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This Week's Walks - Archive

Please see the Saturday Walker's Club This Week's Walks page.

This is an archive of walks done by the Saturday Walker's Club. You should only need to use this page if the SWC website is down.

Thursday, 17 August 2023

Evening Walk - Through woods and across commons in Outer SE London: Hayes Circular

Length: 9.3 km (5.8 mi)
Ascent/descent: 120m
Net Walking Time: ca. 2 hours
 
Take the 18.05 Hayes (Kent) train from Charing X, calls W’loo East and London Bridge then all stations via Lewisham, arrives Hayes at 18.50. Hayes is in Zone 5.  
Return trains: xx.00, xx.13, xx.30 and xx.43.  
Sunset will be at 20.18, with light for walking until 21.00.
 
This short walk crosses three commons which have been used for hundreds of years as a source of wood as evidenced by the many coppiced trees. Today coppicing is still practised but the mix of woodlands also provides habitats for a variety of animals. The walk follows in part the River Ravensbourne which fills the three Keston ponds straight from its source and flows into the Thames at Deptford as Depthford Creek. Charles Darwin who lived nearby in the village of Downe, carried out parts of his research on Keston Common. On the way you get a glimpse of Ravensbourne Lodge previously owned by the Bonham-Carter family. The most ancient remains encountered on this walk are from the iron age around 200BC. The walk was inspired by the marked Three Commons Circular Walk and broadly but not exactly follows it.
 
Refreshments: 
En route: The Fox is under new mgmt. since 2021, but hasn’t left any traces on the internet for a few months, so may be closed. The Greyhound seems a going concern though. 
At the end: The New Inn.
 
For walk directions, maps, height profiles, photos and gpx/kml files click here. T=swc.281

4 comments:

Rob C said...

Hi, What time will the walk start?

Thomas G said...

as per the posted train: at 18.50

David said...

I was in Keston Village today - I often walk the Three Commons Circular. The Fox was once a great place for ham, egg and chips but, like many other pubs, had difficulty finding a chef once it reopened in 2021. The Greyhound, on the other hand, remained open. It's a very friendly pub and welcomes walkers and dogs. Definitely worth a visit. I also went to the New Inn (a Reagan's pub) today. Very roomy, nicely presented food, at a reasonable price, though the service was a bit slow. The Nash Circular is also a very pleasant walk.

Thomas G said...

4 off the train plus 4 car drivers (some at the station, others up on the common) plus 1 other a train behind who deployed a shortcut to meet us at The Greyhound. Before then, we had diligently followed the route through the woods and across some commons and along The Ravensbourne, initially with the sun still out, but more and more with grey clouds taking over. This was very enjoyable, what with the sun's rays creeping through the canopy, some firm and bouncy paths and the varied treescape.
3 stayed on at The Greyhound for a bevvie, while the other 6 marched on to beat darkness, although soon after 4 of those took a gadget-led shortcut. The 6 reunited in Hayes, where The New Inn had already stopped serving food (it was 21.03 hours). After a little recce (the walk notes did not provide sufficient detail on 'tea' options), 5 of us sat down at Thara Thai for a meal, which was very nice.
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