Section 2: Bexley to Petts Wood

 Yes, finally on Sunday 24th April  I managed to get out and back on the LOOP.   Zoomed into London and across on the Jubilee line into London Bridge.  It gives me great joy that I can be in London so quickly.  One advantage to living so near to the Bicester train stations is its all so quick and convenient into the capital.

The train out to Bexley was pretty uneventful but as soon as I arrived in Bexley it was back to where I had ended last time and onto a weird scrubby field which was a rather ugly start. Signage was a bit sub- standard too, but it made me laugh.

My route

There were interesting local sculptures too.  Maybe they were homemade scarecrows.

An interesting start.

Quickly though I was back on the river Cray , the same river as before. This time I was walking along beautiful meadows with families out enjoying the sun.  It was a totally lovely Sunday afternoon.Really beautiful. 

The water was so clear too.  I didn’t stop for too many photos though until the following bridge. 

I found out this bridge was built in 1780 by Capability Brown, of Blenheim Palace garden fame.  In fact the whole of this meadow in Foot’s Cray had been designed by him and it was beautiful. 

I just carried on along the river and then through Foot’s Cray ( a weird little place where everyone seemed to be wearing shell suits, or be on mobility scooters, or both of the above…sorry if you are from Foot’s Cray but I can only write what I saw.)

Then it was meadows all the way to Sidcup Place. I was now in a green belt between the suburbs of Chislehurst and Bexley.  All very weird to know I was in such a built up area but absolutely no-one around.  It was such a fabulous sky too.  I think it's because of being  more to the East.  The sky is better in the East of England I think!

  I was having a great time and after a pint of beer refreshment in Sidcup Place (now just a pub.) I felt ready to continue.

It was then under the A20.  I love an underpass.  This one wasn't too bad but without the instructions from the LOOP website I wouldn't have made it as there were so many exits under there. Then suddenly there was a secret footpath to the right of the A20.  I like it when a plan comes together.  

I ended up in Scadbury Park , where I managed to get completely lost.  I was in London and lost in a tiny wood.  The way markers were non-existant and I was going around in circles.because my GPS wasn't working either.   In the end I had to pull out my compass, get a bearing on my map and just walk out through the woods.  All a bit surreal in a big city!  The bluebells were great though

Me lost in  the woods.

I managed to get back on track again and I was off but having to pick the speed up.  I found a moated house from the 1200s  but it was so shit I didn't even bother stopping or taking photos. They have a lot of excavation work to do!
http://www.odas.org.uk/scadbury/

Then finally it was through St. Pauls' Cray and into the common.  This was lovely and suddenly I was in Pett's Wood with a trusted National Trust sign and good quality signage again!

I finally entered into Pett's Wood and walked into an estate of huge mock tudor buildings.  All a bit weird.  

Finally got the train station and had a final pint in the pub near there and then back into London for Vietnamese dinner in Soho.  I trained it back into Charing Cross station and it was interesting taking photos from a different perpective and then finally  looking back over Waterloo bridge from the edge of the platform station.  A fun day!