THE WANDLE TRAIL
The Wandle Trail is a fantastic, mainly traffic-free, route that follows the River Wandle from its mouth with the River Thames in Wandsworth, through three boroughs to Croydon.
The 12 mile route can be walked in one go, or you can break into sections – there are great transport links along the way and in Croydon, including the Tramlink.
I usually start from my flat and head out, and see how far I get! Sometimes it’s just a casual evening stroll to Beddington Park – it gets pretty busy there when it’s sunny with people having picnics and BBQs. I’ve been out for a few longer weekend walks as part of my Shine Night Walk training- walking all the way to Wimbledon from Croydon is about 8.5miles.
The surface is tarmac or gravel most of the way, and is part of National Cycle Network Route 20 – so it’s great for cycling, walking or running!
THE THAMES PATH
The Thames Path is one of 15 National Trails in England and Wales, and it follows the greatest river in England for 184 miles from its source in the Cotswold hills to the sea.
It’s a great option for a long walk in London, and varies from a busy tourist-laden path in the city centre, to a quieter stroll past Kew Gardens and the numerous rowing clubs in Putney.
One of my favourite walks is Putney to Richmond, approximately 9miles and with the option of brunch or a post-walk treat from one of the great cafes and bakeries in Richmond. The Hummingbird Bakery red velvet cupcakes are definitely a winner!
You can head off on either side of the river from Putney, with different scenery and distractions on offer. The north side of the river hosts the Fulham Palace parkrun in Bishops Park every Saturday morning, and takes you past some pretty spectacular townhouses in Hammersmith and Chiswick.
I normally walk along the southern bank as I like the more rural feel of the path, and it involves less deviations away from the river. Of course, you could head out on one side and walk back on the other crossing one of the many bridges en route!
I’d love to travel further upstream and walk some more of the Thames Path at some point, and visit some of the historic towns and villages it passes through.
If you’re feeling like a real challenge, then walking the whole route in one go will apparently take 14 days!
I’m not finding the walking training particularly arduous at the moment- mostly interesting and a nice change of pace- although I do sometimes get a bit of an achey back. This probably means I need to do some more core strengthening so I can carry my bodyweight upright for a longer period of time – any tips?
Have you discovered any new walking routes recently? Are you more of a rural or urban explorer?
Beki x
