Bluebells in the Evening: Oxleas Wood and Shooter's Hill (Falconwood Circular)

Length: 6.3 km 

Ascent/Descent: 124m

Net Walking Time: ca. 1 ½ hours 

 

Take the 18.07 Rochester train from Cannon Street (London Bridge 18.12, then via Lewisham (18.22), Blackheath and Kidbrooke), arriving Falconwood 18.35. 

From Victoria, take the 18.03 Gravesend train via Denmark Hill, Peckham Rye and Nunhead, arriving Falconwood at 18.39. 

Return trains: xx.10 and xx.40 to Charing Cross, 20.25 and xx.55 to Cannon Street, xx.17 and xx.47 to Victoria (change at Lewisham for London Bridge). Falconwood is in Zone 4.

 

This is an undulating route in the Royal Borough of Greenwich through several mostly ancient woodlands with a rich variety of plants and trees, up the southerly flank of Shooter’s Hill, past a large south facing meadow with far views across South East London (and a (daytime) café) and on through more woods past remnants of a stately home’s gardens to the architecturally interesting folly of Severndroog Castle, with its (daytime) tearoom.

The descent back to the station passes another terraced garden and drops along Oxleas Meadows to cross over into Shepherdleas Woods for the return to Falconwood station.

Tea: The Falcon, a pretty decent Harvester pub right by the station. And The Lingfield micropub and cocktail bar opposite may still be in business…

For walk directions, map, photos, height profile and gpx/kml files click here.t=short.44