London Loop Sections 2 & 3

I thought I'd written something about my Section 2 journey, but clearly I didn't. I did that particular section (Bexley to Petts Wood) back in November, which involved around three hours of walking including getting lost in Acorn Wood, an expensive lunch and crossing three major transport routes.

That was a seven-mile-long affair, which goes mostly through open country parks by nice rivers and happens to start right next to Bexley station.

I then took a break over winter, except for a five-mile walk through my local area on New Year's Day, which happened to be a warm and pleasant one, but my route was altered when the path in front of me turned into a literal marsh.

Keeping a close eye on the weather forecast - rain on the day or the day before is a no-no, along with general coldness, today proved to be the first suitable day I had availability.

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Section 3 is a much different beast to Section 2. You're talking steep hills, the occasional bit over country roads and paths that are still massively muddy two days after a downpour. It's also over nine miles when you add the links to the stations at either end.

Petts Wood, accessible by Southeastern trains from London Bridge (not my favourite London station, because it's a long walk to the Tube) is not the starting point for the section - you must walk into the country park and then start. Jubilee Country Park had a lot of dogs and their humans.

Then after a walk through the suburb of Southborough, you end up in Crofton Wood. Einstein's comment about relativity very much applies; it felt very much like an hour when I was in there around 30 minutes. Deep unrelenting mud on the main path and the extra path off to the left is still not great, poor signposting not helping either. I have no intention of going back there in a hurry.

You then come out into a lovely meadow before reaching Farnborough, which includes the Change of Horses, an old coaching inn on what was the London to Hastings route. I had sausage and mash there for lunch, but decided their desserts were too pricey. 

It was three miles before lunch - and five after it. Five long arduous miles, not helped by the fact my right leg was hurting (I should have stretched before starting or taken some paracetamol), several steep climbs and the fact you really aren't sure how far you have to go. 

There are some interesting sights, though, including the site of the Wilberforce Oak (where William Wilberforce supposedly decided to try to abolish the slave trade), a possible Iron Age fort and the remains of a mansion that burned down in 1967.  

I did over 28,000 steps today or over 21km, due to all the other walking on the journey. That is a personal record for me.

In any event, I am planning to do Section 4 next month. Expect a post on that.