Length: Length: about 14 km km (8 miles) but there are various opt out options along the route. Toughness: 3/10
11:00 Brighton service from London Victoria (Clapham Junction 11:07) arrives East Croydon 11:16 then take the 11:21 Tram (New Addington service) from outside the staion main entrance to arrive at Lloyd Park 11:29.
If you have a local connection (London Overground or bus) you could instead catch the above same Tram from West Croydon Tram Stop at 11:16 or the 11:17 Tram from New Addington Tram Stop arrives Lloyd Park 11:30. Trams also run from Beckenham Junction, Elmers End and Wimbledon but for those you'll usually need to change.
Return trams from Coombe Lane to East and West Croydon are frequent (approx 6 trams per hour) and return trains from East Croydon are at xx:01, xx:21, xx:24, xx:51. Direct return trains from West Croydon to Victoria are ar xx:10 and xx.40
Lloyd Park and Coombe Lane are both within London Zones so you can use Oyster or Contactless.
This short but hilly walk explores parts of the Shirley Hills and is mainly through parks, heathland and quiet woodlands, where deer are sometimes seen. Along the route, there are a few points where you could opt out and get a tram or bus. It climbs up and across Lloyd Park then explores the woodland and heathland of Addington Hill, a Site of Nature Conservation Interest. 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 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 some nice spots for a picnic lunch on the route, with the benches in Heathfield House's Walled Garden probably being the most practical. Refreshments are available near the end of the walk at The Coach House Bistro Cafe in Coombe Wood, 020 8686 8914, which offers hot meals as well as cakes etc...
There isn't a walk leader so you'll need to bring the map or GPS route, which can be downloaded from the L=swc.411 page. I've drafted some basic written instructions - see the comment below for how to access those.
2 comments:
I've drafted some basic walk instructions. For the time being, they are available on this temporary link: https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/lloyd-park-to-coombe-lane/walk_instructions.html
End of year engineering work having effectively closed the line from London Bridge to Croydon, the 1100hrs service from Victoria was extremely crowded with tourists and their luggage en route to Gatwick. Seats however were available to those willing and able to clamber over luggage, buggies, babies etc.
Despite leaving on time and only calling at Clapham Junction, the train managed to halt at an unknown place for an unknown reason resulting in 4 walkers overshooting the five minute window to catch the 1121hrs tram.
Seven minutes late we arrived at the Lloyd Park stop, and were met the the walk poster and one other. We waited a further seven minutes for a seventh walker and set off in w=mild-grey-and-damp conditions.
We encountered a well known walk author resident near these parts at a viewpoint where not much was viewable due to low cloud. He remained with us until just before the afternoon tea stop so we numbered in total somewhat in the region of n=8.
Lunch was taken in the gardens of Heathfield House, which like Miss Haversham has seen better days, it's owner (Croydon Council), having gone bankrupt.
For me, the highlight of the day was the tea and mince pie taken in the walled garden of the Coach House cafe near the end of the walk. Both were of superior quality.
The topography of the walk provided a pleasant contrast between seemingly ancient English woodland and mock Tudor 1930's suburbia, reminiscent of the time when one flew from Croydon Aerodrome to Paris, sipping cocktails and seated on wicker chairs.
Alas, no cocktails (and no seats, wicker or otherwise) for us on the return to Victoria, just an even more horrendous crush. Thank you Margaret for posting this enjoyable ramble.
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