I have no idea how fast a crow flies but I’m sure it wouldn’t have taken an hour and forty minutes to cover the six miles from my house to Erith. But then again it wouldn’t have had to take three trains to get there either. Today I crossed the Thames to the official start point of the London Loop at Erith Riverside using the District Line, DLR and Southeastern trains. In fact I was well-served by all three arriving to start the walk just after 11am.
This leg of the Loop followed the course of three rivers, the mighty Thames and the not-so-mighty Darent and Cray using the Thames Path and the Cray Riverway. Erith Riverside is quite pleasant with gardens and a pier but sadly a large part of the first mile was along a busy road lined with industrial 
estates, equally as unattractive as Ferry Lane in Rainham and a lot more dangerous. The Thames was at low tide so I didn’t walk out onto the Deep Water Jetty but I did take time to seek out Coldharbour Point Light on the north bank where I had been six months ago. I also noticed this mural painted on the side of a pub.
Once rejoining the Thames near Erith Yacht Club on the last mile of the Thames Path, the walk improved greatly. It was a fine day (following the pattern of previous September walks), the sunny intervals were warm and there was a pleasant cooling breeze. Big skies, wide views, birdlife and the occasional passing boat were the order of day, dominated by the Queen Elizabeth II bridge to the east. Although the landscape was mainly industrial, it was very peaceful.
At the river Darent Flood Barrier, the Loop turns south leaving the Thames behind. We won’t meet up again for another 50 miles. It was goodbye too, to the Wellingtonias (of Section 21) still clearly visible on the horizon 12 miles away. The views from the banks of the Darent were also mainly industrial but you got the odd glimpse of nearby Lesnes Abbey Wood and the distant North Downs. After a couple of miles of silence and solitude I came across the inevitable industrial estate, lorries & landfill site. The Cray River Way then followed a series of paths that ran along the backs of houses until it arrived, not unexpectedly in Crayford.
I lingered in Crayford only for long enough to find the local Sainsburys and was on my way. I can’t remember anything of note about it. After a little bit of roadside walking the Loop met up with the Cray at some playing fields where I took a well-earned rest and ate my lunch. I had intended to visit Hall Place, medieval house with topiary garden, and highlight of Section 1. However, it was closed for refurbishment so I trundled on.The last part of the route took me over a railway, under the A2, through a wood and finally the overgrown churchyard of St Mary the Virgin, Bexley. The church had a pleasant exterior with a broach spire, which are quite common in Essex.
Bexley felt like a village that badly needed a by-pass, lots of quite pleasant old buildings but no where very safe to admire them.Unfortunately for me, I arrived at Bexley Station at the same time as the train, but after eight miles (or possibly seven) I was in no position to run for it. The walk from Erith had taken me four and quarter hours, including rest stops and which wasn’t bad for eight miles. I thought my first excursion to the dark/south side went very well, with no major transport difficulties and the leaflet instructions were once again excellent.
Time for leg 3hr 45m Distance 8 miles Time for Trip 7hrs 50m
Walk log
Fares this leg £7.00
Section 01 Essentials
Section Map
Directions
Distance and Time 8½ miles 5 hours
Walking Conditions: Mostly level with a few short climbs; paths alongside the River Darent and Cray be muddy; the section is suitable for the less mobile and for pushchairs around Riverside Gardens and Erith Pier.
