The London Loop Leg 9
Harold Wood Station to Purfleet Station
Saturday, 28th July, 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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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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Soon after leaving Harold Wood Station we were in Harold Wood Park where the customary explanation of the day's itinerary was given by the leader.
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Image 1 was crossing the Ingrebourne and Images 2 was a view close to the river.
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Another view close to the river.
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[We had crossed the A127].
We crossed the Ingrebourne, again.
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Images 1 & 2 were also near the route of the river and Image 3 was the National Rail line to Upminster Station.
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The Bridge Pub on the A124 Upminster Road, near Upminster Bridge Underground Station, where lunch was taken.
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We walked more of the Ingrebourne valley, this time along the Gaynes Parkway, and finally to a footbridge.
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We crossed the footbridge and went along to Hacton Lane.
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Hornchurch Country Park where cattle were spotted at the bottom of a slope as if in a Ha Ha.
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Still in Hornchurch Country Park and there was a Marsh area beside it.
There was a lake (Image 1) and another lake (Image 2) with a heron, look closely for it.
Near here was the site of a WW11 Airfield and view (Image 3) boasts a WW11 Pill Box. Finally there was 'garden' of a view, but I'm not sure exactly where we were.
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We walked along streets to Bridge Broadway, Rainham, where there was the Clock Tower with the Church of St Helen and St Giles in the background.
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The second section of the 67 mile High Speed Rail Link from the English Channel to London which was due to be opened on 14th November 2007.
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Five Images here, Image 1, a thin one, was a roundabout near our afternoon drink's stop at Tesco. Image 2 was, I believe, one of the four LED constructions of Project Litmus (the designer was Jason Bruges) placed at roundabouts just off the A13. Image 4 was where the A13 flies over head at Rainham: was this Britain's answer to the Egyptian columns of Karnak Temple at Luxor? Then Images 4 & 5 are part of the industrial area we passed on the way to the River Thames.
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We reached the River Thames. Images 1 & 2 were views upstream and 4 was downstream. Image 3 was a plaque celebrating the beginning of a ferry in 1199 which they called the Pilgrims Ferry: I was unable to verify this information through the internet.
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Some more Thames' Views.
Across to Kent (Image 1), presumable Erith to the left and Erith Oil Depot to the right; the River Bank (Image 2); back up the river (Image 3) with the Ford's two Wind Turbines on the horizon; and a jetty into the river (Image 4).
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Seemingly abandoned Ferro-Concrete Barges which supported the D-Day landing of WW11.
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Some walkers went to the official London LOOP end at Cold Harbour Point and returned to Rainham, whilst I and others went on to Purfleet.
Image 1 looked back along the main path we used and Image 2 looked forward. Image 3 was Rainham Marshes with the A13 flyover bridging it. Image 4 was a view as we neared Purfleet.
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Image 2 was across the river to the Derwent Flood Barrier in Kent and the other three Images were similar views of the Queen Elizabeth 11 Bridge.
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A Beacon near the Heritage Centre of Purfleet but I cannot find any information on this beacon.
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The Queen Elizabeth 11 Bridge over the roofs of Purfleet's houses viewed from Purfleet Station's footbridge.
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