Route CommentsLOOP Walk

Comments about the Route

We would love to hear from you about your experience of Walking London – what you enjoyed, what you noticed along the way, what would make the walk even better. Please share your observations and comments – whether they are factual, amusing or poignant, we would be interested to learn, and to share with others who may be considering walking the path. If you have general feedback about the website then please email [email protected].

Submit your own comment

Is there any possibility that a tunnel can be built under the Thames linking sections 1 and 24 to make this a truly circular walk? I understand this would cost a lot of money but could not a fund be set up for people, companies, organisations and philanthropists to contribute, showing approximately how much the tunnel would cost, the ongoing total being donated and where the tunnel would emerge on both sides of the Thames.
Peter 11/04/2012 5:03 pm

A pavement goes north from Cockfosters Station and the signs for The LOOP are set well back from it in a car park. After a brief wander around the cemetery after those signs, I got on track and enjoyed a sunny walk. The signage on this route was as good as the Capital Ring, which I have done each direction. However, that led me into a sense of false security as I found on sections 19 and 20.
Rob 10/04/2012 8:11 pm

Thank you to everyone who set and maintain the LOOP. I completed my circuit back in November and enjoyed (almost) every step! My slightly tongue in cheek comments are here http://nowork2day.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/where-is-erith.html .
Alex 19/03/2012 1:45 pm Thanks for sharing! If you would like a certificate to celebrate completing the LOOP then email [email protected]
Walk London 19/03/2012

We’ve just finished the Loop this weekend with our children (aged 3 & 1). After discovering the Loop by accident we’ve had some great family days out. Although my wife says if she ever has to help lift a heavily laden double buggy over a four foot stile again, she’ll divorce me! Thanks to all involved in creating this great walk – only hope it’s popularity grows.
The Cooper Family 30/11/2011 9:09 pm Really glad you enjoyed it. If you email [email protected] you can all have a certificate! You might find fewer stiles on the Capital Ring, if you wanted to try that next!
Walk London 30/11/2011

We’ve just finished it on a grey foggy November day, doing it in bite sized chunks over 16 months. We couldn’t see the Dartford crossing and hardly across to Erith but it’s been a fascinating walk even when not conventionally scenic. Thanks to all who put it together.
Michael Dewey 13/11/2011 0:19 pm Good news! Don’t forget to email [email protected] and ask for your completion certificate!
Walk London 13/11/2011

Thank you for this walk which I completed today. I started in July after experiencing a significant loss and having the walk to focus on every week has been very helpfully therapeutic. I walked the Capital Ring in the months before the Loop also. It is a wonderful and glorious resource for the city and those of us living here. Would be good to promote it more. To those that make it happen – thank you! (Nov 2011)
MH 07/11/2011 7:59 pm Great! Email [email protected] to have a certificate for both routes you have completed. Really glad you enjoyed it!
Walk London 07/11/2011

I relate to the comments concerning a lack of Major destination signposts beyond Uxbridge. I was the Countryside Officer for the London Borough of Havering covering leaflet Numbers 20 to 24. I am now retired, but during my time with Havering I designed a scheme to install 5 major destination sign posts along the 19 mile length of LOOP passing through Havering. All the signs were to be installed on public own land. However, my proposals were ignored by the Parks & Open Spaces Officer – so…..
Alan Cooper 07/11/2011 9:27 am

Have just completed the entire walk. Walking by the river bank was an unexpected bonus at the last section. However, it is not at all clear where the Loop ends, and was therefore somewhat of an anti-climax. Overall a wonderful experience.
graham 18/10/2011 6:26 pm It actually ends at Purfleet station – you are right there is no big plaque at this point. Don’t forget to send off for your certificate if you have walked the whole thing by emailing us! Will you walk the Capital Ring next?
Walk London 18/10/2011

Would it be possible to log the date automatically when comments are added? It would help walkers to know how up to date the comments are. (Posted 11 October 2011)
The Lane family 11/10/2011 9:41 am Good idea! We’ll add it to our list of website development ideas to be considered later (they would likely be all done in a batch). From behind the website, we can actually see the date a comment was made. Is there a specific comment you are interested in and we will then check to see if the information in the comment is still relevant? The WalkLondon website gets checked for comments 3-4 times a week.
Walk London 11/10/2011

The Walk4Life web site is extremely difficult to navigate as you have to know EXACTLY where you want to go before the search will produce anything – ‘cart before horse’!! Please do not remove anything else from the Walk London site which is much more useful.
Judith and Philip 03/07/2011 9:59 am If you are viewing a section of the walks on the WalkLondon website, and you press on the right-hand side “show directions and leaflets” you have a choice of having a) traditional style leaflet made up of map and text b) a link through to the very section on the Walk4Life website. What is special about the Walk4Life website is that people can print their own maps to suit them. The “zoom” still works in print preview so you can print, for instance, one overview of the section you intend to do, as well as a couple of close-ups where you want to see street names perhaps as well. Also, Walk4Life uses Ordnance Survey mapping, which is incredibly popular with walkers, whereas the traditional style leaflets do not. This means that if people are walking along and they feel they have gone far enough that day, they can hopefully see on the OS print out some alternative ways to make a circular walk or back to public transport, rather than having to simply retrace their steps. The traditional style leaflet mapping doesn’t show you this level of detail. If you have been searching on Walk4Life.info website and have got confused with the different walks on offer, and you just want to see for instance sections of the LOOP, then go to the tab “search for a walk” and put something like “loop” in the keywords box. Switch the radius up to something like 50 miles from your point of interest, and voilà, only LOOP sections should come up in the search results. Hope this information helps!
Walk London 03/07/2011

Route marking south sections good, but agree comments about diversions on sections 13-14. Also, lot of the information about toilets and refreshments needs updating as many toilets are not open and some of the refreshment kiosks are closed. Otherwise, really interesting as you see parts of London you would not visit as a tourist.
Hayward family 13/06/2011 6:54 pm Thanks for this. The man who wrote the book for the Capital Ring – Colin Saunders – is about to start a circumambulation (!) of both the LOOP and the Capital Ring routes to check for this sort of detail.
Walk London 13/06/2011

Please, please bring back the pdf maps you had until a few weeks ago. The links just don’t do the job as well!
  28/04/2011 3:45 pm The downloadable maps for the LOOP have been restored. We didn’t realise how popular they were!
Walk London 28/04/2011

Why have the LOOP section maps disappeared to be replaced by links. The maps in the links are nowhere near as good. Please bring back the maps.
Gareth A. Williams 21/04/2011 11:54 pm The downloadable maps for the LOOP have been replaced and are available again. We didn’t realise how popular they were!
Walk London 21/04/2011

A couple of tips: Chambres ” London Gazetteer” gives interesting and in-depth information on almost every settlement on The Loop. We got our copy, much reduced from Postscript Books (google). The A-Z Master Atlas of Greater London has large, scale maps (3.5 inches to the mile) with almost every pond, path, track & alley on the Loop (and indeed on all other London walks), marked & named. Possibly the best maps to use.
Mike & Andrea 07/04/2011 8:24 pm Thanks for those tips. The www.walk4life.info website has maps of all the 7 London promoted routes on Ordnance Survey colour map bases that you can still adjust the zoom of before printing out at home : so you can get the maps looking exactly as you want them!
Walk London 07/04/2011

Why have you changed the website so that it is harder to find the sections of the Loop. The old web site had a simple clickable map to select the area required – graphic, visual and simple to use. This user comments section leaves much to be desired since it assumes we just want to comment on a given section, when we want to comment on the quality of the web site.
frankie and david 13/02/2011 9:09 pm

1 (Erith Riverside to Old Bexley Village)

We’re back on track after xmas break! Started in thick mist last Thursday 15th March, which turned out to be a glorious sunny day. Got to Bexley by 1.30pm so took a bold decision to carry on to Petts Wood and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of the 17 mile walk. Signage mostly good, but couldn’t do it without the book! Well dome to volunteers from Thames21 who were making a heroic effort to clear rubbish from the river river Darent above Crayford creek, and thanks to them for their insights too.
Paul & Barry 22/03/2012 10:05 pm

Completed Section 1 of the Loop yesterday. We have previously done the Capital Ring and are looking forward to the days spent on this route. One comment – the path was blocked by gas works on the section by the A2. A sign has been put up saying “use other footpath” but there is no alternative here. We were able to squeeze past the side of the works but this is not safe by a busy A-road. There seems to be no reason why these works need to block all off the path – can you look into this please?
David 03/01/2012 1:35 pm Thank you for your report. We will contact Bexley Council about this report and post an update when we have news.
Walk London 03/01/2012

My wife and I walked this section on March 19, a beautiful day. In Erith we walked past the community theatre and noticed that they were performing “Pirates of Penzance” the next week; we ordered tickets and attended. We enjoyed the river-side walks and the variety of birds (33 species) & animals (fox) which we saw. It was great. We had an excellent lunch at a Turkish café in Bexley.
Wayne 05/04/2011 0:18 pm Thanks for the positive feedback, great!
Walk London 05/04/2011

I’ve just started walking the LOOP and have decided to blog it! Find me at http://blog-standard.blogspot.com/2011/03/london-loop.html I’m absolutely loving it so far. I’m walking with my 14 month old son and we aim to complete the whole yet by the end of 2012. Wish us luck!
Sally Symon 15/03/2011 0:22 pm Great news! Don’t forget to click off the sections as you walk them on www.walk4life.info and you will get a certificate at the end! You can add photos to the sections there too.
Walk London 15/03/2011

Hall Place is well worth spending time over. Visit its Orangery & ask about the giant Cacti and the tiny pots they thrive in.
Mike & Andrea 13/02/2011 6:56 pm

Have started the LOOP after finishing the Thames Path. The part by the Thames and Darent – beautiful. Enjoyed seeing the parakeets in Bexley.
JD56 08/10/2010 7:58 am

2 (Old Bexley Village to Jubilee Country Park)

Hiya, I walked this route on Saturday and really enjoyed the riverside sections despite the rain. My GPS registers its length at 8 miles rather than the 6 miles listed on Walk London. The Walk4Life distance is 7.11 miles, which is probably a fair compromise.
  24/01/2012 3:46 pm We use an extremely detailed GIS system to calculate section lengths. Sometimes these are written without station links, as if you were walking the whole route without breaking at the end of the day. Many sections also have step-free alternatives, so there are a number of answers to the one question “how long is the section” !
Walk London 24/01/2012

Did section 2 yesterday and it was a beautiful stretch. In Park Wood where you should turn left, the signpost has been broken off, and is lying on its side next to the path, and could easily be overlooked.
The Lanes 23/09/2011 9:43 am Thank you for your information, we will investigate and let the borough council know.
Walk London 23/09/2011

A peach of a walk. Lovely spring day. The walk was probably the best to date (we’ve done Chingford to Bexley) . The walk along the Cray was really enchanting, as were the parakeets excavating an old wood pecker hole at goldsmith college sports ground. Add Scadbury Park for yet more countryside views and you have a fabulous day out.
frankie and david 13/02/2011 8:58 pm

3 (Jubilee Country Park, Bromley to West Wickham Common, Bromley)

This is a beautiful walk! I have two comments about though: First, does the LOOP signage on Crofton Avenue direct you down a footpath onto Partridge Drive, like I thought it did? If so there is no signage at the end of that alley so you’re suddenly completely lost. If it’s just me being stupid then sorry! Secondly there is a tree falling across the path in the woods between Keston and the finish point – might be worth removing it as it’s balanced precariously! 17th Feb 2012
  17/01/2012 9:29 am The LOOP rectangular waymarker at Crofton Avenue directs you straight on, you shouldn’t turn down Partridge Drive. It is just designed to be a reassurance marker. Changes of direction markers have an arrow on them, this is just a continuation marker you have found. The section directions that can be printed from this website help you know not to turn down Partridge Drive. Thanks for reporting the tree, we have emailed Royal Parks about it.
Walk London 07/02/2012

Worth it for the view from Derrick Park and for High Elms
stevenagec 19/09/2011 3:42 pm

A great walk but it was constant drizzle most of the way. The tea break at High Elms was most welcome. However, it being mid February and not starting at Petts Wood till 2pm, we were asking for trouble on one of the longer sections of the loop. By the time we got to Kenley the light had gone and we were reliant upon the waymarks. made it eventually but this section is not recommended for nightwalking in the rain. Great experience, never to be repeated! Fair weather and daylight from now on.
david horne 13/02/2011 8:48 pm

We have done this section both ways now. Clockwise is easier than anti. However, signage on this section is confusing or lacking in vital places and even with the directions, progress can be frustrating. I always carry a small compass now (useful when no sun) together with the latest OS Explorer. Being a bird watcher, I usually carry a pair of lightweight bins. These have often been handy in finding ones way in spotting distant waymarkers.
Mike & Andrea 13/02/2011 7:29 pm

4 (West Wickham Common, Bromley to Hamsey Green, Croydon)

Walked this last weekend. Probably my favourite of the LOOP so far, through woodland and fields. Feels a world away from London. Not much in the way of wildlife but saw swallows and a lone deer towards the end. Unfortunately got caught by rain shower for a few minutes but sun soon came out. View from Addington Hill well worth the walk, even with grey cloud.
Rob W 19/09/2011 1:57 pm

Be a bit careful in the field you get to when you exit the Wickham churchyard as there were lots of horses and there was one that wasn’t particulalry friendly today and chased me back into the churchyard!! Easy to divert around though and the walk was no less enjoyable even if a bit more eventful than I had planned!!
Duncan 17/09/2011 5:41 pm Were they going for your packed dinner?
Walk London 17/09/2011

Probably best done in late Spring or early Summer (potential floral displays). Some very muddy parts which can be avoided e.g. woods at Sparrows Den, by taking a path along the edge adjacent to the rugby pitches and then taking a later path northwards. Also, the path along Old Farleigh Rd. Use the wide grass verge on the other side of the road. Addington Hill has breath taking views, if only of the weather closing in on you. A small pair of bins is a boon here. Heathfield House= another gem.
Mike & Andrea 13/02/2011 7:53 pm

Really enjoying the walks so far, but have got lost sometimes due to lack of signage. On this walk, where it says to go through Spring Park into Three Halfpenny Wood, we couldn’t find the right path into the wood. There were lots of paths of varying sizes, but no sign. After trying several paths, we gave up and asked a passer by for directions to the tennis courts and thus missed a chunk of the walk. Just ONE SIGN at the entrance to the bridleway would have prevented this.
Josie 12/02/2011 9:13 pm

5 (Hamsey Green, Croydon to Coulsdon South Station, Croydon)

Think there is a sign down at point E where you are told to take the lesser path; take care not to go wrong here. More confusing still is the signposting at point H (far side of Happy Valley). There is a sign which stands just inside the wood. It has been turned half round so you think you have to turn left, and to do so inside the wood. In fact you should turn right OUTSIDE the wood. Posted 13 October 2011.
The Lane family 13/10/2011 9:59 am Thank you for your report, we will investigate and let the borough council know. The signposts in happy valley are all wooden so it would be surprising if one had been turned 180 degrees.
Walk London 13/10/2011

Some fantastic views on this walk. We got lost at Kenley Common where the signs are not so good. Happy Valley is beautiful and there are picnic tables there where we had lunch. We did this walk in two halves, not bad as we are all pensioners in our seventies. Onwards and upwards to walk 6!
  07/08/2011 9:47 pm

5&6 are probably the muddiest sections in winter. Several narrow bridle paths heavily used by horses & MTBs. the horse field by the observtory was particularly bad even with boots & gaiters. Kenley aerodrome is worth exploring. See perimeter fighter parking bays with blast banks & bunkers. We later found that, with the OS Explorer and walking across the drome, we could have acessed Caterham Rd near Rydon’s Lane thus avoiding the Somme by the observatory.
Mike & Andrea 28/02/2011 8:52 pm Thanks for your comments, yes it is muddy at this time of year! For future walks if you go to the www.walk4life.info website you can download and print a section map on an OS map base. So, if you found a muddy bit, you could easily see different footpaths to get around it. From www.walk4life.info you can also click to complete all the sections as you walk them, and so you would get a certificate at the end!
Walk London 28/02/2011

My wife and I walked from West Wickham and extended it to this stage. What a delight. Happy Valley, Farthing Wood and the common. What a delightful end to the day’s walk. Signage was good, but some, particularly on the previous stretch broken of missing. Can’t wait to do the next leg.
jd56 23/02/2011 3:41 pm Thanks for the feedback! Will investigate the report of signage down in Section 4. Glad you enjoyed it!
Walk London 23/02/2011

What is the true length of this section? This Website states 6 miles & the metal plaque on the Good Companions wall 9.5 & 5+hours walking. We were going to walk straight on from Section 4 but thought we might run out of daylight. Therefore took an early bath. The 403 bus to W Croydon, whilst every 12 mins can take 20-30 mins for the journey depending on traffic etc as it goes all round Will’s mother’s to get there.
Mike & Andrea 13/02/2011 8:07 pm The length of section five is 6 miles. In the past, section lengths sometimes included links to public transport and over the years the actual route on the ground may have been altered slightly.
Walk London  

6 (Couldson South Station, Croydon to Banstead Downs, Banstead)

Sections 5 and 6 undone by public transport. I should have checked beforehand but it wasn’t until I was nearly at Banstead that I read David Sharp’s book saying that there were no trains on a Sunday. Ideally, he would have put that sort of information at the front of Section (as in the more informative Capital Ring guide). Decent walk, if poorly signposted at times. Happy Valley Park and Farthing Downs worthwhile, great view of City towards end.
Rob W 28/09/2011 0:47 pm There are a number of places where there is no public transport on a Sunday – walkers should check up-to-date transport link information before you start your walk. The guide books are being updated in 2012.
Walk London 28/09/2011

A good walk that is very well sign posted all the way. It takes you right through the lavender fields which were in full bloom when we went in August. Do not do this walk on a Sunday if you are going by public transport as there are no trains or buses from Banstead.
The Freerangers 08/08/2011 10:41 pm Yes, the section pages here already say that the public transport is limited on a Sunday. Most walkers tend to do section 6 and 7 at the same time!
Walk London 08/08/2011

Crossing Brighton Rd at Banstead Golf Course great views to the NE of Docklands & The City up the dead, in-line, straight road. Trains from Banstead toward London on Saturday are hourly at 38mins past.
Mike & Andrea 28/02/2011 9:01 pm

After visiting the café at Oaks Park, we had difficulty locating where to continue the walk- there are LOTS of tarmac paths! It could be helpful to add that the path past the ornamental gardens runs parallel to the road, a turn to the right as you leave the café.
Josie 12/02/2011 9:22 pm

8 (Bourne Hall Park, Ewell to Kingston upon Thames)

Whilst walking this Section on 17th May I found a ring on the path – it is silver with a hallmark. If anyone would like to claim it, please contact me.
David Bays 15/06/2011 11:59 am

The Athelstan Centre is in the more obvious, Athelstan Primary School just past and on the same side as the pub in Villiers Rd. Some joker has turned all the signs opposite around. Swan Path is just past the school. Ignore a path off to the right, the loop sign is just past it and around the corner. At Penrhyn Rd, it is worth a small detour to the left to view the grand architecture of Surrey County Hall (visible from the end of the Path).
Mike & Andrea 10/03/2011 9:20 pm Thanks for that report, it has been forwarded to the Lower Mole Management Project.
Walk London 10/03/2011

9 (Kingston upon Thames to Hatton Cross)

We don’t have the latest copy of the guide book, but Donkey Wood was interesting today – not much signage and an assault course from A312 to A30. We are sure the route was the same as last year, but no path! Did we need to cross the Crane?
jd56 07/04/2012 10:09 pm

I use the route for my long runs and love it! However the section into Donkey Wood is completly impassable due to flooding even before the boardwalk that has been installed! this also applies to the section just after the A30 crossing. both are impassable at the moment
adams 17/12/2011 1:58 pm This area is fairly low-lying and when the river gets high it does get muddy. It is that time of year! We are in regular contact with the borough’s green spaces ecologist about this area.
Walk London 17/12/2011

Absolutely agree with Amanda’s comments, got hopelessly lost and ended up having a hideously long trek along busy, noisy, smelly roads. I find the signage in many of the forests or woods are particularly bad !
Dea 04/04/2011 11:38 pm

More sign posts are needed through Donkey Wood up to the A30. We got completely lost and followed the mill stream and then missed the new Loop path up to the A30. All other parts of the walk to that point have been clearly sign posted.
Amanda 23/03/2011 5:02 pm Thanks for your feedback which has been passed on to the LOOP route manager who will discuss it with Hounslow Borough Council.
Walk London 23/03/2011

For those intending to walk 10 immediately after 9. Upon reaching the A30 (where you can see the Loop sign for 10 directly opposite but can’t get at it), turn RIGHT to the next set of lights and cross there. Next, enter the service road of the industrial estate and walk back to the sign. This puts the Tube Line and a belt of trees between yourself and the unpleasant A30. It is much shorter than walking all the way to Hatton Cross and back on the other side with all the fumes & noise.
Mike & Andrea 18/03/2011 10:24 pm

11 (Hayes & Harlington to Uxbridge)

I like the new signage along the canal but just wanted to mention that a week ago or so I noticed that the one just near the bridge next to West Drayton station is reversed. Little Britain should be off to the left and Hayes station to the right if you’re facing the sign with your back to the canal. Perhaps this has been rectified in the meantime but just thought I’d point it out. Very nice signs otherwise.
  22/10/2011 10:48 am The route manager has looked through his artwork for recently installed signs – the contractor was here about 3 weeks ago. At this point the sign pointing left (west) should say “Little Britain”, pointing right (east) should say “Stockley Park” and pointing north should say “West Drayton Station”. Is this the sign you mean? We are in touch with the contractor and will get this sorted as soon as possible, thank you!
Walk London 22/10/2011

Completed this section on 7-Sep-11. Please note that the temporary diversion at West Drayton is no longer in place and the towpath is once again open.
Graham 08/09/2011 9:46 am Thanks for that, very useful report. We have taken down the temporary diversion information from the section 11 page.
Walk London 08/09/2011

April 12th. Fantastic walking along the canal. Has anyone else seen what looks like bits of the Berlin Wall in a Hillingdon Council site?
JD56 12/04/2011 9:33 pm

We hope to start the Loop clockwise from Kingston, so I am checking online for diversions and comments. Section 11 Hayes to Uxbridge: I understand there is a signed diversion between West Drayton and Slough Arm: Will you please let me have details of the diversion route: I am partially disabled through injury and need full navigation info. BTW I thought that you are putting full diversion info on the webpages, but I don’t see it! Many thanks. Peter [email protected]
Pete 06/04/2011 11:45 pm Thank-you for pointing this out. The temporary diversions part of section 11 has been added to so you have more information. The details Walk London have are from the borough rights of way officer (Hillingdon) and was up-to-date at the end of February.
Walk London 06/04/2011

Great walk but, x3 young motorcyclists without helmets or reg plates on path alongside Little Britain Lake. They can get around the barriers. Took off right along Iver Lane and onto canal path. Woman dog walker said it was not unusual. Is there a phone number we can call?
Mike & Andrea 20/03/2011 4:02 pm Thanks for your report. Walk London and Hillingdon Borough Council have recently improved a section of path beside the River Colne which we are anxious it doesn’t suffer from similar incidents. The LOOP route manger has contacted Hillingdon Council about your report. He has asked for the telephone number where this can be reported (e.g. the local Safer Neighbourhood Team). We will let you know by phone when we have this! Thanks –
Walk London 20/03/2011

13 (Harefield West to Moor Park)

Four of us had a lovely time on LOOP section 13 today in beautiful spring sunshine. Coming up to Bishops Wood there’s a new post with a pointed top painted white that hasn’t yet got its London Loop symbol. That’s where you turn right. The trees that are meant to be marked with red arrows need re-painting. We had come straight on from section 12. What a glorious day. Thanks to all who have set this up.
Amanda Norrie 27/03/2012 7:00 pm We contacted Hertfordshire County Council for you. There is a 75m missing link in the Definitive Map here. The Council are working with the landowner and Three Rivers District Council to sort out a legal solution.
Walk London 04/04/2012

Another great walk, thanks! Directions, p2, says “Turn R at Harefield Road; no footpath so walk carefully along the roadside…” This is at about TQ059927. There’s a very VERY tempting footpath inside the field here, looking well-used, running parallel with the road and going all the way up to the pub car-park. I know that wayleaves etc can be a nightmare but did wonder if there was any chance of getting permission to make this nicer alternative an official part of the Loop? Thanks again!
nevilley 27/02/2012 6:38 pm There is a path there, the farmer knows all about it. He is more than happy to allow people to walk through there. However, it isn’t officially a permissive path because it runs along the back of people’s gardens and the residents aren’t quite as happy about the path as the farmer is. The LOOP book is about to be republished, which will mention the path. We will update our downloadable leaflet directions too.
Walk London 27/02/2012

Walked this section 29-Sep-11. The mud in Bishops Wood is by now pretty much what you would expect at this time of year for a woodland path shared with horses. The deeps ruts indicate how bad it must have been though. But the signing is very poor and it is hard to keep to the path – I got to the other side pretty much by trial and error. If the situation has settled, time to review this surely? Start with a Loop marker at the point of entry to the woods – there is a fine post already there.
Graham (not the one below) 02/10/2011 2:38 pm This is outside of Greater London so not easy to sort out. Three Rivers District Council in partnership with Hertfordshire County Council have got a signage project happening there this year and have recently installed 4 posts.
Walk London 02/10/2011

Walked this section on 03/9/11 on a beautiful sunny day. I had read the comments about Bishop’s Wood beforehand and was expecting the worst. The previous days had seen quite a bit of rain so I was expecting a mudbath – I didn’t get one! Where the trees were cut down I just made a small diversion to the left and returned to the approximate line of the path to find evidence of a worn track. I found it easily and continued without problems. Either good luck or I must have Sioux heritage.
JG 04/09/2011 10:26 am Thanks for the feedback. Maybe as the year goes on the land is sorting itself out again after its upheaval this spring.
Walk London 04/09/2011

I walked this section 3.7.11 unfortunately I did not read the comments before setting out. The way through the wood is a mess and I lost my way and had to scramble around to find the way out. As a single female walker it felt unsafe and I did meet a solitary man sort of ‘loitering’ in the wood. Part of keeping safe when you do this sort of endeavour is to be purposeful and clear about what you are doing and where you are going and when the path is so damaged and unsigned this is not possible.
MH 04/07/2011 7:47 pm As you can see you are not the first to find this problem. Here is a link where you can make your feelings known direct to the District Council in question. www.threerivers.gov.uk/Default.aspx/Web/Countryside (If you look on this website there is a phone number here which should help).
Walk London 04/07/2011

As many other commenters on this section say, wish I’d read this before setting out. Bishops Wood is still a mess (this was two Sundays ago= 8th May 2011) Fortunately my intrepid partner worked out which direction the path would have taken and we found some yellow arrows to indicate the direction. Bit miffed that the forestry people left such a mess Nick Heath
Nick Heath 16/05/2011 0:26 pm Thank you to everybody for all your comments. Walk London are working in partnership with Three Rivers District Council and Hertfordshire County Council, as this part of the LOOP is technically outside of London. There has been some major tree felling and tree extraction to improve biodiversity and the natural habitat, organised by Three Rivers District Council. They are aware of the mud and are happy for walkers to stroll through the woods to skirt some of the worst sections. There is a public right of way through Bishop Wood which the LOOP follows. The partner councils are both looking in to the situation and have plans in place to improve signage through the woods (due for completion in July 2011).
Walk London 16/05/2011

Reiterate previous comments about mud and obliterated paths in Bishop Wood. Avoided mud by walking in field (labelled private) and then used GPS to get through cut down vegetation following plotted path.
Graham 29/04/2011 9:34 pm

Did this walk yesterday (13th April 2011) Looking now at the comments I think we were fortunate not to end up in the woods but we only did so as we felt the instructions / signs were not clear. We straight as far as we could and ended up turning left along bottom of golf course and picking up footpath 55 which brought us out onto London Road where we turned right to The Greene Man pub (half mile).
Intrepid 14/04/2011 10:39 am

Bishop’s Wood and Lockwell Wood. We were very lucky, it was dry and we found a way round the worst of the mud. It was such a shame to see the woods so badly cut up. We eventually got through, but more by luck than judgement. There was a horse trail into the woods, no sign, we followed that until there was a direction marker, directing us into a mud pool. We moved north east into open pasture, then cut down the side of a field back into Lockwell Wood, we managed to find the path. What a mess!
JD56 12/04/2011 9:42 pm

How I wish I had read the previous comments before I set out last Thursday! Spent a nightmarish hour in these woods, convinced I must have missed the signs and feeling like an idiot. Eventually arrived at a car park exhausted and the worse for wear and gratefully walked along a very busy road rather that plunge back into the trees. Am now realising that I’m a real hero to have managed it !!!
Dea 04/04/2011 11:48 pm

Did on 19/03/11 after a dry spell. Had same, near disaster, experience as AS in Bishops Wood. First part badly chewn up by horses, second by forestry tractors. We HAD to leave the Wood after the wooden gate. Walked down a field along N. facing edge of wood to 2nd bridge. Navigated out keeping sun & fields in sight to our left plus a compass & OS Explorer. If you come upon across a high wooden fence at the top of the hill, keep it to your right. Either way, the first pylon appears….eventually!
Mike & Andrea 20/03/2011 4:24 pm Thanks for this useful advice to fellow walkers!
Walk London 20/03/2011

This section is currently unwalkable for two reasons – firstly the maintenance work has left a mud slurry, which in places is one foot deep, from the vehicles driving down the tracks. Secondly, the trees have been cut down and branches / twigs / leaves cover the entire ground – there are no longer any paths to follow as everywhere looks the same. I have walked this route many times before, but now get lost every time as there is no way of telling where the other end of the path is. Such a shame 🙁
AS 14/03/2011 1:16 pm Thanks for that report, the route manager has contacted Three Rivers District Council about the state of the path here.
Walk London 14/03/2011

Just completed this section – don’t attempt if you don’t like getting up to your knees in mud! The trails through the woods have been bulldozed through by some large vehicle leaving deep ruts of mud. Also there are no red arrows on trees, making it hard to find your way around. Good luck!
  21/02/2011 0:12 pm Thanks for leaving your comments. This time of year is the muddiest, especially after all the snow and frosts! The report of the vehicle rutting up the path and the need for waymarking will be investigated.
Walk London 21/02/2011

14 (Moor Park to Hatch End)

Great walk today from Uxbridge to Hatch End. Once we were off the canal towpath, we hardly saw another soul. It’s treat that it’s so easy to get away from it all, and barely stray outside the London boundary. Judith and Philip’s comments (last July) on the sign pointing the wrong way at the top of the hill above Pinnerwood Farm (going clockwise) is still true. And the kissing gate just before the farm is overgrown and impassible without some gymnastics.
Tim 07/04/2012 8:11 pm Thank you for the update, this area is right on the boundary between Harrow and Hertfordshire. We have let Harrow Council know about the signpost and the kissing gate.
Walk London 07/04/2012

Could you please get the signage sorted out in Oxhey Wood? I ended up on a main road on the outskirts of Northwood somehow. There are fallen trees which are right across the path in several places which you have to step over. If you do get lost, you can take an H12 bus into Hatch End and restart the walk from there. The sign indicating the narrow path to the left through woods just after you leave Grim’s Dyke golf course needs improvement – I had to ask someone on the golf course for help.
  20/03/2012 10:42 pm We have been in touch with Hertfordshire Council and Harrow Council about your report. The signage in Oxhey Wood was refreshed last year. Herfordshire Council are acting on the report of fallen trees.
Walk London 20/03/2012

Walked this yesterday (2.7.11) and the many wooded paths were almost overgrown – they will be impassable before very long. The main error in the route is that a signpost which should point towards Pinnerwood Farm is 90 degrees out of true. It is also positioned after the first field, not the second (as in the notes), resulting in an extra walk which has to be re-traced.
Judith and Philip 03/07/2011 10:10 am Thanks for this, it has been passed to the route manager and will check on site as soon as possible.
Walk London 03/07/2011

The signage in Oxhey Wood is not great, takes some of the joy out of the walk – all the stress of trying to figure out which the correct path is!! Really needs more waymarkers. I got hopelessly lost and added a good 2 miles to my walk. Take a leaf out of the signage in Grim’s Dyke – wonderful – a pleasure to walk it!
Dea 04/04/2011 11:56 pm Thanks for all of your comments, please take a print out or two of the route from www.walk4life.info with you – so if you happen to get lost you have more chance of working out where you are!
Walk London 04/04/2011

Watched rooks mobbing a buzzard as we walked through Old Furze Field. Three points: 1. In 2nd para suggest replacing “keep straight ahead and slightly to the right over another section of the course to meet another footpath post” with “go slight left diagonally across a rough part of the course (golfers may help with directions)” 2. In para following description of Oxhey Woods change “left fork” to “fork slightly left” 3.The wooden gate described after “B” doesn’t work and needs to be fixed
John and Gerry 09/02/2011 5:32 pm Thank you for the observations and comments from your walk through section 14 of the LOOP. We endeavour to make the route directions as accurate as possible but have found a few inaccuracies over the 150 miles so always welcome any corrections. Our area ranger will check these when next out on the route.
Walk London  

15 (Hatch End to Elstree)

Walked this yesterday (2.7.11) as a continuation from walk 14. The first part had a path which was impassable, up from Colburn Avenue, requiring a diversion through the adjacent field. We also suspect that a sign for the turnoff from Asshouse Lane is missing as we had another virtually impassible piece of woodland to negotiate.
Judith and Philip 03/07/2011 10:17 am Thanks for this, the route manager will check this when next on site. The public right of way here actually goes down the back of all the houses, but it gets blocked up with people’s garden waste. The field on the other side of the hedge is used by local people for walking their dogs and so on, so it looks as if the path is in fact in the field. However, this means you might miss a sign. We can’t sign the route through the field because it isn’t a public right of way.
Walk London 03/07/2011

Approaching Adenham Reservoir along Elstree Rd, watch out for a gap in the fence opposite and take it, you land right on the peri-track around the lake. This obviates a walk along a very nasty & busy road on a narrow, pavement with traffic brushing one’s elbow.
Mike & Andrea 07/04/2011 8:01 pm Great, this message will be passed on to the route manager to see if the walk can be updated in this area. Thank you.
Walk London 07/04/2011

16 (Elstree to Cockfosters)

The amount of road walking could be reduced considerably. 1) Half of the first part to Scratchwood could go through green space with fine views. This starts at a kissing gate next to 42, Byron Avenue and ends at the Scratchwood entrance. 2) If Mill Hill Golf Course approved, Scratchwood to the underpass could go through their grounds. 3) There is no need to walk along the main road from the underpass to Moat Mount, as there is an entrance in Bedford Road, close to the underpass.
Dudley Miles 25/09/2011 5:55 pm The only one that is a possibility here is 3). The route manager has spoken to Colin Saunders about this who is reviewing the book for 2012.
Walk London 25/09/2011

Am pleased to report that the Scratchwood section has had its litter cleared up since last year and even the A1 stretch didn’t seem as bad – minus the traffic that is!
Tony Smith 05/07/2011 4:10 pm Fantastic!
Walk London 05/07/2011

We started the Loop in June last year and are doing it in easy stages. (If you’re over 60 a Freedom Pass is really invaluable for this walk!) The diversion along the A1 is really unpleasant. A small footbridge wouldn’t cost the earth would it?
Laefy Suburbanites 29/03/2011 6:08 pm Yes it would! The bridge across the A1 has been on the “wish list” for a number of years. A bridge of this width across such a major road is prohibitive from Walk London’s walking budget, and TfL would have to manage this project. TfL are also aware of walkers’ requests here.
Walk London 29/03/2011

Did a section of the Loop from Elstree today. I would not recommend it. The amount of litter was unbelievable. Then the number of cottagers / cruisers at Scratchwood was quite disconcerting. Really pretty dreadful all round.
Von Lenski 17/03/2011 6:11 pm Sorry to hear that.
Walk London 17/03/2011

David Sharp in his book London Loop was quite right in saying the journey around the A1 was tedious. I was beginning to lose the will to live! However did enjoy the stretch alongside Dollis Brook despite the apparent lack of signposting in places.
John Luscombe 24/10/2010 3:24 pm

17 (Cockfosters to Enfield Lock)

Walked this today, 14th April, though the sky was pretty grey it was a treat to do this section – almost felt like I was on holiday ! Lots of tramping through fields and woods and the signage was excellent throughout. I started the Loop at Erith on 24th Feb this year and have almost completed it, I’m certainly fitter than when I started !
Dea 14/04/2011 9:29 pm That is certainly impressive progress! Love that holiday feeling!
Walk London 14/04/2011

18 (Enfield Lock to Chingford)

This is a really nice walk, real countryside and forest, some hills meaning some reasonable inclines to walk up and a great view of North London. However, in two places the instructions are not entirely clear. First, when leaving Sewarstone Hills and going into Epping Forest there are two paths and no instructions about which one to take. Then, after descending Yardley Hill, there are two paths leading up the other side and we had to guess which to take. Otherwise it was a good walk.
James 31/07/2011 10:33 am Thanks for the feedback. It just so happened the route manager was in that area this last week too, and will be able to action your points fairly quickly!
Walk London 31/07/2011

This was a nice rural section, with very little suburbia. The paths were a bit muddy/slippery, especially beyong gilwell park (all those scouts hiking about the place!).Watch out for the rickety old stile as you leave the sewardstone road for the path up to sewardstone hills. Spot the disguised telecoms tower, masquerading as a pine tree as you approach Chingford Plain.
david and frankie 22/02/2011 9:11 pm

20 (Chigwell to Havering-atte-Bower)

Finished this section today. Great walk over parks and woods without any residential areas. Signage and directions were quite good and managed to not lose my way at all ! Some sections were a bit muddy especially the Bridleway 227 close to the Havering Park. But it was worth the trouble to see the majestic sequoia trees lining the avenue. Transportation links at Havering-atte-Bower are quite infrequent (bus once every 90 mins to Romford), but there is a pub (The Royal Oak) to celebrate the finish.
Cryomonkey 04/01/2012 9:36 pm Great advice to fellow walkers. There is advice about that particular public transport link on the section page here on the Walk London website.
Walk London 04/01/2012

21 (Havering-atte-Bower to Harold Wood)

Havering-atte-Bower to Harold Wood had clear signs and map-to-ground navigation was excellent and that was using the 1:50,000 OS map! In contrast, section 19 was a little harder to follow with a 1:25,00 OS map and section 20, through Hainault Forest, almost impossible.
Rob 10/04/2012 8:18 pm

We got very lost after Havering-atte-Bower as the signs are so overgrown you can’t see them. Sentence (in your downloadable instructions) beginning “at the field’s end”…we did not find an obvious place to turn left and then right to find the footbridge. Recommend instead that people turn right at the fingerposts and follow Public Footpath no 8 to rejoin the Loop route at Cummings Hall Lane.
Lane family 06/08/2011 5:56 pm Following that public footpath number 8 does miss out quite a long chunk of the LOOP. The posts are there, it is just this time of year they get a bit overgrown, the vegetation will die back soon though.
Walk London 06/08/2011

22 (Harold Wood to Upminster Bridge)

We started 2 months ago at Cockfosters, and following the book are doing the longer sections. Yesterday’s 4th section Harold Wood to Purfleet was a surprise and a joy. A surprise we completed it, because Barry hadn’t walked that far in one day before and also because it was far more interesting than expected, and a joy because the weather was great as were views for miles along the Thames. Even the gulls and rooks swarming all over the landfill sites were spectacular! And well done Havering for …
Paul & Barry 18/11/2011 4:36 pm

23 (Upminster Bridge to Rainham)

What a super stretch to walk and to see the improvements being made in the parks and the reclaimed land fill.
jd56 02/05/2011 8:31 am

24 (Rainham to Purfleet)

Same comments as others. The Tilda section was impassable on 07/01/12. It was necessary to go around the road to the barge car park. We walked on to Grays Wharf to celebrate our completion in the highly accredited CAMRA pubs, The White Heart (bustling) & the adjacent Theobald Arms (sedate). The Station is about 400 yds behind them and one stop from Purfleet.
Mike & Andrea 19/01/2012 0:21 am Thanks for posting this. The Tilda section is part of the riverside path improvements, the completion of which has been delayed. We will try to get information from the contractor and post it up on the section page. 7th Feb 2012
Walk London 07/02/2012

Just finished this in 11 brilliant days during November and December 2011 – photos on facebook here: http://tinyurl.com/7knqzqx. Enjoy! PS there is an unnecessary and rather pathetic barrier just where the Tilda Rice plant reaches the river, where the footpath has been beautified. I just climbed round it. Please don’t close whole sections of long-distance paths just because some little repairs are being done. Why not let people just step round them? Anyone who walks in real country or up mountains crosses more difficult stuff than this. Whereas the alternative is an X-mile diversion preventing access to the fantastic river front.
Sheona York 16/12/2011 3:31 pm A fair point, but some walkers are not as experienced as people used to “real country” or “mountains”. We can’t have one rule for one walker and another rule for another walker! It is not our rule to be honest, it is the contractor who is doing work and who needs to control pedestrians while machinery might be operating. We were advised that this section of path should have re-opened by the end of December 2011.
Walk London 16/12/2011

Tried to finish the walk today from Upminster bridge, with my sister. At Rainham we got stuck at the railway station where work is being done. We got over the crossing but that only brought us on to the station. The ramp over the high speed link was visible but not accessible. We tried other ways to get down to the river to no avail. So disappointing. We will have to try again another day in the future when the work is hopefully finished. 04.12.2011
susan 04/12/2011 4:22 pm We have tried contacting the station manager twice but no response so far. If any other walkers have found the same thing let us know. We will post more updates as soon as we hear back from Rainham Station.
Walk London 04/12/2011

It appears now that a section along this route has been changed. Part of the route leading to the River Thames has been waymarked to follow the Rainham to Purfleet Path. So instead of walking the complete length of Ferry Lane, to reach the entrance to Footpath No266, the LOOP path now crosses/dog legs two sections of Rainham Marshes to reach Coldharbour Lane, which is a better route, away from cars and lorries. The section of public footpath No.266 Ferry Lane to Tilda Rice Pie remains closed.
Alan Cooper 07/11/2011 9:18 am That is right, there is information about the diversion on the section 24 page here on the Walk London website which people should read before they set off. Our contractor is out removing any old signage to make sure it is clear on the ground, this will all be done by December 2011.
Walk London 07/11/2011

I did this section last week and can confirm that there is nothing on the ground to show that a diversion is in place. I was blissfully unaware of it and got into a right mess trying to follow the original path along the river bank.
Donald 06/11/2011 0:02 pm Notification about the diversion is on the section 24 page here, we try to keep up to date with temporary diversions. Please check the website before you set off on a walk.
Walk London 06/11/2011

Not impressed that a large section between Rainham and Coldharbour has been closed to walkers (and riders) WITHOUT NOTICE. The detour along roads add to the journey length, so was grateful it wasn’t raining. Notice that car park and vehicler access to barges graveyard is closed. Is the car park being enlarged?
Freddie 01/09/2011 9:49 pm The diversion details and notice were posted on the section page of the Walk London website. Have spoken to the Borough Council recently and can confirm this closure will last until December.
Walk London 01/09/2011

My wife and I would like to thank you for all the work that has gone in to create the LOOP. We finished it yesterday, with a mixture of delight and sadness. What a fantastic walk, thank you. We started back in September, in Erith, and have used whatever time we had to do a bit more; finishing in Purfleet in the sunshine yesterday. The transport links have worked very well and the route and signage for the most part has been excellent. Would we do it again? We are already thinking about it.
anon 09/05/2011 9:18 am Hello there. Congratulations for completing the LOOP! Would you like to receive a certificate? If so please email me on [email protected].
Walk London 23/05/2011

My wife and I had walked from Harold Wood, through some lovely parkland. Now the industrial area. Did it matter? No. Even the detour was OK. We hunt down the ‘ferry plaque’ and then strolled happily along the wall into Purfleet. We started the LOOP in September over in Erith and now we had finished it. What an excellent walk. If you are thinking of doing it. Go for it! It is a delight.
jd56 02/05/2011 8:36 am Great! Don’t forget you can send off for a certificate if you have finished the LOOP. Simply email [email protected]
Walk London 02/05/2011

The section between the A13 and the Thames is still being reconstructed with no obvious diversion signs. A worker on site said lots of people turn up to use the path. He pointed out the ‘unofficial’ hole in the fence.
Graham 29/04/2011 9:41 pm Thanks for this report. There is a temporary diversion mentioned on the section page for LOOP 24, a signed routes is supposed to be available on the ground. The route manager is getting in touch with Havering Public Rights of Way officer about your report.
Walk London 29/04/2011

Section 24, en route from Ferry Lane to the Pilgrim Ferry memorial … “About 400 metres after the roundabout, cross to the right side of Ferry Lane and find the gravel path with the wooden fence line which follows parallel to the roadside” This path is CLOSED right now (April 25, 2011) due to repairs. I managed it by climbing through the fence, so I don’t know if there’s an approved detour.
Simon 26/04/2011 10:41 am Thanks for this report. There is a temporary diversion mentioned on the section page for LOOP 24, a signed routes is supposed to be available on the ground. The route manager is getting in touch with Havering Public Rights of Way officer about your report.
Walk London 26/04/2011

Having just completed the LOOP, may I enter a plea for more long-distance signposts to give walkers an idea how far they have to go to major points. I don’t recall seeing such signposts pointing to anywhere beyond Uxbridge.
Simon 26/04/2011 10:30 am Thank you for your comments. Actually, section 24 is going to be reviewed next year because of the new RSPB centre at Rainham Marshes – so some new joint signage is being planned.
Walk London 26/04/2011