I got round to starting the London LOOP on Saturday, starting from Erith
and following the path for the first 8 or so miles to Bexley. It seemed
odd to be walking around Erith town centre with Christmas decorations up
whilst still being comfortably warm in a T-Shirt. I found the riverside
gardens and was pleasently suprised at the view, the Thames is certainly
wide here (almost half a mile) and was very calm, looking almost lake-like
in places. Walking along the pier I felt more like being by the coast
with the sea gulls and vast expanse of water. Following the LOOP out of
Erith was not especially pleasant passing heavy industry on the left (mostly
concrete and scrap metal as far as I could tell) but at the end of the road
the path across the marshes starts, with the masts of the Erith Yacht Club
to the left.
Apart from Dartford power station it is quite a rural scene, with horses
grazing beside the river and the impressive QE2 (Dartford crossing) bridge
ahead. Soon I was passing the two towers at Crayford Ness and rounding the
corner back to the heavy industry, this time passing a largescrap yard. Once
this (and various other industrial buildings) the path again takes on a
rural character, with horse grazing on the flood plains and reeds lining the
banks of the river. Soon I turn right onto the Cray heading towards the main
road and some more industrial buildings. Passing under the railway into
Crayford there is nothing especially stunning although climbing out of
Crayford the path turns onto a large playing field and follows the path
beside the Cray once more, now a more rural river with trees on either side.
I'd hoped the path passed Hall Place but I couldn't see the house and the
only entrance I found on the path was locked, so something to see another
time.
The path takes an odd route to get past the A2 and railway line, first
climbing onto the bridge over the railway beside the fast moving road
then back down and under the road through an underpass. On the other
side the path pases through Churchfield Wood where the guide book warns
of low-hanging branches. Well I had to contend with a fallen tree, so
it's more than just branches at the moment! Leaving the woods I now head
into Bexley, passing the unusual church on the right where a wedding was
taking place and the wedding "car" was in fact an old Routemaster bus!
Heading on into Bexley town centre I passed the Old Mill on the left and
entered the High Street. It seems a pleasant suburb that doesn't really
feel much like you're still in London! I turned left up to the station
and caught the train back to London Bridge. A pleasant enough introduction
to the LOOP.
Some photos at : http://joncombe.fotopic.net/c753094.html
Jon.