Lesnes Abbey Woods
For the last week the UK has been enjoying some exceptionally warm weather with temperatures reaching 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius) and above, here in the South East. For our latest day trip Mrs P and I decided to go somewhere local to reduce driving time and allow us to make an early start. Both of us wanted to achieve our daily step count (10,000 steps which is approximately 5 miles) but be done by mid afternoon before the heat made such activities uncomfortable. So we decided to go to Lesnes Abbey Woods which has a well tended park, gardens and the remains of a 12th century Abbey. It also connects to the Green Chain Walk. We drove there as it is only about twenty minutes away by car. However, we subsequently discovered that a local bus stops right outside the main entrance, so will bear this in mind for future visits.
For the last week the UK has been enjoying some exceptionally warm weather with temperatures reaching 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius) and above, here in the South East. For our latest day trip Mrs P and I decided to go somewhere local to reduce driving time and allow us to make an early start. Both of us wanted to achieve our daily step count (10,000 steps which is approximately 5 miles) but be done by mid afternoon before the heat made such activities uncomfortable. So we decided to go to Lesnes Abbey Woods which has a well tended park, gardens and the remains of a 12th century Abbey. It also connects to the Green Chain Walk. We drove there as it is only about twenty minutes away by car. However, we subsequently discovered that a local bus stops right outside the main entrance, so will bear this in mind for future visits.
The Abbey of St Mary and St Thomas the Martyr at Lesnes, to use its original name, was founded in 1178 by Richard de Luci, Chief Justiciar of England. This may have been in penance for the murder of Thomas Becket, in which he was involved. It was one of the first monasteries to be closed after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1534 and the monastic buildings were all pulled down. Over time the site was a source of salvaged building materials for the local inhabitant. The estate became farmland before being purchased by London County Council in 1930. The land was then repurposed as a park and the stone outline of the Abbey and outlying buildings restored. In recent years the adjacent woodlands have been added to the park and maintained as part of the Green Chain Walk which runs throughout three London Boroughs.
There are multiple entrances to the park in Abbey Road (not that one) and the surrounding streets. To the West there is a substantial children’s playground and outdoor gym that are well maintained and safe. The Abbey ruins are in the centre of the park, along with a walled ornamental garden. There is also a visitors centre with amenities and a function hall that is available for hire. This venue often hosts events and activities for schools. The garden is another popular site for events such as book readings and performance art. The grounds are superbly maintained and the paths are wide, making them very family and wheelchair friendly. For those who enjoy walking there are multiple trails around the grounds and surrounding woods, of varying length and difficulty. There are wooden sculptures to be found along these paths as well as a prehistoric Tumulus.
I was most surprised to find a park and series of walks of this quality right on my own doorstep. Mrs P and I enjoyed Lesnes Abbey Woods immensely and tried several of the more complex trails that traverse the woods. The ruins are also very interesting and are a somewhat incongruous sight amid the surrounding suburban sprawl. The park and woods look out south over Thamesmead where Kubrick filmed A Clockwork Orange and there are now wind turbines along the Thames estuary. If it hadn’t been for the heat, we’d have stayed longer but the woods were quite humid due to the recent heavy rainfall, despite offering shade from the sun. We will certainly return in the not too distant future and investigate the trails we didn’t complete.
Walking for Pleasure: Eltham and Well Hall
Today’s weather was perfect for walking with light clouds, a gentle breeze and temperatures around 23 Celsius (73 Fahrenheit). So Mrs P and I decided that we’d like to take a leisurely stroll somewhere local. Fortunately, we live in south east London and not far from the Green Chain Walk. This is a network of managed trails and pathways through various woodlands and parks that span four Boroughs. We decided to walk to Avery Hill Park and then follow the Green Chain Walk to Eltham. From there we then walked through the high street to Well Hall and visited the Pleasaunce. Our journey covered a distance of about 4.5 miles or so. We took our time and frequently stopped to enjoy the surroundings. Overall we walked for about 2 hours. We then decided to return home by bus, as the weather had become somewhat overcast.
Today’s weather was perfect for walking with light clouds, a gentle breeze and temperatures around 23 Celsius (73 Fahrenheit). So Mrs P and I decided that we’d like to take a leisurely stroll somewhere local. Fortunately, we live in south east London and not far from the Green Chain Walk. This is a network of managed trails and pathways through various woodlands and parks that span four Boroughs. We decided to walk to Avery Hill Park and then follow the Green Chain Walk to Eltham. From there we then walked through the high street to Well Hall and visited the Pleasaunce. Our journey covered a distance of about 4.5 miles or so. We took our time and frequently stopped to enjoy the surroundings. Overall we walked for about 2 hours. We then decided to return home by bus, as the weather had become somewhat overcast.
Eltham lies on a high plateau which gave it a strategic significance in Medieval times. Although it is difficult to see this topographical feature nowadays, as the area has been totally developed by the Greater London sprawl. Its importance throughout early English history is mainly due to it being close to the main route to the English Channel ports in Kent. Several Tudor monarchs intermittently resided at Eltham Palace and hence the area has a lot of associated history. The Well Hall Pleasaunce features several ornamental gardens, a bowling green and various water features. There is a Tudor Barn which dates back to the 16th century that is located towards the north part of the park. It is now a restaurant that caters for park users and is available to hire for private functions. The well maintained grounds are very peaceful despite being next to a main road.
I enjoy walking for pleasure as it often affords an opportunity to escape from the hustle and bustle of urban living. Avery Hill Park was busy today, as the weather was fine and it offers a lot of facilities for family entertainment. However, once you leave the open spaces and follow the various paths, you find things a lot more tranquil. The surrounding trees do much to insulate you from the noise and the trails are mainly used by dog walkers and rambling enthusiasts. The environment is perfect for personal introspection and reflection. There is also plenty of wildlife to observe on the Green Chain walk, as the paths are maintained to have minimal impact upon the surrounding environment. If the current weather persists, we may well take a waterside walk in the next few days along the Thames at Erith. London is fortunate to have so many preserved “green spaces” such as these.
More Walking for Pleasure
I’ve written previously about walking for pleasure and its respective health benefits. I’ve decided that I wish to do more than just walk locally and for mainly functional reasons. Walking to the shops is good exercise but somewhat lacking in places of interest and areas of natural beauty, unless your definition includes the local Indian Restaurant and betting shop. So in an attempt to expand the scope of my travels, I’ve downloaded a few bespoke walking apps to my phone that are relevant to the local area. The most notable is the BexleyWalks app. Bexley being the London Borough in which I live. Although I enjoyed these suggested walks, they have covered a lot of familiar territory. Yes, it has been interesting to follow the various routes and pause to read about the local area history. But many of the walks are based in an area I’ve lived in for four decades. I need to travel further afield to somewhere I don’t know so well.
I’ve written previously about walking for pleasure and its respective health benefits. I’ve decided that I wish to do more than just walk locally and for mainly functional reasons. Walking to the shops is good exercise but somewhat lacking in places of interest and areas of natural beauty, unless your definition includes the local Indian Restaurant and betting shop. So in an attempt to expand the scope of my travels, I’ve downloaded a few bespoke walking apps to my phone that are relevant to the local area. The most notable is the BexleyWalks app. Bexley being the London Borough in which I live. Although I enjoyed these suggested walks, they have covered a lot of familiar territory. Yes, it has been interesting to follow the various routes and pause to read about the local area history. But many of the walks are based in an area I’ve lived in for four decades. I need to travel further afield to somewhere I don’t know so well.
Luckily, South East London has the Green Chain Walk. This is a linked system of open spaces covering five London boroughs. Bexley, Bromley, Lewisham, Greenwich and Southwark. The Greater London Council (now the Greater London Authority) created this Green Chain of 300 open spaces to protect them from building activity in 1977. The various paths cover a mixture of urban and rural areas and offer a wealth of sites and places of interest. The 18th century Gothic folly of Severndroog Castle, the Art Deco glamour of Eltham Palace and birdwatching at Southmere, among the boats and fishermen. This also includes numerous parks such as Plumstead common and Oxleas Woods. The walk also includes the wildlife and replica dinosaurs of Crystal Palace Park, Horniman Museum and Gardens and the Thames Barrier. The entirety of the route is well signposted throughout. All signs show the 'G-C' logo and text "Green Chain Walk". There are also numerous apps that can be used to navigate this extensive network.
I’ve also started trawling though websites like meetup.com to see if I can find a local walking group. It would be nice to enjoy walking with a group of like-minded people and I often find that I stick with new projects more consistently when I commit to a third-party group. In the meantime, I’ve joined the Cool Dudes Walking Club, run by comedian and long-time walker Marek Larwood. Marek has documented his walks and day trip for a while on his You Tube channel. In between the quips and humour, I have found them very useful as well as entertaining. Recently he has created a separate channel for his walking activities and has shared several ambitious walks that he has undertaken. This includes a four-day journey around the Isle of Wight coast. Although it is not a walking club in the traditional sense (as of yet there have been no formal group walks organised), it does present an opportunity to interact with other walking enthusiasts on social media. And the perks of membership are outstanding. These include a “Cool Dudes Walking Club pencil, badge, membership card and terrible hand drawn map of Britain”.
Finally, as South East London appears to be enjoying the last vestige of summer, I went for a brief stroll through Old Farm Park. My home backs onto the Western end of this public space, although the Eastern end is still allegedly awaiting development after the council sold the land in 2016. With temperatures reaching a pleasant 67° Fahrenheit (19.44° Celsius), a short stroll round the park proved most enjoyable. Greater London has a lot of infrastructure and housing problems due to the ad hoc fashion it which it has grown during the post war years. However, one thing it doesn’t lack is green spaces. Yet in such times as these, who can say how much longer such precious public resources will remain protected? It’s a terrible cliché to invoke but it’s very much a case of use it or lose it. Whenever local authorities look to sell such land, they frequently try to bolster their position by claiming that the park in question isn’t being used. Therefore it’s essential that the public walk their dogs, hold activities and generally ensure that these local resources are utilised in a high-profile fashion. Which brings me nicely back to my initial point about walking.