London UK,Spring 2015: 6) Capital Ring, Segment 3

The Capital Ring encircles London, but lies much closer to the center than the London Loop.  This makes for a shorter trail, about 75 miles, as well as a more urbanized one.  Still, even around Zone 3 there are more than enough parks and green spaces to make this project worthwhile.  In previous years we have completed Segments 1, 2, 6, 8, and 9.  After completing today's walk there are 9 segments remaining.  This project might get finished in our lifetime.

 Capital Ring Segment 3 begins at Grove Park Station.  We broke off a bit early at Penge West 

Station, saving the impressive Crystal Palace Park for the beginning of the next walk.  Today's walk lasted for 8 miles, partly due to a misguided detour in Penge in search of a pub.  There was a

fabulous one right at Penge West Station, which we eventually reached.

 Though the routes are well signed, sometimes one is missing at a crucial turning point.  It's best
to also have a route description along, either the book (which we have) or printouts from the
Capital Ring website.

 Sometimes the Capital Ring's connection to forests and woods can be rather thin, as was this segment of the walk.  Once a vast, ancient forest, only remnants now survive.  Closeup view of part of the Ring route we followed today (see larger map, above).

Some Hobbit seats along Woodland Walk, Segment 3.

Though we saw bluebells all week on our walks, the finest display was at Beckenham Place Woods.

 Deb enters the near-magical Beckenham Place Woods.  Note the bluebells in the woods.

 Beckenham Place, John Cator's 18th C. mansion.  It is now the clubhouse of the golf course here,

as well as a general tea room for the public.  We stopped for tea.  It was cold and damp once again.

 Sometimes I make friends along the way, and stop to chat a while.  Deb usually leaves me far behind at times like these.

Closeup of the steeple of St. Paul's, New Beckenham.  There were lovely churches along all of the 

routes that we walked.

Cator Park, Capital Ring 3.  Our walk eventually ended happily, in a fine pub.  To read more about the many pubs visited on this journey, continue on to part 7.