Length: 6.7 km (4.2) or 3.9 km (2.4 mi)
Ascent: 70m or 40m
Net Walking Time: 1 ½ hours or 1 hour
Meet at Herne Hill station (Railton Road side) at
18.25.
From Central London,
- either take the 18.12 Orpington train from Victoria
(18.19 Brixton), arriving Herne Hill at 18.21,
- or the Thameslink service to Sutton (17.57
St. Pancras via stations to Blackfriars (18.06), then Elephant
18.10 and Loughborough Junction 18.16), arriving 18.19.
From Outer London:
- either take the 17.50 Victoria train from Orpington
(arrives 18.22)
- or the 17.46 St. Alban’s City train from Sutton
(arrives 18.11).
Return trains:
- from Herne Hill: 4 per hour in every direction;
- from Denmark Hill: plenty trains (to Victoria or Blackfriars
(Thameslink) or Gravesend or Gillingham or Sevenoaks) or Overground (to Clapham Jct or Dalston Jct).
Variation of an established short walk, with Ruskin Park added on
(linked by quiet residential streets), meaning a finish at Denmark Hill Station
in Camberwell, which has a lovely pub within the station. Brockwell Hall
has experienced a “transformative refurbishment” and has now re-opened and looks
stunning inside and out (judging by photos in the Southwark News).
Here is the blurb for the Brockwell Park Circuit:
"This is a short meandering route through a small
but well-kept urban park in Southeast London on raised ground within the
valleys shaped by one of London’s Hidden Rivers, The Effra, and a couple
of its tributaries. Created from the purchase of the existing private gardens
of the Brockwell Hall estate and some smaller neighbouring properties,
it is noted for its 19th century layout as a gracious public park, a
clocktower, water garden, and walled garden, as much as for the Art Deco
Brockwell Lido. Brockwell Hall has served as a café since the opening of
the park in 1892 (but will be shut for the evening).”
Both parks ought to be open to “…15 minutes before sunset.”, according to Lambeth’s website, i.e.: to 19.20 hours at least… but in practice, we found both parks open long enough for this walk last year (on 30 March)…
Tea:
- en route: Bullfinch Brewery Tap Room Arch 886-887,
Rosendale Road. Open to 22.00 hours;
- at Herne Hill Station: plenty of options, see the walk
directions for details;- in Denmark Hill: FCB
Coffee (open to 20.00) or The
Phoenix, a well-regarded pub.
For walk directions, map, height
profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here. t=short.39.b
2 comments:
Longer days and some sunshine during the day, and the punters come out of their cubby holes! There were a couple of very infrequent SWC-ies, 1 of those from Ye Olde TimeOut Walkers days in the 90s; 2 previously daywalk-only walkers, several who lived close to the parks and almost every evening walk regular and semi-regular, n=16 in total.
12 started the walk, another 1 approached us from a bus stop, 1 other then cycled towards us (and spent the rest of the walk pushing said bike), 1 other was late (cancelled train from Sutton) but caught us up, so 15 commenced the Brockwell Park loop in w=cold-but-sunny weather.
The park was pretty, especially the Walled Garden, a dedicated Quiet Zone (until the SWC turned up).
At Herne Hill Station, 1 then turned left for a bus back to Brixton, but a 16th walker joined us on the far side of the road, late from a long-ish blood-giving appointment.
On up through quiet residential streets to Ruskin Park, where the rear half of the group got detached (taking photos of the Skyline) and then got 'lost' by following the 'wrong' German.
Of the 15, 1 went took a train at Denmark Hill Station, while 14 entered The Phoenix with scant hope of finding somewhere to sit. BUT, of the few tables available, one had space for exactly 14! Dinner and drinks were had.
Having just checked the facts: this was the highest ever attendance for any version of this walk, and by a long way
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