please empty your brain below
That was an interesting walk this morning,DG. Thank you for letting us accompany you on that section of the green chain walk.
It also explains how you checked out the shops in Downham. 😄

Jo W | 20.11.18 - 7:56 a.m. | #

Ah.. I wondered why you were in Mottingham.

mikeS | 20.11.18 - 7:57 a.m. | #

Another beautifully written tale, you led me each step of the way.

Waterhouse | 20.11.18 - 8:00 a.m. | #

I sense that you are wary of dogs DG. I share that wariness and am amazed that so many dog owners are so in love with their pets that they cannot conceive that any other person is any less appreciative of their attentions. Attempting to explain that I do not like dogs so often leads to offence being taken.
Lovely enjoyable walk and thank you for taking me along.

Daniel Rust | 20.11.18 - 8:22 a.m. | #

Thanks for taking me too. There so much green in London. Shame that part of it is restricted to golfers - fortunately a relatively small part.

You Plaistow-pronunciation guide is slightly unclear as to which of the Plaistows is pronounced as you describe. Wikipedia gives 3 possibilities (PLAHST, PLAST or PLAYST) for the Bromley one and only the first two for the Newham one. But local knowledge may give a firmer answer.

Malcolm | 20.11.18 - 9:06 a.m. | #

I'm just slightly ahead of you, having recently completed the Falconwood-Grove Park section of the Capital Ring.

For ages I thought the Capital Ring and the Green Chain were one and the same, thinking the route was called the Capital Chain! They do seem to follow many of the same paths at the moment - which just added to my confusion!

Cornish Cockney | 20.11.18 - 11:01 a.m. | #

Past Green Chain write-ups:
Sections 2 and 3: August 2007
Sections 2, 4 and 5: June 2012
Section 7: August 2017
Section 11: September 2010

Meanwhile sections 5, 6, 8 and 10 are part of the Capital Ring, so I've written about them too.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 20.11.18 - 11:14 a.m. | #

Thanks. These write-ups are always great fun - so interesting to see parts of London I am unlikely ever to visit.

Perhaps worth going back to some of the sections visited many years ago to see what (if anything) has changed in the decade or so since?

dg writes: Nah.

Andrew | 20.11.18 - 2:38 p.m. | #

For those who really want to know
A single rook's in fact a crow
And rows of crows, despite their looks
Are rooks

Just wondering about the "squad". Could have been jackdaws, too.

But, as ever, a fascinating and stimulating account.

John | 20.11.18 - 4:01 p.m. | #

Beckenham Place Park used to contain a golf course which closed recently. Now it is a haven for dog walkers but it used to have the reputation of being the busiest golf course in Europe.

Brian | 20.11.18 - 5:54 p.m. | #

A nice write up. I walked the Green Chain walks a few years ago, though generally combined around 3 sections at a time, though sometimes finishing or starting a section at a different point (E.G. at a station). As you mention some of the sections tend to finish at places that are not all that accessible.

You used to be able to download a podcast of the directions for each section (can't see them on the website now). The introduction was narated by John Challis (Boycie from Only fools and horses) though unfortunately each one had the same introduction. They don't seem to be on the website now.

Jon Combe | 20.11.18 - 7:53 p.m. | #

Walking can so great at this time of the year with the low afternoon sun shining through the thinning golden tree canopy. It's a fleeting thing at this time of the year to be savoured, as so nicely put here. Thanks.

NickW | Homepage | 20.11.18 - 10:18 p.m. | #

There are squadrons of crows (perhaps even murders of crows) in London. Rooks are quite uncommon, and really country birds. I also trust DG to differentiate between jackdaws (which are also not especially common in suburban London) from crows.

Robert Butlin | 21.11.18 - 7:18 a.m. | #

Thanks for this - currently marooned in E17 but lived in Elmstead woods and went to Eltham College. later I used the first part of your route for running. lovely to see a familiar area again.

Iain Mitchell | 21.11.18 - 2:13 p.m. | #

I completed the Green Chain a few years ago - since then we've done the Lea Valley, Jubilee Greenway and Capital Ring - currently onto 15/24 of the London Loop

The Tfl website makes them so handy to do

Jim Harte | 25.11.18 - 7:39 p.m. | #











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