Chiltern Walks: Berkhamsted Castle and Common
Berkhamsted Castle

Berkhamsted Castle

Start & Finish: Berkhamsted Station, HP4 2AJ
Distance: 10.5 km (6.5 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 123m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Ashridge Boundary Trail, Hertfordshire Way, Grand Union Canal Towpath, Berkhamsted Heritage Walk
Other routes touched (cycle): Chilterns Cycleway, Berkhamsted Route 6
Pubs / Cafes on route: several on Berkhamsted High Street
Map: OS Explorer Map (181) Chiltern Hills North
Links: Berkhamsted, Berkhamsted Station, Berkhamsted Castle, Berkhamsted Common, Ashridge Estate National Trust, River Bulbourne, Grand Union Canal

For the latest of our Chiltern Rail based walks we visited Berkhamsted. As a stop on the Grand Union Canal and at the heart of several cycle and walking routes, it’s a place that’s featured in several of my trips. The guidance below will help you navigate but don’t use it as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide. Always take a map and/or a GPX route and prepare well for the weather and terrain.

From Berkhamsted Station it’s a short walk along Lower Kings Road to the Grand Union. Cross over the bridge to pick up the towpath on the southern side. Follow the towpath in a westerly direction for 1.4 km until the Billet Lane Bridge. Cross over the bridge and follow Billet Lane for 200m then take a right onto Bridgewater Road then left onto Billet Lane. Be careful here as following the main road called Billet Lane from the canal will take you onto Bridle Way. Keep your eyes open at the roundabout to make sure you take on the smaller road on the right called Billet Lane.

At the entrance to Bridgewater Primary School take a left onto Bridle Way then a right onto The Beeches footpath. Follow this through woodland for 600m until New Road and an open space with a National Trust sign. Take the north-westerly footpath up the hill to a path junction where you’ll take the right hand footpath heading north-east. Continue along here for 2 km, following the Ashridge boundary Trail, until you connect with the Hertfordshire Way at Berkhamsted. Common. Take a right here and follow the Hertfordshire Way / Ashridge Boundary Trail for 1.4 km.

When you reach the driveway to a large house on the right, the path will split. Take the right-hand path rather than staying on the Hertfordshire Way / Ashridge Boundary Trail. Follow the path as it curves to the south-east, crossing New Road then a further 300m until Berkhamsted Golf Club. Take a right here, descending steeply through fields toward Berkhamsted Castle.

When you reach New Road again follow it onto White Hill between the Castle and the railway. If it’s open, the moat walk around the castle is well worth an additional 800m before you reach the end of the trail back at the railway station.

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Richard gowerTrek, Railway, Canal, Chilterns, National Trust, English Heritage, Hertfordshire, EnglandComment
Alpe du Zwift Tracker

If you’re into collecting the Zwift achievement badges and all of the low-hanging ones are in the bag, you’ll probably be wanting to head up the Alpe du Zwift. There’s 2 badges for multiple climbs of the Alpe. Both are awarded for total climbs and, thankfully, not just in one session.

The Avid Climber badge for 5 climbs is fairly straightforward. If you’re also completing all of the Watopia routes you’ll automatically get it as the Alpe is part of:

The Masochist badge takes a lot more dedication as you’ll need another 20 climbs to achieve it. The shortest route to choose is Road To Sky which has a little over 5k of mostly downhill cycling before you reach the Alpe ascent.

One annoying Zwift “feature” is that there’s no way of seeing how many ascents you’ve already completed. Click on the image on the right for a printable version of a low-tech tracker to keep you sane as you approach the 25 climb target.

Richard gowerCycle, Zwift, MountainComment
Chiltern Walks: Winchmore Hill and Common Wood
The Plough, Winchmore Hill

The Plough, Winchmore Hill

Start & Finish: The Hill, Winchmore Hill, Amersham HP7 0PA
Distance: 10.4 km (6.5 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 141m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): The Chiltern Way, Penn House Estate Paths
Other routes touched (cycle): Chiltern Heritage Trail: Milton Route
Pubs / Cafes on route: The Plough and The Potter’s Arms, both at Winchmore Hill
Map: OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East
Links: Winchmore Hill, Penn House Estate, Common Wood

This was a return to the area following last year’s Penn Wood circular. This one takes a different route through Common Wood and covers countryside to the south of Penn Street. The guidance below will help you navigate but don’t use it as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide. Always take a map and/or a GPX route and prepare well for the weather and terrain.

Start at Winchmore Hill village centre where there’s ample free on-street parking and a choice of pubs. From here follow the Chiltern Way for 3 km until the B474 Church Road. Rather than crossing the road to follow the Chiltern Way, take the next footpath to the west that cuts through farmland in a northerly direction. After 1 km you’ll reach Common Wood Lane and the entrance to Common Wood.

There’s several options for routes through Common Wood. We kept to the paths on the western perimeter, taking a right onto Bluebell Way. Follow Bluebell Way for 1.5 km until it reaches the Chalk Track. Take a left onto the Chalk Track and follow it for 200m then take another left onto Penn House Way. Follow this path for 1.5 km, crossing over Gravelly Way and Penn Street on the way. At the corner of Priestlands Wood, take a right onto the Chiltern Heritage Trail following this back to Winchcombe village centre.

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Richard gowerTrek, Chilterns, Buckinghamshire, EnglandComment
Walking The South Bucks Way 3 - Great Missenden and Little Kingshill
View to the south-east from Great Missenden Parish Church

View to the south-east from Great Missenden Parish Church

Start & Finish: Great Missenden Station, HP16 9WH
Alternative Start / Finish: Link Road Car Park, Great Missenden, HP16 9AE
Distance: 9.2 km (5.7 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 114m
South Bucks Way section covered: Great Missenden to Little Kingshill: 3.3 km
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Chiltern Heritage Trail
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 57, Chilterns Heritage Trail: Hampden Route
Pubs / Cafes on route: The Black Horse (1km in), The Full Moon (5.3km in), several cafes in Great Missenden Town Centre
Map: OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East
Links: River Misbourne, Great Missenden, Great Missenden Station, Great Kingshill, Roald Dahl

The South Bucks Way is a 37 km (23-mile) trail that promises a delightful escape for walkers and hikers. This scenic route, often overshadowed by its more famous counterparts, offers a tranquil journey through charming villages, lush countryside, and the gentle murmur of the River Misbourne. This post is part of a series of circular walks featuring the South Bucks Way. The full trail stretches from Coombe Hill near Wendover to the Grand Union Canal at Denham. Our walks take in short sections of the South Bucks Way and loop back to the start on other paths. The South Bucks Way is well sign-posted however you’ll need a map or GPX route to keep on track for the return sections of the loops. The guidance below will help but don’t use it as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide.

The walk starts at either Great Missenden Railway Station or nearby parking in Link Road. From here follow Link Road and take a right onto the South Bucks Way through Buryfields Recreation Ground. If you continue along Church Lane and over the A413 you can visit Great Missenden Parish Church of St Peter & St Paul and the grave of famous local resident and writer, Roald Dahl. From here retrace your steps back over the A413 bridge and rejoin the South Bucks Way heading south through Abbey Park. You’ll cross over a metal footbridge over the Misbourne at the south end of Missenden Abbey Lake. The bridge was in disrepair when we were there, so be careful and be prepared for a tricky crossing. Once over the bridge, the South Bucks Way crosses London Road and wiggles round the perimeter fence of the Misbourne School before crossing under the railway line.

After the railway line continue along the South Bucks Way in a south-westerly direction until the Full Moon pub in Little Kingshill. This is a great half-way point for a rest before you’ll leave the South Bucks Way and travel north along the Chiltern Heritage Trail. You’ll notice a small triangle at the bottom of the map which is there to make sure there’s no gap in completing the whole of the South Bucks Way between this section and the next. If you’re not worried about the gap take the Chiltern Heritage Trail in a north-easterly direction. If you’re a completer-finisher like me, continue south along the South Bucks Way to Windsor Lane, take a right, then another right onto Hare Lane and you’ll end up back at the Full Moon pub.

This latter half of the trip is fairly easy to navigate as you’ll be on the Heritage Trail all the way back to Great Missenden Station.

Richard gowerTrek, Railway, Chilterns, Buckinghamshire, EnglandComment
The Brecon Beacons Rivers

Here’s a Tube-style map of the rivers of the Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog in Welsh). Let me know if you spot any mistakes and I’ll donate £1 per correction to one of my causes. If you would like a printable PDF version, please Buy Me a Coffee and send me your e-mail via the Contact page. All copies for personal, not commercial use.

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Note: the map shows rivers that start, end or pass through the Brecon Beacons National Park. There are some rivers such as the Rhondda, Ogmore and Ely that are not included as their source is south of the Park even though they flow into the Bristol Channel or join another river on this map.

Other Posts for the Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog)

Tube-style Maps

Richard gowerMountain, Coast, Wales, Brecon Beacons, National Park, Monmouthshire, Carmarthenshire, Brecknockshire, Glamorganshire Comments
Zwift Watopia & (not)parkrun Mash-up

It took me nearly a year of cycling on Zwift before starting to do Zwift running too. I was hesitant to buy a treadmill so I considered buying the £38 RunPod to see if I could run both in Zwift and in real life (IRL) at the same time.

Winter 2020 approached and, with the prospect of being locked down for a long time, I bit the bullet and bought a treadmill. Predictably, I got hooked on Zwift running and was soon collecting the Run Achievement badges.

My friend Brian reminded me about the question of whether you can run both IRL and in Zwift at the same time. Having now had a better understanding of how Zwift Running works I thought that it would be weird but possible. As it turned out, that was true.

So, on a chilly Saturday afternoon in January I got to the start line of the Black Park parkrun course ready for the experiment. I had my Garmin watch ready to record the IRL run, my RunPod on my trainer and the Zwift App open on my iPhone. I selected the Watopia 5k Loop course, pressed start on the Garmin and I was off.

I normally run IRL with my iPhone in an arm strap. I kept it in my hand for this run as I wanted to keep track of my Zwift progress on screen and didn’t want to end the run by accidentally clicking on something. Keeping an eye on the IRL course and on the screen was a bit distracting but I wasn’t going for a PB so it was doable. I loved the contrast between the grey, drizzly Black Park and the bright, clear beach scene in Watopia.

When I’m running indoors there’s normally a noticeable difference between the treadmill speed and what shows in Zwift via the RunPod. The variance between Zwift and my Garmin for this run was only very slight. By the end of the run my Garmin showed 5.01 km to 4.77 km in Zwift.

5k is probably as far as I would do as a dual run. Apart from the distraction it was a quite a drain on the phone’s battery so it won’t have lasted for a 10k. It was a fun experiment to prove that it could be done but I don’t think I’ll be doing any more dual runs.

Zwift stats after sync with Garmin Connect

Zwift stats after sync with Garmin Connect

Zwift print screen at end of run

Zwift print screen at end of run

IRL stats directly recorded via Garmin watch

IRL stats directly recorded via Garmin watch

Start of Black Park parkrun course

Start of Black Park parkrun course

Black Park parkrun elevation profile

Black Park parkrun elevation profile

Richard gowerRun, Zwift, parkrun, Buckinghamshire, EnglandComment
Walking The South Bucks Way 7: Amersham and Coleshill
Downhill to Amersham

Downhill to Amersham

Start & Finish: The Red Lion, Coleshill, Village Rd, Amersham, HP7 0LH
Distance: 11.5 km (7.1 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 118m
South Bucks Way section covered: Amersham to (near) Chalfont St Giles: 4.0 km
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Chiltern Way, Chiltern Heritage Trail, South Bucks Way
Other routes touched (cycle): Milton Route
Other Pubs / Cafes on route: Seasons Cafe, Old Amersham plus others in Old Amersham town centre
Map: OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East
Links: Coleshill, Amersham, River Misbourne

The South Bucks Way is a 37 km (23-mile) trail that promises a delightful escape for walkers and hikers. This scenic route, often overshadowed by its more famous counterparts, offers a tranquil journey through charming villages, lush countryside, and the gentle murmur of the River Misbourne. This post is part of a series of circular walks featuring the South Bucks Way. The full trail stretches from Coombe Hill near Wendover to the Grand Union Canal at Denham. Our walks take in short sections of the South Bucks Way and loop back to the start on other paths. The South Bucks Way is well sign-posted however you’ll need a map or GPX route to keep on track for the return sections of the loops. The guidance below will help but don’t use it as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide.

This section starts at the Market Square in Amersham. From here there’s 2 options, the first to follow the South Bucks Way, or to follow the Chiltern Heritage Trail and pick up the South Bucks Way after 1.8 km. We chose the Chiltern Heritage Trail option as it stays closer to the River Misbourne and is more interesting. If you take the South Bucks Way option follow Broadway in a south-easterly direction from Market Square and take the footpath on the eastern side of the Tesco Roundabout. Whichever option you take you’ll reach a path junction with the Chiltern Way around 4 km into the walk.

Here you’ll leave the South Bucks Way and take a right turn following the Chiltern Way up the hill. Follow the Chiltern Way in a westerly direction for 4 km along paths and through farmland back to Coleshill. Be careful when crossing the A355 as it’s very busy. At Coleshill take a right onto Village Road and follow the Chiltern Heritage Trail for in a northerly direction for 3 km back to Old Amersham.

Richard gowerComment
Chiltern Walks: Seer Green and Jordans
Jordans Village Green

Jordans Village Green

Start & Finish: Seer Green & Jordans Station, Farm Lane, Seer Green, HP9 2UP
Distance: 7.3 km (4.5 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 47m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Chiltern Heritage Trail
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Pubs / Cafes on route: The Jolly Cricketers, just off the route at 6.8km
Map: OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East
Links: Jordans, Seer Green and Jordans Station, Seer Green

This was the latest in our series of short circular walks starting from Chilterns Railway stations. The guidance below will help you navigate but don’t use it as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide. Always take a map and/or a GPX route and prepare well for the weather and terrain.

Starting from Seer Green and Jordans station you’ll follow a steep path up through some very nice houses into Seer Green village. Here you’ll cross over the Chiltern Heritage Trail but don’t follow it. From Seer Green village take a path in a north-easterly direction through fields and farmland to the junction of Newbarn Lane, Twitchell’s Lane and Three Households.

Continue in a north-easterly direction along Three Households for ~500m before taking a right-hand footpath through Oakland Park Golf Club. Continue in a south-easterly direction for ~1.4 km until you reach a T-junction in the footpath in the woods. Take the right hand footpath, following along the edge of the boundary with the communications site with the large satellite dishes.

You’ll come to a large open space where you can take a right hand path, heading west. Follow this path through farmland to Jordan’s Lane and the Chiltern Heritage Trail. Briefly follow this south toward the Quaker Centre, crossing the road when you see a footpath on the right heading west. Follow this path through the field, Crutches Wood, over Longbottom Lane and back to the start at Seer Green and Jordans station.

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Richard gowerTrek, Chilterns, Buckinghamshire, EnglandComment
Chiltern Walks: Hedgerley and Bulstrode
Bulstrode Park

Bulstrode Park

Start & Finish: The White Horse, Hedgerley, Village Lane, Hedgerley, Slough, SL2 3UY
Distance: 6.9 km (4.3 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 52m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Hedgerley Circular
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Other Pubs / Cafes on route: None
Map: OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East
Links: Hedgerley, Gerrards Cross, Bulstrode Park

If you’ve already done the Hedgerley Circular, this short route returns to the highlights of the eastern section plus an extra loop over the M40. This additional section takes you into the grounds of Bulstrode Park. The estate pre-dates the Norman Conquest and a house has been on the land since the 1600s. For much of recent history the estate has been owned by an evangelical Christian mission although it has been in private hands since 2016. The house was being renovated when we were on this walk, although the paths through the park are always open. The guidance below will help you navigate but don’t use it as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide. Always take a map and/or a GPX route and prepare well for the weather and terrain.

If you’re starting at Hedgerley, the furthest point of the route stops just before the A40 at Gerrards Cross. With an extra 10 minutes walk you’ll reach the town where there’s several cafe and pub options. Alternatively, Gerrards Cross station can be used as a starting point and the White Horse pub at Hedgerley would be your half-way rest stop.

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Richard gowerTrek, Chilterns, Buckinghamshire, EnglandComment
Walks Along The Thames Path National Trail
Maidenhead Bridge

Maidenhead Bridge

I’ve spent a lot of my life living close to the Thames and have done countless walks, runs and rides along it. It’s also the first National Trail that I’ve completed end to end. That was a cycle trip and, as my blog post on it describes, it’s best discovered on foot.

More recently I’ve been returning to the trail to do shorter circular walks containing stretches of the Thames Path. So far it’s been mostly focused on the Chilterns section, but I’ll extend towards the outer ends later. Here’s the links to the walks that I’ve done so far. They’re in order of closest to the source first.

From The Source to The Chilterns: Kemble to Wallingford

Circular Walks including the Thames Path

The Chilterns Section: Wallingford to Staines-upon-Thames


Circular Walks including the Thames Path

The London Section: Staines-upon-Thames to The Thames Barrier

Walks Crossing or Ending at The Thames Path

Richard gowerTrek, Thames, Chilterns, Colne Valley, National Trust, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, Middlesex, London, EnglandComment
Round Berkshire Cycle Route - Windsor Loop
Cycle path between The Rangers Gate and Clewer Green

Cycle path between The Rangers Gate and Clewer Green

Start & Finish: Windsor Bridge, Windsor, SL4 6AA
Distance: 23.3 km (20 Miles)
Elevation change: +/- 212m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (walk): Thames Path, Jubilee River Path, Three Castles Path
Other Routes Touched (cycle): NCN 4, Ascot To Windsor Cycle Path
Pubs / Cafes on route: several on Eton High Street
Map: OS Explorer Map (160) Windsor, Weybridge & Bracknell
Links: Round Berkshire Cycle Route, Eton, Windsor, Windsor Bridge, Old Windsor, Windsor Great Park

Previous section: Round Berkshire Cycle Route - Maidenhead Loop

This is the first in a series of short trips to tackle the Round Berkshire Cycle Route in smaller sections. The full route is 140 miles from Lambourne in the west to Datchet in the east. I’ll probably do the whole route in a single trip one day, but for now I’m happy to break it into smaller sections. See the leaflet about the route for descriptions of the main points of interest.

We started this loop at Windsor Bridge, close to both of the town’s train stations and several car parks. From here the route heads north toward Slough before diverting east to Datchet. After Datchet the route follows the B3021 parallel to the Thames joining the A308 into Old Windsor. Depending on your love of hills, the climb up Crimp Hill into the Great Park is either a high or a low-light.

Must of Windsor Great Park is reserved for walkers and horse-riders with cycling prohibited on many paths. The route 52 takes you along the the cyclable parts on very well maintained roads. At the southern end of the park you’ll exit at Blacknest Gate following Mill Lane then Buckhurst Road. When you reach the Ascot Gate you’ll leave the route 52 as it continues along Sunninghill Road to Bracknell. Instead, return into the park and take Dukes Lane North-East to The Village.

At this point you can join an inner circle of the route 52 up to Snow Hill and the Copper Horse and back to The Village via Bishopsgate Road. On the day we were there the gates to Snow Hill were closed to cyclists so we had to double back to The Village. Whichever option you’ve taken, the next stage starts with following the westerly road from The Village junction, up to Primrose Hill and north to the Ranger’s Gate.

Be careful when exiting the Ranger’s Gate as the A332 can be extremely busy. The road is the quickest route back to Windsor, but for a safer, more interesting route, take the cycle path to the left of the road and follow it to the grounds of Windsor FC and onto the B3022. The final 2km of the route winds through residential streets before returning to the river on Barry Avenue between the Thames and Alexandra Park.

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Richard gowerCycle, NCN, Thames, Windsor, Berkshire, EnglandComment
Chiltern Walks: Heronsgate and Bottom Wood
View east from Philipshill Wood

View east from Philipshill Wood

Start & Finish: The Stag, Long Lane, Heronsgate, WD3 5BT
Distance: 6.5 km (4 miles)
Elevation change: + / - 82m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Chiltern Way, Chiltern Heritage Trail, South Bucks Way
Other routes touched (cycle): Chiltern Heritage Trail Milton Route
Pubs / Cafes on route: The Stag, Heronsgate
Map: OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East
Links: Heronsgate, Philipshill Woods, Newlands Park

A short walk in the eastern Chilterns, touching parts of our previous walk from Chalfont St Giles to Newlands Park. We started from The Stag pub in Heronsgate, but Chorleywood station is not far and only adds a short distance if you’re coming in by train. The guidance below will help you navigate but don’t use it as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide. Always take a map and/or a GPX route and prepare well for the weather and terrain.

The Chiltern Way section of the route follows Old Shire Lane along the edge of Philipshill Wood. This ancient trackway is “is thought to mark part of the boundary between the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia” (Wikipedia).

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Richard gowerTrek, Chilterns, Colne Valley, Buckinghamshire, EnglandComment
Chiltern Walks: Chalfont St Giles and Newlands Park
Fields at eastern end of Newlands Park

Fields at eastern end of Newlands Park

Start & Finish: Chalfont St. Giles Village Centre, HP8 4QF
Distance: 8.6 km (5.3 miles)
Elevation change: + / - 75m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Chiltern Way, Chiltern Heritage Trail, South Bucks Way
Other routes touched (cycle): Chiltern Heritage Trail Milton Route
Pubs / Cafes on route: Several in Chalfont St. Giles Village Centre
Map: OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East
Links: Chalfont St Giles, Newlands Park, Philipshill Wood, Chalfont Centre for Epilepsy, Gott’s Monument, River Misbourne

This trip was both part of our River Misbourne Circulars of ~10 km. The River Misbourne runs from its source at Great Missenden, to Denham where it joins the Colne. This one starts at the village centre in Chalfont St Giles where there’s several pubs and cafes for a pre or post walk rest. The guidance below will help you navigate but don’t use it as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide. Always take a map and/or a GPX route and prepare well for the weather and terrain.

From the village centre you’ll follow the Chiltern Way in an easterly direction over fields, across the A413 then up a steep hill. Soon you’ll pass the picturesque H2 construction site for one of the Chiltern tunnel vents. Continue along the Chiltern Way as it enters the Newlands Park Estate, curving around its perimeter.

Approximately 3 km into the trip you’ll meet a path junction in Philipshill Wood. Instead of taking a left turn to continue on the Chiltern Way, continue straight on, keeping to the left of the boundary of Newlands Park. After ~350m take a right hand path (Old Shire Lane), again keeping Newlands Park on your right. After ~600 metres, take a right hand path back into Newlands Park and follow the path toward then over Gorelands Lane. Continue in a south-westerly direction through farmland and into the Chalfont Centre for Epilepsy.

To the right of the main gate of the Centre for Epilepsy, look out for Gott’s Obelisk. According to the plaque, it was “… built in 1785 by Sir William Gott who lived at nearly Newlands Park, it was a marker to George III his hunting partner. Once struck by lightning it is half it’s original height”.

From the monument, take Misbourne Avenue down to the A413, take a left and briefly follow the main road until you see a footpath sign on the right. Carefully cross the road and take the path across the River Misbourne until you meet the Chiltern Heritage Trail. Turn right onto the trail and follow it back to Chalfont St. Giles.

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Richard gowerTrek, Chilterns, Colne Valley, Buckinghamshire, EnglandComment
Walking The London Loop and Capital Ring
London Loop in Blue, Capital Ring in Red. Base map from OpenStreetMap

London Loop in Blue, Capital Ring in Red. Base map from OpenStreetMap

The London Loop and Capital Ring are long distance circular walks around London. Both were conceived in the ‘90s and completed in the early 2000s. They pass through mostly green spaces around the capital and can easily be broken up into a series of shorter walks. Having cycled both a few years ago, I’m now returning to walk it. I’ve mostly covered the western sections and there’s a long way to go.

The list of sections below are those that I’ve planned but not necessarily completed yet. I’ve also included links to blog posts for other walks that follow or cross over parts of either the London Loop or the Capital Ring. If you would like GPX files of any of these sections please Buy Me a Coffee and let me know which section(s) you are interested in. For a limited time I would be happy to share files for all sections of either collection for 1 coffee plus any feedback on the route (corrections, changes etc.)

There’s now several guidebooks to either the Loop or the Ring. Note that the sections below and the order of them don’t necessarily match exactly to those in the guides. I use Colin Saunder’s Guides for each route and can highly recommend them for their description of the route and points of interest

The London Loop In Sections

  • London Loop Section 01: Erith Riverside to Bexley. Distance: 14.0 km. Elevation Change: +72m / -67m. Net +6m

  • London Loop Section 02: Bexley to Petts Wood. Distance: 12.5 km. Elevation Change: +134m / -67m. Net +67m

  • London Loop Section 03: Petts Wood to West Wickham Common. Distance: 15.2 km. Elevation Change: +168m / -183m. Net -15m

  • London Loop Section 04: West Wickham Common to Hamsey Green. Distance: 15.1 km. Elevation Change: +285m / -182m. Net +183m

  • London Loop Section 05: Hamsey Green to Coulsdon South. Distance: 10.2 km. Elevation Change: +119m / -201m. Net -82m

  • London Loop Section 06: Coulsdon South to Banstead Downs. Distance: 8.0 km. Elevation Change: +126m / -87m. Net +39m

  • London Loop Section 07: Banstead Downs to Ewell West. Distance: 6.6 km. Elevation Change: +23m / -114m. Net -91m

  • London Loop Section 08: Ewell West to Kingston Bridge. Distance: 12.8 km. Elevation Change: +47m / -72m. Net -25m

  • London Loop Section 09: Kingston Bridge to Hatton Cross. Distance: 16.1 km. Elevation Change: +70m / -58m. Net +12m

  • London Loop Section 10: Hatton Cross to Hayes and Harlington. Distance: 6.8 km. Elevation Change: +36m / -24m. Net +12m

  • London Loop Section 11: Hayes and Harlington to Uxbridge. Distance: 12.0 km. Elevation Change: +55m / -54m. Net +1m

  • London Loop Section 12: Uxbridge to Harefield. Distance: 7.6 km. Elevation Change: +29m / -23m. Net +6m

  • London Loop Section 13: Harefield to Moor Park. Distance: 8.7 km. Elevation Change: +116m / -91m. Net -25m

  • London Loop Section 14: Moor Park to Hatch End. Distance: 7.7 km. Elevation Change: +93m / -95m. Net -2m

  • London Loop Section 15: Hatch End to Elstree. Distance: 15.2 km. Elevation Change: +182m / -153m. Net -29m

  • London Loop Section 16: Elstree to High Barnet. Distance: 18.1 km. Elevation Change: +243m / -238m. Net +5m

  • London Loop Section 17: High Barnet to Enfield Lock. Distance: 14.8 km. Elevation Change: +95m / -176m. Net -81m

  • London Loop Section 18: Enfield Lock to Chingford. Distance: 8.1 km. Elevation Change: +110m / -71m. Net +39m

  • London Loop Section 19: Chingford to Chigwell. Distance: 7.1 km. Elevation Change: +83m / -95m. Net -12m

  • London Loop Section 20: Chigwell to Havering. Distance: 10.7 km. Elevation Change: +175m / -115m. Net +60m

  • London Loop Section 21: Havering to Harold Wood. Distance: 8.1 km. Elevation Change: +29m / -97m. Net -68m

  • London Loop Section 22: Harold Wood to Upminster Bridge. Distance: 7.3 km. Elevation Change: +46m / -64m. Net -18m

  • London Loop Section 23: Upminster Bridge to Rainham. Distance: 7.7 km. Elevation Change: +32m / -43m. Net -11m

  • London Loop Section 24: Rainham to Purfleet. Distance: 8.3 km. Elevation Change: +38m / -38m. Net 0m

Other Walks on The London Loop

London Loop and Capital Ring.pptx.jpg

The Capital Ring in Sections

  • Capital Ring Section 01: Woolwich to Falconwood. Distance: 10.6 km. Elevation Change: +158m / -95m. Net +63m

  • Capital Ring Section 02: Falconwood to Grove Park. Distance: 6.9 km. Elevation Change: +56m / -80m. Net -24m

  • Capital Ring Section 03: Grove Park to Crystal Palace. Distance: 14.2 km. Elevation Change: +151m / -120m. Net +31m

  • Capital Ring Section 04: Crystal Palace to Streatham. Distance: 6.9 km. Elevation Change: +78m / -122m. Net -44m

  • Capital Ring Section 05: Streatham to Wimbledon Park. Distance: 9.4 km. Elevation Change: +49m / -59m. Net -10m

  • Capital Ring Section 06: Wimbledon Park to Richmond. Distance: 12.0 km. Elevation Change: +132m / -148m. Net -16m

  • Capital Ring Section 07: Richmond to Osterley Lock. Distance: 7.8 km. Elevation Change: +44m / -33m. Net +11m

  • Capital Ring Section 08: Osterley Lock to Greenford. Distance: 9.3 km. Elevation Change: +50m / -45m. Net -5m

  • Capital Ring Section 09: Greenford to South Kenton. Distance: 9.2 km. Elevation Change: +137m / -120m. Net +17m

  • Capital Ring Section 10: South Kenton to Hendon Park. Distance: 10.7 km. Elevation Change: +134m / -108m. Net +26m

  • Capital Ring Section 11: Hendon Park to Highgate. Distance: 9.4 km. Elevation Change: +99m / -70m. Net +29m

  • Capital Ring Section 12: Highgate to Stoke Newington. Distance: 9.1 km. Elevation Change: +42m / -112m. Net -70m

  • Capital Ring Section 13: Stoke Newington to Hackney Wick. Distance: 6.7 km. Elevation Change: +26m / -48m. Net -22m

  • Capital Ring Section 14: Hackney Wick to Royal Albert Dock. Distance: 8.4 km. Elevation Change: +31m / -33m. Net -2m

  • Capital Ring Section 15: Royal Albert Dock to Woolwich. Distance: 6.2 km. Elevation Change: +30m / -25m. Net +5m

Other Walks on The Capital Ring

Other Resources

More London Adventures

Richard gowerTrek, Canal, Railway, Disused Railway, Underground, Thames, London, Middlesex, EnglandComment
London's Coal Duty Posts

Having set myself the challenge to visit all Greater London High Points and all Trig Pillars in London, I’m going one step further. This is my new mission to visit all of the over 200 London Coal Duty Posts that are still standing. If you’re not familiar with what these are, Martin Nail’s website is the best place to start.

As of the January 2021 I’ve visited 26 posts and plaques on previous walking and cycling trips. With the Covid lockdown looking like it will go on for it a bit, it may take me a while longer to visit the rest.

In the meantime, here’s some trips that visit some of the posts and my more-or-less accurate map of the Coal Post Boundary

More London posts

Richard gowerCycle, Trek, Canal, Railway, Thames, London, England, Middlesex, Colne Valley, Coal Duty PostComment
Greater London High Points

Greater London is divided into 32 local authority districts called Boroughs plus the City of London. Living relatively close to the edge of London it was natural that I would want to visit all 33 high points. Much like the UK County Tops some feel like a proper summit and others are unremarkable points in flat areas.

Westerham Heights on the Kent border is the high point of both Bromley and the whole of Greater London. It’s also a very short walk from Betsom’s Hill, the Kent County Top. Other than their elevations neither are particularly interesting though. You’ll need to visit Sanderstead Plantation in Croydon for the highest point that actually feels like a hill.

Prior to April 1st 1994 the Greater London high point was on the north-eastern slope of Botley Hill. A boundary change moved this point to Surrey where Leith Hill is higher.

Hampstead Heath, the high point of Camden is also the high point of the old County of London Administrative County. This area came into being with Local Government Act 1888 which split some Historic Counties into new Administrative Counties. The Administrative Counties have since been replaced by the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties plus Greater London.

High Holborn, the high point of The City of London, is not a borough but an English Ceremonial County

As you would expect with high points, several are marked with OS Trig Pillars. Sanderstead Plantation in Croydon has a Trig Pillar nearby at Selsdon Park but it’s not at the summit. Pole Hill, in Waltham Forest is the highest point of a Greater London Borough that has a Trig Pillar on the summit.

By the end of 2021 I had completed the high points of all Greater London Boroughs. Click on the links in the list below to see details on each one. I still have the remaining Trig Pillars and Summits >100m to complete. Let me know if you spot any mistakes in the data below and I’ll donate £1 per correction to one of my causes.

London’s High Points and OS Trig Pillars

Greater London Boroughs High Points

Sanderstead Plantation

Pole Hill, Waltham Forest

Pole Hill, Waltham Forest

Bushey Heath, Harrow

London’s Natural High Points vs its Buildings & Structures

Westerham Heights was the highest point in London until the completion of The Shard in 2012. The Observation Deck at the Shard is at 244m, just 1m lower than Westerham Heights. When 22 Bishopsgate was completed in 2020, it relegated Westerham Heights to 3rd place.

At the time of writing there’s now 17 buildings and structures in London with heights between those of Westerham Heights and Sanderstead Plantation, London’s 2nd highest Borough High Point

Parent Peaks of The Greater London Boroughs

The Parent Peaks of the London Borough High Points have a distinct north/south split. All High Points north of the Thames have Haddington Hill in the Chilterns as their parent. Botley Hill in Kent is the parent for all London High Points south of the Thames. The Nearest Higher Neighbour, according to Peakbagger also keeps to this north/south split with the exception of Heston The Vale.

The graphic below shows the Borough High Points in descending order from left to right with peaks north of the river on the top half and south of the river on the lower half.

More London posts

More County Tops

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, London, Middlesex, EnglandComment
2020 in numbers

2020: The year of Zwift:

My mileage per activity type in 2020

My mileage per activity type in 2020

TOTAL DISTANCE IN 2020

  • Run (outdoor): 502 miles (803 km)

  • Run (Zwift): 50 miles (80 km)

  • Cycle (Outdoor): 352 miles (563 km)

  • Cycle (Zwift): 2,452 miles (3,923 km)

  • Trek: 687 miles (1,099 km)

  • Total = 4,043 miles (6,470 km)

Trek = recorded hiking & walking events, not general steps.

Richard gowerRun, Cycle, Trek, ZwiftComment
Bowsey Hill: Wokingham High Point

Significance: Highest peak in the Unitary Authority of Wokingham
Member of: N/A
Parent Peak: Butser Hill. NHN = Ashley Hill
Historic County: Berkshire (of which Walbury Hill is the County Top)
Elevation: 142m
Date “climbed”: 31st December 2020
Coordinates: 51° 30' 55'' N, 0° 50' 20'' W
On route of: NCN 4, Round Berkshire Cycle Route
Map: OS Explorer Map (171) Chiltern Hills West, Henley-on-Thames and Wallingford
Links: Wikipedia (Wokingham), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

I’d bagged the high point of Wokingham several times without realising. It’s on a wide trail through the woods, passed by NCN 4 and the Round Berkshire Cycle Route. Nothing to mark the top but a nice place to pass through on a walk or cycle ride.

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Berkshire, EnglandComment
Round Berkshire Cycle Route - Maidenhead Loop
View to Danesfield House from Crazies Hill

View to Danesfield House from Crazies Hill

Start & Finish: Maidenhead Bridge, Bridge Road, Maidenhead, SL6 8DW
Distance: 44.3 km (27.5 Miles)
Elevation change: +/- 311m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (walk): Maidenhead Boundary Walk, Thames Path, The Wokingham Way, The Chiltern Way Berkshire Loop
Other Routes Touched (cycle): NCN 4, 61, Chilterns Cycleway Link
Other Routes Touched (horse): Knowl Hill Bridleway Circuit
Pubs / Cafes on route: several on Cookham High Street
Maps:
- OS Explorer Map (160) Windsor, Weybridge & Bracknell
- OS Explorer Map (171) Chiltern Hills West, Henley-on-Thames and Wallingford
- OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East
Links: Round Berkshire Cycle Route, Maidenhead, Fifield, White Waltham, Knowl Hill, Crazies Hill, Burchett’s Green, Pinkney’s Green, Cookham

Next section: Round Berkshire Cycle Route - Windsor Loop

This is the first in a series of short trips to tackle the Round Berkshire Cycle Route in smaller sections. The full route is 140 miles from Lambourne in the west to Datchet in the east. I’ll probably do the whole route in a single trip one day, but for now I’m happy to break it into smaller sections. See the leaflet about the route for descriptions of the main points of interest.

The Maidenhead Loop was the obvious place for me to start as I grew up there and knew the lanes well. I chose the Thames bridge at Maidenhead as the starting point. There’s some free on-street parking near there and it’s a short ride from both Maidenhead and Taplow train stations.

The route is fairly well signposted with the white-on-blue route 52 numbering. I would still take a GPS or a map though as it’s easy to miss a sign. I found that out the hard way when I’d turned off my GPS to save power near Hurley and missed the turn up to Burchett’s Green.

The part to take particular attention to is the Alternative Link between Fifield and Crazies Hill. This is the part that takes you off the larger circular route to make it a smaller loop. The split is just after you pass the Fifield Inn pub on Fifield Road. Take a right on the B3024 heading west rather than east towards Windsor. The convergence with the main route is at a crossroads at Crazies Hill. The larger route will meet you from the left from Highfield Lane and you’ll take a right onto Rose Lane heading north-east.

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elevation_profile.jpg
Richard gowerCycle, NCN, Berkshire, EnglandComment