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Rural London Underground

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AM9

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A tremendous walk is from Watford Met via the Grand Union Canal to Rickmansworth - goes under the Met Main / Chiltern at one point. Very enjoyable (and easy)
On a similar note but of more historical interest is to walk from Rickmansworth station, through the town to Batchworth locks, then along the Ebury Way, (an established footpath on the trackbed of the defunct Watford and Rickmansworth Railway). Leave that at the Moor Lane Crossing and strrike across the fields to the Croxley Locks on the canal, then back south taking a path over the Croxley triangle. There are views there looking from over both tunnel portals towards CroxleyGreen boundary walk. The walk back to Rickmansworth station can then be completed by passing over to the south side of the Met/Chiltern main line and walking with a view of the stabling sidings.
 
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ChiefPlanner

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On a similar note but of more historical interest is to walk from Rickmansworth station, through the town to Batchworth locks, then along the Ebury Way, (an established footpath on the trackbed of the defunct Watford and Rickmansworth Railway). Leave that at the Moor Lane Crossing and strrike across the fields to the Croxley Locks on the canal, then back south taking a path over the Croxley triangle. There are views there looking from over both tunnel portals towards CroxleyGreen boundary walk. The walk back to Rickmansworth station can then be completed by passing over to the south side of the Met/Chiltern main line and walking with a view of the stabling sidings.

Yes done that one - a great walk , especially if you take old maps with you to show the old triangle / sheds etc (we started at Bushey - the onto Ricky) , a great shame that the Met Croxley link is now abandoned.
 

jumble

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When staying in London a couple of summers ago I travelled out to Chesham and intended to walk back to Chorleywood. I didn’t quite make the full distance as it was an extremely hot day. Lovely walk along the hills just to the north of the River Chess as far as the church in the village of Latimer, then I cut the walk short and crossed the river to Chalfont and Latimer Station.
I have done this a good few times
Cocker Spaniel and sort of did it yesterday
Parked in Chesham Did not take tube even though I have a free pass.
Walked to Latimer house, Turned left past said church and up the hill and back through woods
The real delight of this walk is I think that you have a massive verity of scenes ( River, Corn fields, Field of docile cows, and lovely woods ) and that one can look across the valley and see not a car or house anywhere.
( when we are back to normal there is a lovely pub on Chorleywood common)

Attached PDF showing route
 

geoffk

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I'm angry with my younger self for not doing the Ongar branch while it was still part of the Underground!
I rode from North Weald to Ongar and back in September 1988 while en route to somewhere else and there was no way of buying a ticket. This was during the evening peak period (I think there was only an off-peak service then). Nine years earlier we stopped by Blake Hall station, then still open, for a picnic!
 

AM9

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I have done this a good few times
Cocker Spaniel and sort of did it yesterday
Parked in Chesham Did not take tube even though I have a free pass.
Walked to Latimer house, Turned left past said church and up the hill and back through woods
The real delight of this walk is I think that you have a massive verity of scenes ( River, Corn fields, Field of docile cows, and lovely woods ) and that one can look across the valley and see not a car or house anywhere.
( when we are back to normal there is a lovely pub on Chorleywood common)

Attached PDF showing route
I've done several walks in the Chess Valley, both from the south bank, (Chenies and Chorleywood), also from the Sarratt (Cock pub) and Chesham itself. Living in St Albans, there's no need to use the Met., but the Chess Valley is quite special, ev n in the wet season!
 
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Mojo

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There’s a great walk you can do from Ickenham or West Ruislip stations, across the temporarily closed golf course (where you can spot some HS2 destruction works), then across various fields including ones with grazing animals, and over many stiles, even making use of a public footpath up someone’s driveway and through their front garden! This then brings you through to Uxbridge golf course and into the Colne Valley regional park and past a number of lakes; you then come across the canal, you can turn left toward Uxbridge or right towards Rickmansworth.

A brilliant and largely rural walking route; and if you head towards Uxbridge; a route you can walk without leaving Greater London!
 
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For some excellent walks within greater London, including transport links for when better times return go to the walking section of the tfl website.

Last year I did the Capital ring with a few friends
We were intending to tackle the London loop this year but that will have to wait.
 

Mikey C

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For some excellent walks within greater London, including transport links for when better times return go to the walking section of the tfl website.

Last year I did the Capital ring with a few friends
We were intending to tackle the London loop this year but that will have to wait.
The London Loop is very good, a great way of visiting some of the obscure outer parts of London, some of which (in the green belt) are surprisingly rural
 

pitdiver

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Being an ignorant ex Londoner (Only lived there for 34 years then worked there for another 16). What is the London Loop/
 

800002

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Being an ignorant ex Londoner (Only lived there for 34 years then worked there for another 16). What is the London Loop/
I always thought that the 'London loop' was a motorway, going by the name of 'M25'.
 

Mojo

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Being an ignorant ex Londoner (Only lived there for 34 years then worked there for another 16). What is the London Loop/
It is a 242km near circular walking route, around outer London and also taking in parts of the counties adjoining London; commencing in Erith and finishing in Purfleet on the other side of the Thames from where you started.

London Outer Orbital Path.
 

philthetube

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It is a 242km near circular walking route, around outer London and also taking in parts of the counties adjoining London; commencing in Erith and finishing in Purfleet on the other side of the Thames from where you started.

London Outer Orbital Path.
you have to be a good swimmer to complete it.
There are actually three circular paths around London, the capital ring is the inner one which is approx 75m, (guess)
Then the London Loop as mentioned above,
Then the London Countryway which is further out again, goes through St Albans Crosses the Thames at Tilbury, through Dorking and then Richmond if I remember correctly.
Information can be found by Googling and the guide book can usually be found on Amazon.
Bit off topic though as most of it is outside the underground though it does touch the Central and District.
 

Mikey C

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The TfL website has decent leaflets covering various walks within London, e.g. for the LOOP

 

Hophead

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The London Countryway never touches Greater London, in fact. It is mostly outside the M25, except for a brief stretch just north of Watford, and a slightly longer detour between Waltham Abbey and Theydon Bois (to give the nearest places).

 

Enthusiast

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Don't know if it's been mentioned but this is interesting:


Not restricted to rural parts but it does cover them.
 

PeterC

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The thread reminded me of the book Country Walks that London Transport used to publish.
 

Mikey C

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Don't know if it's been mentioned but this is interesting:


Not restricted to rural parts but it does cover them.
Not sure why my reply was deleted

The big advantage of TfL area walks is that the price and ticketing convenience. Being able to get cheap single fares make it really convenient for walks where you start and finish on different lines.

That Countryway walk looks really good, but the single fares, where you have to use 2 different operators for your outbound and inbound legs, do significantly add to the cost
 

MikeWh

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you have to be a good swimmer to complete it.
Why? Is there not a suitable bridge to cross any rivers encountered. Starting in Erith and finishing in Purfleet after going in a clockwise direction means you don't cross the Thames at the point between the start and end.
 

Mojo

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Why? Is there not a suitable bridge to cross any rivers encountered. Starting in Erith and finishing in Purfleet after going in a clockwise direction means you don't cross the Thames at the point between the start and end.
Indeed, the official walk crosses the river at Kingston Bridge.
 

181

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The London Countryway never touches Greater London, in fact. It is mostly outside the M25, except for a brief stretch just north of Watford, and a slightly longer detour between Waltham Abbey and Theydon Bois (to give the nearest places).


There's a third stretch inside the M25, some miles between Oxted and Merstham.
 
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The capital ring crosses the Thames at Woolwich in the east and and via a lock near Richmond in the west. The western and northern sections are accessible by underground and the South Eastern sections by national rail but as it's all inside the zonal area it can all be done on Oyster.

It is surprisingly rural in nature and encompasses some ancient woodland. I particularly enjoyed the western section from Wimbledon up to Greenford.
 

philthetube

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The London Countryway never touches Greater London, in fact. It is mostly outside the M25, except for a brief stretch just north of Watford, and a slightly longer detour between Waltham Abbey and Theydon Bois (to give the nearest places).

There's a third stretch inside the M25, some miles between Oxted and Merstham.
I am amazed to find two others who know of it, have either of you completed it?
 

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I am amazed to find two others who know of it, have either of you completed it?
Yes -- I bought the book at the end of 1982 (I'm guessing with a book token I'd been given for Christmas), having come across it by chance in a bookshop in Kingston-on-Thames, and persuaded my parents and brother to do the walk; we did it bit by bit between 1983 and 1988.
 

Hophead

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I am amazed to find two others who know of it, have either of you completed it?

Good heavens, no! It's 215 miles! I've not yet completed the Thames Path (though "events" have intervened), but I quite fancy the Loop as the next walking challenge. To be honest, while I was vaguely aware of the Countryway, it was your suggestion that it encircled London, but went from Dorking to Richmond that had me thinking "that doesn't sound right", so I investigated a little further. The LDWA website is a bit of a treasure trove of walks, and merits further investigation.
 

Mikey C

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Good heavens, no! It's 215 miles! I've not yet completed the Thames Path (though "events" have intervened), but I quite fancy the Loop as the next walking challenge. To be honest, while I was vaguely aware of the Countryway, it was your suggestion that it encircled London, but went from Dorking to Richmond that had me thinking "that doesn't sound right", so I investigated a little further. The LDWA website is a bit of a treasure trove of walks, and merits further investigation.
I've just got Standlake to the Thames source to finish the Thames Path, basically 3 days of walking which I had planned to do this summer...

Public transport becomes a lot trickier in these remote sections which is one of the joys of the LOOP, where you're never far from public transport AND can use Oyster/Contactless as well. But then ALL A to B walking is tricky at the moment, with the restrictions on public transport use...
 
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Yes I was planning on starting the loop in March having been given the book for Christmas. However I am currently following the request not to use public transport. I will be there as soon as we are permitted.
 

philthetube

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Reading the way this thread has gone it almost feels as if walking and using public transport would be worth a forum of its own.
 
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