Green Chain Walk

Next week I will be setting off on my next long distant walk with five friends. Each year we get together for a week of walking. This time we are going to Spain for our long hike. To fulfil one of Paul's dreams we are walking El Camino to Santiago de Compostela. We are not walking the very popular French way which is 490 miles long but one of the lesser known routes from Ferrol. It is about 100 miles long which is about our usual distance. I have been doing lots of extra walks and fitness training in the gym so fingers crossed I won't suffer any injuries. A couple of weeks ago I went for a long walk locally. I wanted to walk for at least 6 hours so I decided to just set off from home and to keep going. Many of you who follow my blogs will know I live in London just a 15-20 min journey from the centre. This walk will show you how much green space we have in the suburbs of London. 

I followed the signposts for the Green Chain Walk. This well signposted series of walks stretches for 50 miles from the River Thames and links parks, woodlands and fields across SE London. All the walks are interlinked so it is easy to go from one to the other. I picked the pathway up just at the end of my road and followed it across a park and playing fields into some woodland.

You do have to cross roads and walk down residential streets but those were few and far between.

Many different patches of woodland had been cleverly linked and some

 were new to me I am ashamed to say seeing as I live a short distance from them

Signposting was very informative

Perfect pathways for motorised wheelchairs 

I am now going round another park.

The next section of woodland had these carvings at the side of the path.

I walked past a few ponds with their wonderful reflections.

I needed to walk through Chislehurst Village to the next section of the walk.

This memorial cross was erected in memory of Prince Albert (Queen Victoria's husband) in 1880 by the people of Chislehurst.

I walked alongside the railway lines but going back through the woods

He just popped out from the hedgerow to say hello before finding his way back to the pond.

The day was very hot and by mid afternoon I decided to go home. I had walked about 15 miles so I was happy enough with my efforts. I hope when I start the walk next week I am still happy enough with my efforts!

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