Capital Ring 5: Streatham to Wimbledon Park

 

On Wednesday I completed a long standing political task which means that I have more time and headspace to do other things such as post a little more. 

Also, to continue with Gill on our attempt to walk around London along the 78 mile Capital Ring. Our last walk around the ring was in rainy April. Since then there has been the London Mayoral election and a General election.  While we have done other walks, last Sunday was our first Capital Ring for 4 months. 

Journey to the start at Streatham Common was pretty straight forward from Forest Gate with lots of different routes and took just over an hour. 

The Capital Ring is pretty well signposted with only the occasional missing signage. There are a number of guidebooks and free websites such as Capital Ring Walk - Transport for London (tfl.gov.uk). I download each route onto my Ordinance Survey app which tracks you if you get lost. We use Capital Ring – Welcome to Footline Press! (colinsaunders.org.uk) as our guide book.

First interesting thing to see is a 1888 water pumping station which looks like a "Moorish Temple". A little way further at 14 Conyers Road, there is a strained glass window in a normal residential house showing a women watching a departing sailing boat. 

We walked alongside the famous open air Tooting Bec lido. Opened in 1906 and one of the largest swimming pools in Europe. We stopped off at the park café for an enjoyable outdoor cooked breakfast. 

Next point of interest (to me anyway) was passing Du Cane Court, which was described in our guide book as "one of the most elegant apartment blocks in South London, dating from the Art Deco period of the 1930s". Pretty impressive. While I could not see inside these apartments, it shows that you can have high density residential housing which looks attractive and stands the test of time. 

We stopped off for coffee and treats in Wandsworth common next to a lake. The bench next to us was dedicated to the memory of Benni & Bella Spanier, who were murdered at Auschwitz in 1944 and their daughter Ruth, who escaped via the Kindertransport to England in 1939 aged 11. 

After passing though more attractive parks and residential areas we walked past Wandsworth Prison, which is rather a grim and forbidding place. 135 executions took place at this site. The gallows were kept in working order until 1993. 

We choose to walk through Wandsworth Cemetery rather than the adjacent road which was very nice and peaceful with some interesting graves and moving inscriptions. 

Final point of interest was at number 61 (did not record which street) where there was a picture or another stained glass window of a women starting out to the street (see Facebook link for picture and other photos).

We finished at Wimbledon Park station and took train straight back home. An enjoyable 5.5 mile walk. Looking forward to walk 6. Wimbledon Park to Richmond, since rated as the "prettiest" walk in the ring. 

Will also look out on route for any wombles. 

Capital Ring 4. Crystal Palace to Streatham (& the source of "Peckham Springs"?)

 

Gill and I are walking around London via "The Capital Ring" (78 miles with 15 separate routes). While it is not a race and we can take as long as we want to complete, we have been busy lately with various other "commitments". So this post is more than a little late (we did the walk last month). Will try and catch up.

We started at Crystal Palace station and thankfully this was a short route (4.1 miles) since it rained and rained nearly all the way. Not so heavy that you had to give up but we were pretty soggy but it was not cold o windy for March. 

South London is surprisingly hilly in parts (by London standards). There was nothing too steep and some great views. This route was mostly suburban but lots of parks, commons and remnants of ancient forests (such as the Great North Wood). There was even a 19th Century mansion in Norwood Grove where we stopped for coffee (flasks) and treats under a tree while sheltering from the rain. 

When we came towards Streatham Common we were amazed at the wonderful "Rockery Gardens" which are well worth a visit. There used to be famous mineral water wells here which are now sadly unused (and reminded me not unkindly of another more modern, South London mineral water site, called "Peckham Springs")

Streatham Common is a real London "Green Lung" and it must be a fantastic community asset. We finished with a beer at the local Spoons (which now may be closed for a refurbishment so check). 

Will post more pictures of walk on Facebook