It's the 12th April, and I'm standing at Petts Wood station, ready to set off on my second section of the London LOOP, from Petts Wood to West Wickham Common. This section is section 3 of TfL's designated division of the walk, and is supposed to be around 9 miles long. Before I start, I have a confession to make: this is actually not the first time I've tried this walk. Around a week and a half previous, I made the (quite literally) ill-fated decision to try this the day after suffering from a hideous cold-like ailment. Unsurprisingly I didn't make it particularly far before deciding it was best for me and the walk to give up and leave it for another day. A shame, seeing as the weather on that day was gloriously sunny, whereas today's walk starts under dull grey clouds. I nip into a nearby Morrisons to grab some provisions (not doing this being another mistake I made first time round), then head off up Queensway, passing the crest of Petts Wood (no I didn't know they had one either). Technically the LOOP actually restarts at the eastern entrance to the Jubilee Country Park, reached via the delightfully named Tent Peg Lane, upon which I'm assaulted by a rather unfriendly dog. Luckily I emerge from the encounter unscathed, and pass into the park to properly start section 3 of the London LOOP.
Jubilee Country Park was bought by Bromley Council in 1977 to celebrate, as the name suggests, Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee, and was opened to the public as a park in 1981. My route took me along the southern edge of the park, with a wide vista of grassland and trees to the north. Several butterflies weaved between the trees as the path curved southward, running alongside a primary school for the last bit before bringing me to the rather less tranquil Southborough Road (receiving attention from another excitable, although less aggressive dog along the way). A trudge down some rather unexciting suburban streets follows, but at the end of Faringdon Avenue the path leads into Crofton Woods, home to a section of the Kyd Brook, tributary to the River Ravensbourne via the River Quaggy. Through the trees the path wound, showing recent evidence of horse riding and cycling in its rather uneven state. Passing out of the wood takes me alongside one of the branches of the aforementioned Kyd Brook until I'm brought out to the A232 (Crofton Road). A rather uninspiring section follows, down a narrow alleyway then along more residential streets, but soon I'm directed off into Darrick Wood, which slopes uphill, then bends left along some playing fields, before bringing me out to a rather magnificent view, over the London/Kent border. I head down the field, past a playground and onto a path that leads to a busy main road (the A21), which I scamper across through a gap in the traffic. Past some garages and up a Prime Ministerially-themed set of residential streets, to emerge in the village of Farnborough.
Farnborough (derived from Fearnbiorginga, meaning "village among the ferns on the hill") has existed since 862 AD, when records show Ethelbert gave away 950 acres at Farnborough. By the 13th century a manor existed here held by Simon de Montfort. The village grew up on the road from London to Hastings, and became a coaching stop in the 1600s. Being a coaching stop means a fair few pubs have existed and do exist in the village, including the Change of Horses; on one day during the 1970s the pub went through 3 names in a day, opening as the New Inn, changing to the Golden Nuggett (to suit the theme of that year's St Giles Fair), then renaming to its current name in the evening! Trying to leave Farnborough I misread my directions and the map, and erroneously headed west back towards the A2. I didn't mind as it meant I passed a few more local landmarks, including The Woodman pub; upon taking a picture the landlord appeared from inside and asked why I was taking said picture (rest assured nothing unfriendly, in fact the complete opposite). After carrying on in the wrong direction for another couple of minutes, I finally gave up and got my phone out, and got myself back on track. My route out of Farnborough took me past St Giles the Abbot Church, where a wedding party was assembling, then through the graveyard and into an expansive field. I kept left, hugging the edge of the woods before plunging into them as the hill continued to take me downwards. I soon reached a country lane, and crossed over to enter High Elms Country Park.
High Elms Country Park started life as a farmhouse belonging to the Brazier family; the Lubbock family bought the estate in 1808. A manor house was built in 1842 by John Lubbock III, but its most famous resident is probably his son, John Lubbock IV, a scientist and social reformer who became Baron Avebury in 1900. The estate was sold to Orpington District Council in 1930, and subsequently used as a training centre for nurses from King's College Hospital. In 1967 the estate passed to the London Borough of Bromley, who designated it protected Green Belt space. I investigate the Green Roof Cafe as a potential place for lunch, but
decide against it. Instead I climb a short hill, passing the Eton Fives Court, the best preserved remainder of the estate. After pausing for a bite to eat, I continue up the hill to come out at the site of the manor house, now a grassy space with indications of where the house used to be. I head out the other side, down a tree lined path, and find myself in a car park. This is the first point on the LOOP where I get slightly lost, with a lack of signposts and the directions in my guide vague. Eventually I find my way out to High Elms Road, where I cross over to a narrow footpath just off the road. Passing High Elms Farm on the left (I'll give you one guess as to why it's nicknamed 'Clockhouse'), I turn right and head away from the road, past a golf course and into some woods, which bring me down to North End Lane, opposite North End Farm and a bus stop; despite only having 12 services a day, I was (un)lucky enough to arrive at the same time as an R8 tried to squeeze its way down this narrow, unpavemented lane. Fortunately I managed to avoid being squashed, and continued down one of the more amusingly named roads of this walk.
The LOOP takes me round the edge of some more fields, before dumping me
on Farthing Lane, which twists and turns past horses and pylons to feed into Shire Lane; for the first time in a while I have to wait cross the
road into, yep you guessed it, another field. The LOOP stays close to the road here, but I'm looking the other way, towards a distant house
on the horizon. Further investigation when I get home reveals it to be Holwood House, former residence of 19th century Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger and site of an important decision (more on that in a moment). I follow the edge of the field, which skirts round Holwood Farm, and begin my ascent of what turns out to be a hideously steep hill. I arrive at the top, sweaty and out of breath, grateful for the appearance of a bench. Pausing here gives me the chance to admire a great view, and to take a look at the Wilberforce Oak; for this is the site of the aforementioned decision. It was here, in 1788, that William Wilberforce resolved to campaign for the abolition of the slave trade after a conversation with Pitt the Younger; it took another 20 years before the Slave Trade Act was passed into law. I rest here for a few minutes, the occasional plane buzzing overhead (Biggin Hill Airport lies less than a mile and a half to the south), before deciding it was time to press on.
The LOOP carries on through the woods, now descending gently in contrast with the steep rise earlier, eventually coming to the A223 Westerham Road, where I cross over and enter Keston Common. This area was initially inhabited by Iron Age settlers in around 200 BC, who constructed earthworks to help with the threat of invasion. These earthworks are still visible today, although eroding badly. The path takes me across the earthworks and through a car park, then down to a small pool of water. This doesn't look much, but it's reputed that Julius Caesar set up a camp here after being led to the spring by a raven; this then explains the name of the river that has its source here: the River Ravensbourne. The fledgling river runs down a brick lined culvert into Keston Ponds, a favourite spot for anglers and walkers alike, and one of the prettiest points of this walk. The LOOP cuts between the two ponds, then takes back into more woods, before bringing me out by another primary school onto Lakes Road, which in turn leads to Keston Village Green, a spot I recognise from a visit some years previously.
I'm on the home strait now, as the route pretty much parallels a tree lined road. I'm hemmed in by houses and fences on my left, although occasionally these drop away to reveal a view to the southwest, towards (though I don't know it at the time) the vague location of my next LOOP walk. However, this walk has one last surprise in store before the end, which is another set of Iron Age earthworks. These later became part of a medieval field system, then possibly an artificial rabbit warren in the 17th century. The view southwest opens up again one last time, before I head quite steeply downhill, past a tree planted for West Wickham's centenary celebration, ending up on the busy A232. Typically the nearest bus stop is rather infrequently served, and so my walk is slightly prolonged as I carry on to a stop that has better services. A few minutes wait gave me the chance to catch my breath and rest my legs from what had been a long, but undoubtedly pleasant walk. As the bus arrived to whisk me back to Bromley, I already had half an eye on the next one...
A selection of photos here:
