02 Old Bexley Village to Jubilee Country Park

1st March 2009

I left at dawn for the latest of leg of the London Loop from Bexley to Petts Wood, a distance of just over seven miles. Although the start point was just over seven miles away by crow, it was twenty five miles by public transport and took over two hours, due to missing the train replacement bus by being at the wrong stop. It was a grey, misty morning in London, cool but with little wind.

The first stretch of the walk from Bexley station was through reclaimed land toward the Cray Riverway. It was well away from traffic so you could appreciate the birdsong. This area is known to be inhabited by parakeets, exotic birds from the Himalayas who have settled all over South London. Eventually I spotted one in the trees, it was green and looked like an overgrown budgie.

The Loop followed the river bank south towards Foots Cray Meadows, the largest open space in Bexley. It was very popular with dogs and their owners, in fact I don’t recall a Loop section being as popular as this one. Five Arch Bridge is a survivor from the original estate of Foots Cray Place, the house was destroyed by fire years ago. The path finally meets the road again after two miles by All Saints Church in Foots Cray.

There was a short section of road walking followed by a series of footpaths past playing fields, horses and allotments to emerge in the grounds of Sidcup Place, a large eighteenth century house which has had many roles through the ages and is now a pub. There were three enormous redwoods reminding me of the Wellingtonias in Havering. Sidcup Place would have made an excellent borough top with a view south to Shooters Hill, the second highest hill in the old county of London. It was too early in the year for blooms in the formal garden but the crocuses made a fine display.

Another short road stretch under the A20 led to Scadbury Nature Reserve in the borough of Bromley. This is the remains of ancient parkland with old oaks and coppices. In the heart of the park are the ruins of a moated manor house. Once away from the sound of the A20 it had a very rural feel. The Loop runs for about a mile then crosses a road into Petts Wood owned by the National Trust. Both Scadbury Park and Petts Wood were very popular with walkers and cyclists. There were even sheep grazing in fields of the Hawkswood estate.

I knew that the next train from Petts Wood left at 12.04 and if I took a short cut I might just make it. I broke a habit of a life time and asked for directions from a local, which was useful as I was walking in the wrong direction. I caught the train with seconds to spare and was home in time for lunch. This section of the Loop was very enjoyable with a variety of scenery and only two short road sections.

Time for leg 3hr 05m Distance 7¼ miles Time for Trip 7hrs 05m
Walk log
Fares this leg £7.50

Section 02 Essentials
Section Map
Directions

Distance and time 7¼ miles 5 hours

Walking conditions: Mostly level with a few gentle climbs. This section is suitable for the less mobile and is accessible for pushchairs in parts of Scadbury Park and Foots Cray Meadow.