station signal the end of this section of the path so we joined the adjacent road up to Highgate Wood to continue our journey. Unfortunately the wood was closed to the public because of the predicted high winds being a threat to safety. We continued on the road to Cranley Gardens where we rejoined the disused track bed for fine views over London and thence our lunch stop at a pub in Muswell Hill.
A few of our number left at this point whilst the remainder climbed up to Alexandra Palace for more fine views. These included many people in fancy dress taking a break from watching the World Darts Championship in the Palace! A downhill stroll then took us to the nearby station for our journey home.
The planned walk on Saturday 18th January was postponed because of the leader’s illness so one planned for February was brought forward. Despite the short notice of the change and a cold grey day, thirteen poly ramblers and guests assembled at Pudding Mill Lane DLR station for a five mile walk through suburban East London. A flight of steps took us up to the Greenway, a most imaginative use of sewage pipes: a level trackway of bonded gravel for walkers and cyclists laid on top of the Northern Outfall Sewage Embankment. The acronym NOSE may have been deliberately chosen by someone with a sense of humour! However there was little nasal evidence of its presence as we strolled along the route of the Capital Ring above the houses and commercial buildings of the borough of Newham, including the ornate pumping house affectionally known as ‘The Cathedral of Sewage’. After about three miles, we left the Greenway and crossed the busy A13 trunk road with distant views of the ‘Beckton Alps’, a giant slag heap of a former gas works, now grassed over and converted into a dry ski slope. We next entered Beckton District Park, a pleasant green space with a lake and numerous water birds. Leaving the park and the Capital Ring, we walked along a tree-lined footpath to the end of the walk at the Fox Connaught pub, a listed old docks building, which provided sustenance for our hungry and thirsty ramblers.
Danny
Photos by Les and Stephen
The Polytechnic Rambling Club – Walking with friends
