The London Loop Leg 11
Bexley Station to Petts Wood Station
Saturday, 27th October, 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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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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Early arrivals at Bexley Station had coffee in a cafe, in Bexley High Street, opposite the Styleman's Arms Houses (built 1755) seen in Picture 1.
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2
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We walked down Tanyard Lane from Bexley High Street, under the railway then parallel to it. We stopped for today's itinary (Image 1) by the field (Image 2) of Bexley Cricket Club. Soon we walked over a pleasant reclaimed landfilled area (Image 4) and eventually entered between two fields where we passed this red brick building bordering the railway (image 3) to the rear of mixed crops.
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3
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We hit the edge of Albany Park housing but turned left almost immediately into trees down towards the River Cray. The tree (Image 1) was by a footbridge over the Cray where the path turned right, beside Goldsmith College Sports Ground, and then we continued close to the river (Images 2, 3 & 4).
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4
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We took a coffee break. The Five Arch Bridge (Images 1-3) in Foots Clay Meadows was built circa 1780 and was part of Foots Clay Place. The "Lake" is the River Cray dammed up by the weir under the bridge.
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5
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The information board for Foots Clay Meadows beside the Five Arch Bridge. Notice how cleverly it shows both sides of the bridge through its two pictures.
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From the far end of the lake we walked through Foots Cray Meadows, Image 1 was to our left, and in a wooded area we crossed a bridge (Images 3 & 4) over the River Cray until we finally reached the view of Image 2 just before Rectory Lane.
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7
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Rectory Lane was busy with traffic and All Saints church (Image 1) was just to our right. We walked a short way along roads through Foots Cray. This field (Images 3 & 4) was very autumnal and finally we walked to Sidcup place (Image 2) where we stopped for lunch (no real ale!).
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8
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We crossed the A20. We walked SE and this path (Image 1) was probably in Little Wood of Scadbury Park Nature Reserve. We turned left (Image 2) onto a nice tree line path (Image 3). The information Board (Image 4) was for Scadbury Moat Manor House Site in Picture 9.
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9
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We left the LOOP to visit the ruins of Scadbury Moated Manor House. Read the information board of Picture 8 for details.
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10
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We left Scadbury Manor along this path.
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11
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We continued through the woods towards The Larches.
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12
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In the wood there were pleasant views such as the autumnal tree (Image 1) and a vast oak (Images 3 & 4), its girth which ramblers are seen trying to measure. We crossed the A208 either just before or just after this ferns and path view (Image 2).
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13
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Airy woodland at about St Paul's Cray Common.
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14
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We stopped for a coffee break which was a couple of minutes before the information board of the next picture. A Croydon Rambler, who had joined us today, enjoyed a good seat.
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15
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The information board - Petts Wood and Hawkwood Estate; Chistlehurst and St Paul's Cray Commons - showed where we were. To the right of the "You are Here" arrow is the William Willett memorial of picture 16.
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16
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We retraced our steps slightly to this place, that is, the William Willett memorial (two images) and a fine yellow leafed tree. The memorial has a sundial on the opposite side set at "Daylight Saving Time (DST)", now known as British Summer Time. The sundial was put there because William Willett campaigned hard for DST and its economic benefits.
A link to William Willett
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17
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Another memorial was passed, this one was to Francis Edlmann who saved Petts Wood in 1927 and to Robert & Francesca Hall who gave it to the National Trust in 1957.
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18
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We curved to our right and were on the edge of Petts Wood and walked close to a railway through the wood (Image 1). There were then several fields to our right, the first was Image 2. After a short distance we turned left, crossed a stream (Image 3) to a railway bridge, and this field (Image 4), probably the third we reached, was taken I think from the bridge.
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19
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A trainspotters paradise, TQ 441 684 ! We crossed three railway bridges, close together, and all lines cross or join at a point slightly north of here. We crossed them in the order of Image 3 (looking north); Image 2 (looking south) and Image 1 (looking north) and the latter includes the Petts Wood Station to London line.
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20
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Our last countryside view between the three bridges and Petts Wood Station. We took the path seen to the right of the parallel track.
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