Length: Length: 14.2km km (8.8 miles). Toughness: 3/10
Take a London Tram to arrive at Lloyd Park at 11.00. Meet at the cafe just inside the entrance to Lloyd Park (turn right coming off the Tram from Croydon then left after a few metres to enter Lloyd Park. The cafe is just on the right). Trams run to Lloyd Park from West or East Croydon (New Addington service) and from New Addington, Beckenham Junction, Elmers End and Wimbledon. See the Tram Map for more detail.
London buses also run to the start and end of this walk
Lloyd Park and Coombe Lane are both within London Zones so you can use Oyster or Contactless.
This map-led walk explores parts of the Shirley Hills and is mainly through parks, heathland and quiet woodlands, where deer are sometimes seen. It's fairly short but there are some ups and downs to work the leg muscles. It climbs up and across Lloyd Park then explores the woodland and heathland of Addington Hill, a Site of Nature Conservation Interest, which is looking especially nice at the moment as the heather is beginning to flower. The walk then leads you through Heathfield House gardens, Bramley Bank Nature Reserve (home to stag beetles and woodpeckers) and Littleheath Woods. Then it's on to the ancient enchanted wood of Croham Hurst and Breakneck Hill, a Site of Special Scientific Interest with a Bronze Age Barrow and a view to the south from the top. From there, the walk takes you around Coombe Wood, where there are ornamental gardens, a small woodland and a cafe, before a final stretch along Addington Hill to Coombe Lane.
There are plenty of nice spots for a picnic lunch on the route. Alternatively refreshments are available at:
Lloyd Park Cafe in Lloyd Park. 020 8633 1633 This is right at the start of the walk but you could probably get a take-away.
The Royal Garden Chinese restaurant on the top of Addington Hill. Shirley Hills Road, Croydon CR0 5HQ 020 8654 0170. Booking essential. You pass it early along the route but you could circle back there at the end of the walk.
The Coach House Cafe in Coombe Wood, near the end of the walk. 020 8686 8914. Serves hot meals as well as cakes, ice creams etc...
Remember to bring the map and/or GPS route, which can be downloaded from the L=swc.411 page.
4 comments:
Some of us are planning to rendezvous at East Croydon 10:20 -10:30 am (trains permitting) to catch a tram to Lloyd park
After stepping off the tram, there's a pleasant start to to this new walk at the cafe next to the entrance to Lloyd Park. Plenty of outdoor seating, efficient staff and great prices if you're a little early. Two of the highlights were the view of the London Skyline from the Shirley Hills (https://what3words.com/finely.parks.riding) and the lunch stop at Heathfield ecology centre (https://what3words.com/rare.bunk.prime) an almost secret garden. I think there was one latecomer so that makes the attendees n=15 with w=sunshine_and_rolling_cumulus (and a few spots of rain). Looking forward to reading others impressions ...
I was the latecomer. I rate the bacon roll I had at the unpretentious looking Lloyd Park cafe before starting walking as the best of the decade, and it was cheap and quick to arrive. Locals I met on the route said that place has been "rammed" since the franchise was relet by the council fairly recently. Before it had been uninviting and empty.
The Coach House Cafe in Coombe Wood which served as the tea stop was the opposite: more expensive, better decorated, slower and unnotable in terms of taste.
Thanks to Margaret for defining a new accessible walk in an area I have wanted to an excuse to explore. At the viewing point one can see Croydon, Wembley, the City and the Docklands in a single view.
That’s useful to know, thanks David. Perhaps the route would be better in the reverse direction so that the Lloyd Park Cafe is the tea stop.
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