The London Loop Leg 10
Erith Station to Bexley Station
Saturday, 29th September, 2007 
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The London Loop is a 140 mile walk around London and roughly just inside the M25 (although you do not see it) passing through as many green places as possible such as parks, woods, commons, riverside protected areas and open farmland. The West Essex Ramblers are covering this in about 10 mile stretches over the period 2006 to 2008. We are following the path through "The London Loop" by David Sharp, ISBN1854107593, £13 rrp.
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Click photos below for larger image
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Click below for larger image as specified
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Some commentary on the photos,
which is also a reflection on the walk
[Road information is just to help identify where we were].
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1
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We left Erith Station and went down to the River Thames where the tide was out and Erith's pier (Image 1) was only above mud. Image 2 was left of the pier and looked up river whilst Image 3 was to the right and looked down the river.
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2
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We moved first away from the river and after we left the town back we went to the river and saw these moorings and a Cobelfret Ferries boat, a commercial line - Purfleet to Zeebrugge, passed us.
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3
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Crayfield Marsh, East of Erith, was described by this Information Board and showed Dartford Creek as the alternative name for the River Darent where it was tidal.
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4
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Here are four similar Images. Images 1 and 2 were across the river whilst 2 and 4 was essentially the same view up the river and captured both banks.
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An interesting Information Board about the Erith Saltings.
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A view I liked of Erith with Industry, Town, Boats and Pier as a backdrop to the Crayford Marsh vegetation.
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7
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This was the River Darent Barrier. Image 1 looked from the River Thames and Image 2 towards the river. Images 3 and 4 were taken standing beside the barrier, ie, 3 down to the R. Thames and 4 up the R. Darent.
The barrier is lowered from the top when required and the height of it must have been for the passage of the masted boats illustrated in Picture 11.
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8
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A general Information Board on the Birds of the Marshes.
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9
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We walked south alongside the R. Darent which was a narrow river but the tides widened it fourfold as was evident by the wet oozy mud in the picture. There was no walking along the river bank today!
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10
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Perhaps surprisingly this picture, which looked south, was the confluence of the River Darent (left) and the River Cray (right), where presumably mud slides from one river to the other.
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11
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Another Information Board, The Crayford Creek, which I assumed was the name for the tidal part of the River Cray.
There was a photo of tall masted boats, which would have gone under the Barrier and a 'You are here' sign which helped show where I photographed it.
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12
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There were lots of pockets of industry about. Image 1 showed how to recycle your house! We crossed the A206 and continued to follow the River Cray, as seen in Images 2 to 3, and it now looked a delightful little river.
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13
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We managed through Crayford Town and crossed the A207, but had had to leave the river. We entered a recreation ground, and reached the river again. Across this open space a goods train passed on the line that ran from Crayford to Bexley.
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14
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The same space as Picture 13 but included the river in it.
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15
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Our leader had kept up a good pace and we were rewarded with a longish stop at Hall Place, the facilities being shown on this Information Board.
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Hall Place Mansion. A free photo exhibition was on during our visit.
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Image 1 was the Rose Garden, with Hall Place on the right and Topiary in the distance. Image 2 was the Topiary and the Hall, image 3 was inside the Hall and Image 4 was a designed garden in the nursery - one of several.
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The Magnificent Topiary.
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We crossed the railway and the A2, walked through Churchfield Wood, and approached Bexley.
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20
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St Mary's Church, Bexley, with an Octagonal Cap to a Square Spire.
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