Well it's been almost a year since I last did the London Loop. Yesterday I decided to do two sections in one go as the first bit was so short and it's a bit of a nightmare to get out to Hatton Cross and Hayes from central London. All in all it was about 14.5 miles (With my Bicester walks to the train stations included.) and apart from a 20 minute soaking it was perfect. I barely saw a soul apart from a few shady types lurking around, (I take deep breaths when I pass them and know that statistically it's very unlikely they are going to rob me and throw me in the river/canal/bush.) a few tech nerds on a lunch break, a guy with two massive Alsatians who I thought were going to attack me, luckily he was strong enough to hold them back on their leads and two friendly guys I met on a quick lunch stop at a view point over the Colne Valley. One of the guys had worked in Heathrow terminal 4 most of his life and was now retired. He was 70 and could remember how the area I was walking through (The Colne Valley) used to be just pig farms and brick works. All of the land I was walking over had been landscaped from the ruins and the high tech Stockley Park with it's golf course and posh restaurant was the home of the stinkiest, foul pig farm ever to grace the planet. All very informative.
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| the yellow blob is my approximate walk. |
So I started my day quite late as it's a weekday and the one day travel card doesn't kick in until 0920. The train from Oxford was packed. Every time I go to London now the chances of having to stand all the way are just getting greater and greater.
I decided to walk to Edgware Road station, a completely different direction to which I usually go when I'm leaving Marylebone Station. I rushed onto the first circle line and it was on the wrong loop. So I wasted half an hour going the wrong way around. Finally I got to Hammersmith and then onto the next train to Hatton Cross, near to Heathrow. Leaving Hatton Cross is not a joy...you walk out onto a concourse that smells of wee and weed and straight out onto the side of a duel carriage way with planes literally above you. But after about 10 minutes, once you have left the Eastern perimeter service road of Heathrow terminal. you cross the river crane and walk down to the start of section 10, at River Crane Park and my god it was instantly beautiful. So lush and a board walk to stop you getting your boots muddy!
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| Map of the section. It's very short and took just over 2 hours. |
The planes were not too loud or visible as I walked this section (Not like last year when I was walking towards Heathrow) I think the cloudy weather didn't help. The noise was in such contrast to the peaceful River Crane and the meadows. Didn't see a soul.
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| The initial board walk just off the perimeter fence around Heathrow. |
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| River Crane |
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| Off I go |
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| Cranford Park |
I walked around the remains of Cranford House and found out that it is the longest ha-ha in London. As I have been to Stowe Gardens a few times I know what a ha-ha is. They are definitely prettier than an ugly fence to keep trespassers and sheep off your land!
Behind this haha was the ancient church of St Dunstan's. It was known as the most isolated church in Middlesex. In the 13th century it had belonged to the Knight's Templar. Now it was in a sorry state right under the built up verge of the M4, but it's still open. I even found out that the Romans sacrificed their animals on this site to their gods. (Probably pigs.) I didn't go in as I felt it was a bit sombre and sad and I had a lot of walking ahead.
There is a half finished park and information centre here too but I think the money has run out as it was meant to be completed in 2022.
I then went through an underpass under the M4. I love crossing major road systems unseen and this one was very subterranean.. I was so low down ,no car would have a clue there was life below. The M4 was built on a bank well above us and really well hidden by bushes and trees. You could barely see the cars but you could bloody well hear them!
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| Right next to the M4 |
This woody section was really pretty and known as Dog Kennel Covert. Round a few corners, a dodgy part of Hayes and up to the top of a dual carriage way and suddenly I was down a long ramp to join the Grand Union Canal.
I was finally back on a canal! I haven't walked any Grand Union apart from a tiny section in Braunston, Northamptonshire and parts around Tring. It's great! It's bigger than the Oxford and the pathway is wider (I never felt like I was going to fall in) All I had to do was walk up the canal for about 15 minutes and section 10 finished at bridge number 200 but I had already decided to just carry on and do the longer section 11 as well. To be continued...
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