The London Loop Leg 8
Chigwell Station to Harold Wood
Saturday, 30th June, 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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Today it was a little dull and it rained at times which resulted in less photographs being taken. The images of picture 1 were taken March 2004 (all the rest were on the Loop day).
Up from the station was St. Mary's Church, Chigwell (Image 1) and opposite this was Ye Olde Kings Head (Image 2), a place linked to Charles Dickens. We left the village at the top and entered a field where horses (Image 3) often graze and looked back at Chigwell (Image 4) from across the field.
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2
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We walked through fields and half way between Chigwell Station and Chigwell Row was this grain field: photo taken looking south.
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3
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We walked down Chapel Lane and at the corner to the B173 (Grange Hill to Chigwell Row) there was a nonconformist Chapel which was a conversion in 1804 from the then Clare Hall.
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4
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We crossed Chigwell Row recreation ground with a view of Chigwell Row's All Saints Anglican Church in the distance.
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Before we crossed the Romford Road we took a drink in the woods even though it was a bit drizzly.
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[We crossed the Romford Road].
An Information Board on Hainualt Forest Country Park, with rain drops.
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Sheep at the rare breeds centre (children's farm/zoo) at Hainault Forest Country Park
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8
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The route went north through the forest's trees.
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And then we turned right (Image 1) and soon passed Hainault Forest Golf Course (Image 2). Another grain field (Image 4), it was that time of the year, and then the group paused (Image 4) whilst the leader spoke on local information.
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Along the track, that we were on, two riders passed us by.
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11
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A little further on just before we entered Havering Country Park we look down on a westerly view over horses and probably Park Farm.
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12
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We walked through Havering Country Park and these young giant sequoia trees bordered the path in the wood but the wood itself prevented good photoshots of such tall trees. (The images are not in the order we walked passed them).
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13
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The view north was fine except a little damp today.
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The rear view of St. John the Evangelist Church, Havering-Atte-Bower. Formerly on the site of a royal chapel but all that remains, apparently, is the chapel font.
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The Royal Oak pub (Image 1) on the B175 where we stopped for lunch. We turned east off the B175 and the water tower (which was close to the Round House, a grade II listed building) was in the distance (Image 2), and then views of fields of ripening rape seed (Images 3 & 4) were taken.
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16
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I think this was by the wooded area on the north side of Pyrgo Park, looking east.
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Again, not positive of my bearings, but probably the path's peak of Pyrgo Park with Trench Pond Plantation in the distance.
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A southerly view, probably over Foxburrow Wood. Just look under the dead tree's top right branch and the Queen Elizabeth II bridge is visible.
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I guess again that I was just west of the Trench Pond Plantation, however, it was the Queen Elizabeth II bridge at Dartford that was visible on the zoom lens.
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20
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A view to our left (Image 1) and a view to our right (Image 2), which has the water tower again on the horizon, somewhere between Paternoster Row and Noak Hill Road.
[We crossed Noak Hill Road].
Soon, within an urban area, we went down into the deepish dell of Carter's Brook and there was a small old tree (Image 3) straddling the brook and a much larger one (Image 4) over the Path.
It was too long before we crossed the A12 and were at Harold Wood Station.
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