Length: 9.6 km (6.0 mi) or 5.2 km (3.2 mi) without
Bostall Woods
Ascent/Descent: 214m or 127m
Net Walking Time: ca. 2 ¾ hours or 1 ½ hours
Meet upstairs outside Abbey Wood Station (Zone 4) at 18.30 For that, take...
Either Elizabeth Line (Paddington
17.56, (...), L'pool Street 18.06, (...), Canary Wharf 18.13…
Or the 17.52 train from Cannon Street
(London Bridge 17.57, Deptford 18.03, Greenwich for DLR 18.05, Woolwich Arsenal
for DLR 18.20). Both trains arrive at 18.26.
Return trains: frequent (Mainline and Elizabeth).
This is an undulating route on the boundary of the Boroughs of Bexley
(Lesnes Abbey Woods) and Greenwich (Bostall Woods) in South East London, based
upon the atmospheric ruins of Lesnes
Abbey, surrounded by a beautiful park with some ornamental
gardens and towered over by ancient and secondary woodland, with a high
extent of sessile oaks, some large wildflower meadows with bluebells and
native wild daffodils in spring and several scenic ponds. A heathland
with an Iron Age tumulus and some acid grassland are passed through as
well. A longer version leads across a busy road junction on Bostall Hill into
Bostall Wood, with its dense sloping woods and deep ravines.
Walk Option:
Bus stops on the A206 near the
off-route pubs and on Bostall Hill enable early returns to Abbey Wood, Woolwich
or Slade Green stations (see the route map for the exact locations of the bus
stops).
Refreshments en route: two pubs, 600m off
route, after 2.3 km of the route.
For walk directions, maps, height profiles, photos
and gpx/kml files click here. T=short.43
1 comment:
n=5
Five walkers of admirable enthusiasm assembled at the station, some of us still in our office clothes. Sorely missing a few regulars and the poster himself, we set off without undue delay and soon reached the remains of the abbey and its monks’ garden, pausing to inspect the layout, and wondering if we would have survived for long in monastic conditions.
From there, we climbed a gentle hill, rewarded with a view of distant towers of the city of London and the skyline of Canary Wharf, all spreadsheets and emails, far away from us for at least one evening
The walk proved an unexpected training exercise for those heading for more ambitious expeditions in Scotland, particularly for those not yet in what might generously be described as peak condition. We went up, and then down, and then up again, and again, eventually accumulating an impressive 200 metres of elevation gain on a relatively short stroll.
But hunger and thirst began to assert themselves, and we made our way back towards the station. Our Indian dinner - paired with German wine - were dispatched with quickly,
Along the way, we encountered friendly dogs, admired impressive rhododendrons and irises, and passed through swathes of bluebells of a certain age - seasoned, one might say, rather than youthful. We also enjoyed several sculptures in the park, including Lady in the Woods, a Green Man, and a Data Tree, the latter provoking polite confusion.
All told, it was an excellent evening out: fine company, beautiful spring weather, and an entirely deserved dinner. We all caught trains just before 10pm.
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