please empty your brain below
I don't live far from here, and it seems that you've missed (or rather the walk has) the best bits of Ewell. I went on a two-hour guided walk recently and this covered the firework factories (graves in the churchyard testament to this) and Roman shafts (alongside dual carriageway) amongst other things.

Oh, and as you've been in the locality please note 6 pet frustration. Epsom (one stop from both Ewell East and West) should also be in Zone 6 where it really belongs, if not in a London Borough, then at least properly integrated into the London transport network. Quickest journeys are often via this way into London going southbound from Cheam and Ewell East (+ vice versa) and shown as such on TfL journey planner, but 'not permitted' as invalid with a Travelcard...

Ken | 02.04.13 - 12:26 a.m. | #

I shall be back to 'do' Ewell properly at some point. But you're right, Ken, the Loop doesn't really do the town justice.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 02.04.13 - 12:31 a.m. | #

Well you obviously had fun-and-a-half there DG...

Waterhouse | 02.04.13 - 6:56 a.m. | #

Remembering DG's comment that he does it so we don't have to.

Great Aunt Annie | 02.04.13 - 7:25 a.m. | #

On Sunday we attempted to walk along the Essex Way from Epping to Ongar. The path was in such a terrible state that it was almost impassable, so we gave up after a mile and a half and went to the pub instead. Wondering if I should bother writing about it on my blog.

Karen | Homepage | 02.04.13 - 7:54 a.m. | #

I agree this is the worst of the sections of the LOOP. It's about 5 years since I walked it, but I still remember this walk as mostly a trudge along residential roads.

My dad used to work in Bourne Hall (the flying saucer) so I've been in it a few times although not recently. The interior was rather 1970s I seem to remember although the lights in the round corridor turned on as you walked along which was quite something when it was built. There is, as you might expect, a large room (hall) in the basement with a stage etc.

Jon Combe | 02.04.13 - 1:39 p.m. | #

These sites may be of the vaguest interest.

http://www.greenbeltrelay.org.uk/stage.htm

http://www.essexway.org.uk/

Running Correspondent | 02.04.13 - 2:14 p.m. | #

I wonder why the route doesn't take you through the Howell Hill Nature Reserve (http://www.surreywildlifetrust.org/reserves/show/55) which it easily could do and avoid a mile or so of residential roads. It may not be at its best now, but in summer it has a remarkable (for suburban London) variety of plants, butterflies and the like, having been left undisturbed and barely visited for 50 years or so.

Peter CS | 02.04.13 - 4:51 p.m. | #

There are worse bits of the Loop - Forty Hall to Enfield Lock, for example - it seems that you need a few boring bits to get between the good bits.

Karen - I've walked that part of the Essex Way several times, and in my experience, it gets better past the Theydon Oak (which I assume is the pub you went to). There's an excellent pub, The Mole Trap, a mile or so off route at Tawney Common (I assume it's still open!)

Stephen Bird | 02.04.13 - 5:41 p.m. | #

Let's hope that nobody living on The Drive ever needs to learn to drive, then, eh?

Klepsie | Homepage | 03.04.13 - 2:03 a.m. | #

Yes, this section is definitely not the highlight of the LOOP thanks to an awful lot of trudging along through bland streets.
I'll finally be walking my last part of the LOOP next week and hope it is more enjoyable than this one.

Tetramesh | Homepage | 04.04.13 - 5:53 a.m. | #











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