Morden Hall Park on a sunny day — Morden Hall Park

Start: East Croydon Station, Croydon CR0 1LF
Finish: Thames Path at Wandsworth, SW18 1EJ
Distance: 21.2 km (13.2 miles)
Elevation change: +55m / -117m. Net -62m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Vanguard Way, Wandle Oaks Link, Capital Ring, Thames Path
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 20
Map: OS Explorer Map (161) London South, Westminster, Greenwich, Croydon, Esher & Twickenham
Guidebooks:
- London's Lost Rivers: A Walker's Guide by Tom Bolton
- London's Lost Rivers by Paul Talling
- London's Hidden Rivers: A walker's guide to the subterranean waterways of London by David Fathers
Links: River Wandle, Croydon, Carshalton, Morden Hall Park National Trust, Wandsworth

Just like last week's Lea River trip, this one started in a grim New Town and ended at the Thames in London. There may be some pleasant parts of Croydon, but they are not immediately obvious on this initial stretch of the Wandle.

I was following the river along the course described in Tom Bolton's London's Lost Rivers. Unlike the other subterranean waterways described in the book, the Wandle is mostly still visible today, with only a few sections having been covered up or converted to sewers. Once you leave the concrete of Croydon, it's a very pleasant walk, run, or cycle through some surprisingly green and hidden parts of the capital.

The route starts at the 120-year-old Swan and Sugarloaf at the south end of Croydon High Street. Once a grand historic pub and hotel built in the 1890s, it's now a Tesco Express in a rather dingy part of town, though the beautiful Victorian exterior remains intact. The river has been covered up in this area, so the best plan is to head north quickly. If you are not bothered about visiting the exact historical source, the Wandle surface car park, slightly further up, is an alternative place to start.

The Wandle finally becomes visible about half a mile in at the south-east corner of Wandle Park. Interestingly, the river here was buried in a concrete culvert back in the 1960s but was successfully dug back up and restored to the surface in 2012. The truly scenic part of the trip only really starts at Waddon Ponds—which is actually fed by springs that form one of the river's official sources—and this is where the signs for the Wandle Trail officially begin.

The river meanders for roughly 11 miles through a mix of parks and old industrial areas before reaching the Thames at Wandsworth. Because it drops rapidly in elevation, it used to be one of the hardest-working rivers in the world, powering over 90 mills for everything from copper and leather to lavender and snuff.

Along the way, there are some brilliant places to stop for a rest. Beddington Park is a highlight; it was originally a Tudor deer park where Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I used to hunt. A bit further along is Morden Hall Park, a beautiful National Trust property where you can still see the old snuff mills sitting right over the water.

The confluence with the Thames is just north of Wandsworth centre (the town actually takes its name from the river: the "Wandle's worth" or enclosure). I have crossed the bridge here several times on the Thames Path, completely not realising what it was. From here, I picked up a TfL Santander Cycle just around the corner at Smuggler's Way and took a 6-mile route via the Thames Path to Victoria Station. Regular trains go from here back to West Croydon.

Trip1: Levada Dos Tornos

Start: Botanical Garden Cable Car, Caminho das Voltas, 15 Ilha da Madeira, 9060-329 Funchal
Finish: Casa Velha Do Palheiro, R. da Estalagem, 23 - São Gonçalo, 9060-415 Funchal
Distance: 9.5 km (5.9 miles)
Elevation change: +272m / -307m. Net -35m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Levada de Bom Sucesso, Caminho Rev. Padre Eugénio Borgonovo, Levada dos Tornos,
Other routes touched (cycle): None

Like Tenerife, where I spent many childhood family holidays, Madeira has a north-south climate divide. The north and mountains get a lot of rain whilst the south is dry. Madeira solved this by laying over 2000 km of miles of drainage canals. These take the water down to the south where it's used both for irrigation and drinking water. Funchal, the capital, is positioned at the confluence of a few of the larger Levadas as they reach the sea.

As a warm up for longer more adventurous hikes later in the week, we set off to do the Levada dos Tornos. This one is very easily accessible from Funchal. The start is about 10 minutes walk from the top of the cable car station that connects the Old Town to Monte and its Botanical Garden.

The thing we'd wish we had known about was that the start of the Levada walk was closed due to a huge forest fire in the summer of 2016. Signs at the bottom of the cable car would have been helpful. Obviously, no one had thought to warn people before spending 10 euro each to get to the top. We considered bypassing the barrier and giving it a go, but the locals at the cafe near the top were adamant that it would be a bad idea. Apparently someone had died attempting and several others had to be rescued. An enterprising taxi driver came to the rescue by offering us a ride to the other side if the valley for "only" 20 euro. As a ride back on the cable car would have cost the same, it seemed like a good option.

We started the walk at Choupana where the road crosses the Levada. This was the site of the Choupana Hills Resort, once a 5 star spa hotel which was completely destroyed in the fire. The diversion cut off the dangerous part, shortening the walk by an hour.

Immediately leaving the road you see the effects of the fire with trees barely clinging to life and others reduced to charred stumps. Villas and hotels that backed onto the Levada are now burnt out ruins. Look up and you can see the giant football stadium perched high up on the hill. It's one of the weirdest locations for a stadium, accessible only by steep, winding local roads.

One mile in and we reached the Hortensia Tea House. It's well situated for the full hike from Monte but felt a bit early for the reduced trip. We stopped anyway: we were on holiday so we didn't need much excuse for a cake, a beer and a nice view down to the coast.

The rest of the walk is a further 40 minutes down to Palheiro Gardens. This is part of a large privately owned estate which also has a golf course and 5 star hotel. It's a pleasant, quieter alternative to the bustling Botanical Gardens back at the cable car station.

We ended the trip at the hotel at the lower end of the gardens, taking a taxi back to the city. It would have been another hour to walk to the centre, but we opted for a nap and an early dinner instead.

Trip 2: Pico Ruivo

Start: Parque de Estacionamento Pico do Areeiro
Finish: Rua Dr. João Abel de Freitas, Médico 6, Santana
Distance: 8.6 km (5.3 miles)
Elevation change: +493m / -708m. Net -215m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): PR1 Vereda do Areeiro, PR1.2 Vereda do Pico Ruivo, Vereda da Ilha, Vereda da Faja da Nogueira,
Other routes touched (cycle): PR03a, PR17

This was the highlight of our winter break in Madeira. Billed as the Madeira Three Peaks, it actually reaches the summits of the 1st and 3rd highest points on the island. The 2nd highest point was previously accessible but a land slip in 2016 has closed the path so the route now follows tunnels through Pico das Torres.

We chose to do the trek as a guided walk with Madeira Explorers. For the 2 of us it was only 20 euro more than hiring a car for the day and it solved the logistical issue of a point to point walk.

The route starts at Pico do Areeiro, the 3rd highest peak. You can drive all the way to the top where the summit is marked by a stone pillar behind the military "golf ball" radar station. From here the route descends gradually to a lookout point.

The stone path is well made and maintained. It's also exceptionally clean for a route that gets so many visitors. Much of the path also has strong cable handrails on the steep or exposed sections. Be careful though as some are loose or broken. Even without them it's not an especially dangerous walk.

Around an hour in, you pass the junction to the closed path leading up to the top of Pico Torres. Avoiding this, the routes continues and enters Pico de Gato Tunnel, the first of three on the trip. This is the longest one at about 100m.

As the route ascends towards Pico Ruivo you see more greenery. This is part of the Laurisilva, a UNESCO designated heather forest covering much of the north of the island. At around 8k the path reaches a hut which is a good place for a rest before the final push to the summit.

The final climb is only 10 minutes from the hut along a steeper section of the stone path. Although cloudy on our trip we could still see Achada do Teixeira, the neighbouring peak to the west. The summit is marked by 2 stone columns.

The trip concluded with a 2km gentler walk down to the car park on the east side of Achada do Teixeira.

Trip 3: Ribeiro Frio

Start & Finish: Ribeiro Frio Restaurant, ER103, Funchal
Distance: 6.9 km (4.3 miles)
Elevation change: + / - 395m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Levada do Furado, Levada do Poco do Bezerra, Caminho Real 24
Other routes touched (cycle): None

We did the Ribeiro Frio walk as a part of a 1 day east Madeira road trip. The 3 hour circular walk starts and ends at the Ribeiro Frio ("Cold River") restaurant. It's a 40 minute drive north of Funchal on some steep, and sometimes scary mountain roads. Once there, the walk is an oasis of calm and greenery.

The first hour of the walk follows the Levada do Furado. An alternative walk takes this all the way to Portala in the east, but our route branched off following the Levada do Bezerro. Whilst the first part was pretty busy, we had the route to ourselves apart from an American family that we occasionally met.

The Levada do Bezerro is a pretty steep climb. For the first 20 minutes were weren't convinced we were following the right path. The guide book said that there would be fast flowing water in the Levada but this was dry. The reason was clear about half way in, a landslide had damaged the conduit sending the water over the cliff to the river below. Further damage beyond this gave us some tricky places to clamber over.

The source of the Levada is a small series of pools on a cascade. The water here feeds the river below and some is siphoned off into the Levada. It's a nice, quiet place for a rest before the final 20-minute climb.

After the pools the path cuts up through the trees, reaching the Chao das Feiteiras plateau. Further on, at the highest point on the trip, is a small hill with some amazing views of the central mountain range. From here we could see the route of Wednesday's walk, from the radar station at Pico do Areeiro, through Pico das Torres, the summit of Pico Ruivo and Achada do Teixeira.

From here the path crosses some farm buildings and down a steep stone track meeting the Trout Farm. We'd timed it right as the restaurant at the bottom was quiet, with most of the tourist busses already having passed through earlier in the day. Grilled Trout with herbs and garlic bread were a great reward for one of the best short hikes I can remember.

Back to Trek Index

Richard gower25 February 2017Trek, Mountain, Madeira, Portugal, Island High Points Comment

Cycling The River Wye, Buckinghamshire

Part of the Chiltern Rivers Series
River start: Bradenham, Buckinghamshire
River end: Confluence with Thames at Bourne End, Buckinghamshire
River length: 14 km (9 miles)

Cycle route start / end: Parking in Bourne End Village Centre
Cycle route length: 33.6 km (21 miles)
Cycle route ascent: +/- 223m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Chiltern Way, Wycombe To Bourne End Disused Railway Trail
Other routes touched (cycle): Chilterns Cycleway
Map: OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East
Links: River Wye, Bradenham, West Wycombe, High Wycombe, Wooburn Green, Bourne End

For my 3rd Chiltern River after the Chess and the Pinn, I chose the Wye for today's mini cycle adventure. The Wye, unlike its larger Welsh namesake, goes easily unnoticed. Despite having lived within 10 miles of it for most of my life, I'd barely heard of it until recently.

The Wye rises at Bradenham, near West Wycombe, travelling south-east for 9 miles before joining the Thames at Bourne End. The junction with the Thames is on private land so I started my trip on Bourne End High-Street, cycling toward the source.

The first couple of miles is fairly pleasant. After Bourne End, the river follows the A40 to Wooburn Common. From there navigation gets tricky as the river gets lost amidst housing and an unpleasant retail park hiding under the M40 flyover. The route through Loudwater continues along similarly unremarkable territory before a more pleasant cut through the Wycombe Rye park. One particular point of interest is where the Wye crosses under the route of the disused Wycombe to Bourne End Railway. You can see this by taking the small footpath from the A40 up onto the old railway embankment opposite Pinions Road shortly before Wycombe Town Centre.

The following mile or so, cutting past High Wycombe Town Centre and the Desborough Estate, is best completed as quickly as possible. It's only at the edge of town, approaching The border with West Wycombe, where there's anything worth slowing down for. The final place to see the Wye is on a bridge looking into the National Trust Estate at West Wycombe where you can see the lake that feeds the river.

West Wycombe High Street is a good place for a coffee stop before starting the second, much more pleasant, half of the trip. After West Wycombe, the route follows the A40 for a mile or so, joining the Chiltern Cycleway. Bullocks Farm Lane, now heading back South needs the lowest gear for 10 minutes of slog to the routes highest point.

From here, the Chiltern Countryside comes into its own as pleasant country lanes take you through Wheeler End, Lane End, Freith and down to Marlow. From here the A4155 forms an easy final 3.5 miles back to Bourne End.

Red = course of the river, blue = cycle route

Back to Chiltern Rivers Index

Richard gower5 February 2017Cycle, Chilterns, Disused Railway, Buckinghamshire, England, ThamesComment

Farnborough Half Marathon

When: January 22nd 2017
Where: Farnborough Airport, Hampshire
Course: Mostly airport perimeter roads, plus off-road trails & Basingstoke Canal
Other routes touched (walk): Basingstoke Canal Towpath
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Finish time: 1:53

Back to Run Index

Richard gower22 January 2017Run, Half Marathon, Hampshire, EnglandComment

Walking The Icknield Way Through The Chilterns

Having been on a (literal) high following our completion of the Ridgeway we were keen to continue our winter walking adventures. The Icknield Way was the obvious continuation as the 2 paths meet at Ivinghoe Beacon. From there the Icknield Way heads north-east for 110 miles to Knettishall Heath in Norfolk which is also the start of the Peddars Way. I loved the idea of connecting my 2 previous adventures, so Wife and I started our Icknield wander.

We broke our first section, Ivinghoe Beacon to Chalk Hill, into 2 separate Sundays. This worked well with our new routine of ~5 mile point-to-point winter walks leaving a car at each end. Although the sections of the Ridgeway trip were all short car trips from our home, the driving was getting long enough to start getting boring by the time we’d finished this first section. Next time I’d be back would be 2 years later for the next section.

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.

Part 1: Ivinghoe Beacon to Chalk Hill

Start: National Trust Car Park at Ivinghoe Beacon (LU6 2EG)
Finish: The White Lion Pub, Watling Street / A5 (LU6 1RS)
Distance: 17.5 km (11 miles)
Elevation: +197m / - 307m. Net -110m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (walk): Ashridge Boundary Trail, Chiltern Way
Other Routes Touched (cycle): NCN 6
Maps:
- OS Explorer Map (181) Chiltern Hills North
- OS Explorer Map (181) Chiltern Hills North
- OS Explorer Map (193) Luton and Stevenage
Guidebook: The Icknield Way Path: A Walkers' Guide
OS Trig Pillars: TP1099 - Beacon Hill and TP0379 - Dunstable Down
Links: Icknield Way Wikipedia entry, www.icknieldwaytrail.org.uk, www.icknieldwaypath.co.uk
- National Trails page on the Icknield Way Trail (Rider's Route and Walker's Route)

From Ivinghoe Beacon the Icknield Trail follows the Ashridge Boundary Trail for just over 2km before reaching a farm at the top of a hill. Leave the Boundary Trail here and turn left. Continue in a north-easterly direction to the B440 / Main Road East and turn right to pass through Dagnall. The Red Lion Pub is a nice place to stop and it’s also close to the start of the River Ver. After Dagnall School, take a left off the main road and follow the Trail as it passes through Whipsnade Park Golf Club and around the perimeter fence of Whipsnade Zoo.

Walk through Whipsnade Tree Cathedral. Just after the 1st km at Bison Hill the route will take a right angle and switch from a north-westerly to a north-easterly direction. The Trail will soon meet up with the Chiltern Way again as they pass over the top of Dunstable Downs. You can see for miles here and its a good place to stop and check out the National Trust Visitors’ Centre, the Bedfordshire County Top and have a picnic whilst watching the gliders take off and land below.

Follow the trail down off the Downs and cross the busy B489 onto Green Lane. After ~1k the Trail will take a sharp right off Green Lane into farmland. Follow the Trail for ~2km past Maiden Bower Hill Fort and Sewell Manor before reaching the A5 Watling Street and the end of this section.

Part 2: Chalk Hill to Pirton

Start: White Lion Pub Watling Street, Houghton Regis, Dunstable, LU6 1RS
Finish: The Motte & Bailey, 1 Great Green, Pirton, Hitchin, SG5 3QD
Distance: 31 km (19.4 Miles)
Elevation: +435m / -470m. Net -35m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (walk): Chiltern Way, John Bunyan Trail, Walk on the Wild Side
Other Routes Touched (cycle): Chilterns Cycleway, Icknield Way Trail (cycle route)
Map: OS Explorer Map (193) Luton and Stevenage
Guidebook: The Icknield Way Path: A Walkers' Guide
OS Trig Pillars: TP6734 - Warden Hill and TP2743 - Deacon Hill
Links: Icknield Way Wikipedia entry, www.icknieldwaytrail.org.uk, www.icknieldwaypath.co.uk
- National Trails page on the Icknield Way Trail (Rider's Route and Walker's Route)

It had been 2 years since I’d started the Icknield Way and I was eager to get back to it. Other adventures had got in the way, but I had a new motivation for it once I’d decided to explore the “North Chilterns Exclave”. This is the north-eastern part of the Chiltern Hills National Landscape that’s cut off from the rest of it. The Chilterns’ rolling chalk hills stop abruptly after Dunstable Downs followed by a flat gap featuring Dunstable, Luton, the A5 and the M1. I’d have to get through this section before the pleasant parts start again near Sundon. So, when I was looking for this year’s Winter Solstice long walk, the next section of the Icknield Way was the obvious choice.

In a change to my previous Solstice walks, I wasn’t alone as my friend Brian came too. It was great to have a buddy this time and there was an added logistical advantage by being able to leave a car at each end. After a bit of parking logistics we set off from the White Lion pub as the sun rose over the newly built distribution centres. We were already firmly in logistics country: a corridor of fields along the M1 that are being gradually replaced by huge warehouses. Within a mile of our start we were already on a diversion of the trail as it skirted round a building site that would soon be a new growth on Dunstable.

At Wingfield we were back on course and in pleasant countryside again. The next 5k was fairly unremarkable as the trail crossed the gap between the 2 parts of the AONB, crossing the River Flit, M1 and mainline railway. Immediately after rail bridge, the trail ascends 60m reaching Upper Sundon and the border back into the Chilterns. This next section before lunch was lovely with great views for miles to the north and a pleasant route along the John Bunyan Trail and into Sharpenhoe National Trust land.

Streatley is a great stopping point a little over half-way into the route. It also had the only pub that we found on the trail and it conveniently opened for lunch shortly after we arrived. After a pretty large Surf-and-Turf and an hour of warming up we headed South back on the trail. The route briefly dips out of the AONB as it skirts the northern edge of Luton before a steep climb up through South Beds Golf Club to the top of Warden Hill. Here we took a minor diversion from the trail to bag our first Trig Pillar of the day. From the Trig you can see right across Luton, which sits right in the middle of the gap in the Chilterns, and Dunstable Downs in the distance.

The final few miles was on a straight path heading north-east and keeping on high ground. We took another diversion up Deacon Hill to bag the 2nd Trig Pilar of the day. By now it was getting dark and misty so we quickly returned to the trail and start the final descent to Pirton. My energy was noticeably depleted after Deacon Hill and the final mile seemed to go on for ever. The end point at the Motte and Bailey was a very welcome sight, as was the table by the fireplace to warm up next to before the drive home.

The Icknield Way Through The Chilterns

Red = Part 1: Ivinghoe Beacon to Chalk Hill. Blue Part 2: Chalk Hill to Pirton

Icknield Way Next Section: Icknield Way Part 3: Pirton to Knettishall Heath (cycling)

Back to Chiltern Walks Index

Richard gower18 January 2017Trek, Chilterns, Trig Pillar, Disused Railway, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, England, National TrustComment

Cycling The River Pinn and Celandine Route

Part of the Chiltern Rivers Series
River start: Harrow Weald Common, Greater London
River end: Confluence with the Frays River at Yiewsley, Greater London
River length: 18.3 km (11.4 miles)

Cycle route start / end: Colne Visitors Centre, Denham, Uxbridge, UB9 5PG
Cycle route length: 47 km (29 miles)
Cycle route ascent: +/- 571m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): London Loop, Grand Union Canal Towpath, Hillingdon Trail
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN routes 6, 61
Map: OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East, OS Explorer Map (173) London North, The City, West End, Enfield, Ealing, Harrow & Watford
Links: Celandine Route along The River Pinn, Harrow Weald Common, Pinner, Ruislip, Hillingdon, Yiewsley

It was January 3rd and it was penis-vanishingly cold. It was also my last day of Christmas holiday before returning to work. Time for a cold, wet, muddy adventure to kick off 2017.

I chose the River Pinn and the Celandine Route that follows much of it. The source of the Pinn is Harrow Weald just south of the Harrow View Point, a good look-out point.

I'd chosen to do a 30-mile circular cycle ride that included the Pinn on the return half. My base was the car park at Denham Country Park. from there I hopped on the Grand Union heading North. A meandering north-easterly route through Harefield, Northwood and Oxhey. I probably could have found the actual source if I'd parked the bike and walked around the footpaths at Harrow View Point. Desperately cold and needing a wee, I decided to push on.

It's a few miles before the first sighting of the Pinn at the end of Pinner High Street. The town takes its name from the river and is the start of the Celestine Route. This is a well sign-posted route through parks and bridleways that follow the river to its end.

Within 10 minutes I had already missed a sign and added an extra mile in a loop that took me right back to the start at Pinner. Making better use of my map app on the second attempt, I was back on track. The majority of the route is off road and lots of it on grass. Following a couple of days of heavy rain, the mud was quickly turning my mountain bike brown.

As with the River Chess walk of 2 weeks before, I found the Pinn to be a pleasant find in an area that I thought I knew well. The route alternated between green riverside paths and bland suburbs. Two weeks ago I'd not heard of the Pinn and I would be surprised if many locals had either.

Towards the end, the Celandine Route diverts from the river as it crosses the A40 then into Hillingdon and Brunel University. It then joins back up at Yiewsley before abruptly stopping at the A408 in front of a Tesco Superstore. The Celandine Route joins the Grand Union canal just to the north of Tesco where there’s a footpath that you can follow between the High Street and the towpath. The river actually crosses the canal and joins the Fray’s river which meets the Colne about a mile south in West Drayton

My final 4 miles were a continuation of the Grand Union past Cowley and Uxbridge back to the start at Denham. The Pinn is certainly not pretty and there are more interesting routes, but for a cold, muddy New Year adventure it did the trick for me.

Red = River Pinn, Blue = Circular cycle route

Back to Chiltern Rivers Index

Richard gower3 January 2017Cycle, NCN, Canal, Colne Valley, London, Middlesex, EnglandComment

Chiltern Walks: The Chess Valley Walk

Part of the Chiltern Rivers Series
River start: Pednor, near Chesham, Buckinghamshire
River end: Confluence with River Colne at Rickmansworth
River length: 17.9 km (11.1 miles)

Walking route start / end: Rickmansworth Underground Station / Chesham Underground Station
Walking route length: 21.7 km (13.5 miles)
Walking route elevation change: +309m / -256m. Net -53
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Chiltern Way, Two Rivers Walk
Other routes touched (cycle): Chilterns Cycleway, Hampden Route, Harding Route
Map: OS Explorer Map (181) Chiltern Hills North & OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East
Links: River Chess, Rickmansworth, Rickmansworth Station, Sarratt Bottom, Latimer, Chesham, Chesham Station

Having completed the Circle Line Ru n I was now excited about the London Underground. Today's adventure was going to be running the Bakerloo Line. However, once I'd checked out the route on Streetview I got a little uninspired by most of the Northern section. I needed some countryside and I definitely wouldn't get that on the Bakerloo.

Google came to the rescue with a link to the Chess Valley Walk. It's a 10-mile sign posted walk following the River Chess between Rickmansworth and Chesham. Conveniently, it starts and ends at the Underground stations of each town. Both are on the Western end of the Metropolitan line, allowing for an easy point to point walk. Both are connected by a 16 minute Tube journey.

I chose the East to West direction starting at Rickmansworth where the Chess meets the Colne. I decided to do a longer version of the route by going as close to the source and the end as possible. The closest I could get was a small bridge near where the Underground crosses the river.

The actual route of the walk starts half a mile along after a small detour back towards the station. From here it meanders around the outskirts of the town, heading into the Chiltern countryside.

This was a cold, misty December day and I had the route mostly to myself. The path stays close to the river with some parts diverting off where it flows through private land.

Despite being well signposted, a few places can catch you out. Two spurs of the path divert to the Metropolitan Line stations on the route, Chorleywood and Chalfont and Latimer. This allows for the walk to be split into smaller sections, each linked by the Underground. I discovered that the signs for the spur were more obvious than those for the main path. Blindly following one, I ended up diverting towards Chorleywood for about a half a mile. It would have been easy to have made the same mistake further on in Latimer had I not been prepared for it.

The path between Latimer and Chesham was familiar. I ran it in the opposite direction for the Country to Capital Ultra 2 years ago. Once in Chesham I left the signed path and headed to find the source. The river starts at Bury Pond, about half a mile North West of town. The pond is on private property but you can get a good view of it from Pednor Road that runs next to it.

My route was 13.5 miles, with the extra 2 miles on the official route made up of the extra bits at the start and end plus the Chorleywood diversion.

I really enjoyed the combination of a proper countryside walk connected by the Underground. It also gave me the inspiration for a few more Chiltern River trips. Next up: the Pinn, the Colne and the Wye.

Above: Red = course of the River Chess, red = walking route. You’d think it would be the other way around but I can’t get the colours to swap on the app I’m using #usererror.

Back to Chiltern Walks Index

Richard gower22 December 2016Trek, Chilterns, Underground, Herefordshire, Buckinghamshire, EnglandComment

Running The Circle Line

Start & Finish: Marylebone Station, Melcombe Place, Marylebone, London, NW1 6JJ
Distance: 23.9 km (14.8 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 190m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (Walk): Thames Path, Jubilee Walkway, River Fleet Walk, River Westbourne Walk, Jubilee Greenway
Other routes touched (Cycle): CS3, CS6
Pubs / Cafes on route: Loads … it’s London.
Map:
- OS Explorer Map (161) London South, Westminster, Greenwich, Croydon, Esher & Twickenham
- OS Explorer Map (173) London North, The City, West End, Enfield, Ealing, Harrow & Watford

The idea of navigating above-ground trips along the London Underground lines is not exactly new. Mark Mason's brilliant 2011 book Walk The Lines is perhaps the best example, and many other running geeks have also attempted them. Needing to escape the house and clear my head on a cold mid-December morning, I set off to conquer the Circle Line.

The Circle Line is a great starting point for above-ground Tube adventures. All the other lines have incredibly distant start and end points that stretch deep into the suburbs and require quite a bit more logistical planning. At just over a half-marathon, tracing the Circle is an easy, self-contained half-day adventure.

My start point was Marylebone Station. Although it is not actually on the Circle Line itself, it sits perfectly on the walking route between Edgware Road and Baker Street, which were my true start and end points. I set off clockwise with the strict aim of marking each station with a selfie. (A quirky bit of history: when the classic loop first opened in 1884, it was operated by two fiercely rival companies, the Metropolitan and the District railways, who ran their steam trains in opposite directions!).

Despite knowing London pretty well, I still needed a bit of navigational help. The north and south sections of the route are pretty straightforward to navigate, but the east and west boundaries become significantly trickier. Using walking directions on Google Maps, alongside a simple Google Keep checklist of all the stations, was a massive help.

The official distance of the tracks underground for the classic loop is 14 miles (worth noting for the transport geeks that I stuck to the historic loop, rather than the modern "teacup" extension out to Hammersmith!). However, the trains have the distinct advantage of cutting straight under buildings. Negotiating the streets, traffic lights, and pavements above ground adds at least another mile to the journey. Missing Temple station and having to run all the way back to it from Embankment added yet another mile on top of that. Don't do that.

Once I arrived back at Marylebone, I had covered just over 16 miles. At around 3 hours, it was certainly no Personal Best, but speed is not really something to be aimed for while dodging pedestrians on a working day in central London. It was a brilliantly fun trip, though, and a highly satisfying way to link up some very familiar places across the capital.

The Complete Ridgeway

Related Posts:

Back to Chiltern Walks Index

Richard gower4 December 2016Trek, Trig Pillar, Chilterns, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, EnglandComment

Beachy Head Marathon

When: October 29th 2016
Where: Eastbourne
Course: Hilly! Mostly South Downs Way & other trails starting and ending at Bede's preparatory School in Eastbourne
Start & Finish: Bede's Prep School, Dukes Drive, Eastbourne, BN20 7XL
Distance: 42.2 km (26.2 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 1,099m
Other routes touched (walk): South Downs Way, Weald Way, Vanguard Way
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 2
Finish time: 5:36
Links: Beachy Head Marathon, South Downs Way, Beachy Head, Eastbourne

Back to Run Index

Richard gower29 October 2016Run, Marathon, South Downs, National Park, Sussex, EnglandComment

Blenheim Palace Half Marathon

When: October 2nd 2016
Where: Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, UK
Course: Country roads in and around the Blenheim Estate.
Other routes touched (walk): Wychwood Way
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Finish time: 1:58

trip-11342870-map-full - Blenheim Palace.png

Back to Run Index

Richard gower2 October 2016Run, Half Marathon, Oxfordshire, EnglandComment

Bristol Half Marathon

When: September 25th 2016
Where: Bristol City Centre and Avon Gorge, UK
Course: Nice flat course leading under the Clifton Suspension Bridge west along the Avon Gorge then the last 5 miles around the city. Had all sorts of weather from bright sunshine to wind and showers. Good start to the Autumn running season.
Other routes touched (walk): River Avon Trail, Bristol Triangular City Walk, Severn Way,
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 3, 4, 33, 41
Finish time: 1:53

Back to Run Index

Richard gower25 September 2016Run, Half Marathon, Gloucestershire, EnglandComment

Cycling The Grand Union Canal - The Missing Link

Start: Tongwell Street Car Park, Willen, Milton Keynes MK15
Finish: Braunston Marina, Brindley Quays, Braunston, Daventry NN11 7JH
Distance: 55.9 km (34.7 miles)
Elevation change: +249m / - 275 m / Net -26m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Walk): Grand Union Canal Towpath, Jurassic Way, Nene Way, Macmillian Way, Midshires Way, Ouse Valley Way,
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): Hanslope Circular Ride. NCN 50, 6
OS Map(s):
- OS Explorer Map (222) Rugby and Daventry, Southam and Lutterworth
- OS Explorer Map (223) Northampton and Market Harborough
- OS Explorer Map (207) Newport Pagnell and Northampton South
- OS Explorer Map (192) Buckingham and Milton Keynes

This trip is the proof of what an obsessive completer-finisher I am. In April 2015 I cycled the Grand Union from Birmingham to London as a part of the training for the Land's End To John o' Groats trip. Well, not quite. Day 1: Birmingham to Milton Keynes was tough. It was ~80 miles with long stretches of thorn-covered grass. After several hours of fixing punctures we arrived at Braunston with not enough daylight or inner tubes left to get to Milton Keynes by canal. Instead we opted for the main roads to finish the final 35 miles. By day 2 the rest of the group had decided not to carry on so I finished the final stretch to London by myself. It bothered me that I'd missed a section of the canal. It didn't seem to bother anyone else so I ended up doing it on my own a year and a half later.

Greater obsessives would have had to start at Braunston and complete the journey in the same North-South direction. I wasn't too worried about that so I started at Milton Keynes, saving an hour of driving. It also gave me a chance to tick off Milton Keynes parkrun before the trip.

Milton Keynes has a reputation for being a pretty dull place, full of modern buildings and logistics centres. I've only really experienced it whilst running there or cycling through it and I actually like it. As a "New Town" it was designed in the 1960s with the car in mind, but it's also great for cyclists. Well designed cycle paths and underpasses mean you can get across town without fighting with cars like in other big towns.

The Grand Union passes near the centre and has good cycle paths next to it. That, however, quickly ends a couple of miles out and the towpath gets very narrow and grassy. It became very clear that we had made the right decision to avoid doing this part in the dark last time we were on the Grand Union.

Cosgrove, a nice village around 8 miles in, would have been a nice place to stop for a while. As I was on my own and on a mission I only stopped to take a photo of the 1790's bridge before pressing on.

1 mile from Cosgrove and the going got tougher as the path left the canal and diverted through some heavily rutted fields for another mile before returning at Isworth Farm. Looking back at the map now, I probably took the wrong side of the canal after Cosworth and missed a much easier section.

Around 15 miles from Milton Keynes the canal reaches the Blisworth Tunnel. It was built over 12 years from 1793 and connects Stoke Bruene to Blisworth 3km away. There's no towpath through the tunnel, so the cycle route takes a steep incline to the top of the hill and follows Stoke Road for about a mile before returning to the canal at the tunnel exit just south of Blisworth.

By now I was low on energy and starving so the Cafe at Whilton Marina was a handy place to stop. Squeezed in between the railway line, the canal and the M1, its not quiet or pretty, but still a nice quirky rest stop before the final push to Braunston.

After passing over Braunston Tunnel, I reached my end point at Braunston Marina, finishing the missing link of the Grand Union adventure. Its a nice stretch of the canal with some interesting sections and I'm glad I made it back there to finish it off.