London LOOP

Anth said:

I remember seeing Phil Cook writing accounts of the London LOOP on
here last year - have you finished it yet Phil? I've just completed
it - see http://www.wheresthepath.com/London_loop/London_Loop_Intro.htm
(unfortunately days 3 & 4 aren't online yet, but will be soon).

I didn't expect anything much of it - I only started doing it as a
"training" walk. To my surprise, I got completely sucked in. Okay,
the scenery isn't fantastic, but the contrast between urban and rural
sections is probably more pronounced than anywhere else, and often
quite dramatic in its own way. It's so varied and so unexpected, you
never know what you'll come across from one day to the next. It's
also incredibly accessible - probably the only LDP that can easily be
completed as a series of day walks using public transport. The only
real aggravation was the poor signposting - I would strongly advise
buying the Aurum Press guide before attempting it.

I'd like to see it promoted to National Trail status, the first
suburban National Trail in Britain. Not because it's spectacular or
unique (it's not), but because it is so accessible and easy to walk
that (given a higher profile) it might actually encourage Londoners to
get out and experience walking and the countryside. This'd help the
governments current fitness drive, as well as raising awareness of the
problems of urban sprawl and maybe helping to protect the countryside
in the long term.

Added to that, the majority of our National Trails are "wilderness"
trails - it'd be nice to have one representing a different type of
scenery.

I'd be interested in anyones views or experiences of walking the LOOP,
and anyones opinion on promoting the LOOP (or other paths) to National
Trail status.

Cheers

Anth

Please link to http://www.wheresthepath.com/

Nice to see a post that isn't about fell walking in the Lake District. I
have often thought that this usenet group should be called
uk.rec.walking.fells.lake-district. Not really representative of the UK
walking community is it? More a place for the "I've bagged more peaks in
the lake district than you, so nah nah nah nah nah nah," brigade or
"I've made more posts to uk.rec.walking than you." Why the obsession
with who has made the most posts in the last month?

Graham (bear with sore head this morning)

Graham Jones said:

Nice to see a post that isn't about fell walking in the Lake District. I
have often thought that this usenet group should be called
uk.rec.walking.fells.lake-district. Not really representative of the UK
walking community is it?

Our most prolific poster has never been to the Lake District!

Quoted message said:

More a place for the "I've bagged more peaks in
the lake district than you, so nah nah nah nah nah nah," brigade

I don't recall ever reading any post like that.

Quoted message said:

or
"I've made more posts to uk.rec.walking than you." Why the obsession
with who has made the most posts in the last month?

Because in this case it is relevant: the person who has the highest
number of posts has never been to England's finest mountains, and
never posts about them.

You'd expect the Lake District to feature prominently here - it's the
best walking area in England (many would say in England & Wales). But
we also get plenty of other areas mentioned - notably the Peak
District, the Downs, and Phil's excellent London Loop reports. Then
there's all the posts about Scotland....

We even have one or two ramblers who post here!

--

R
o
o
n
e
y

Quoted message said:

I'd like to see it promoted to National Trail status, the first
suburban National Trail in Britain.

What a good idea.. Now that will do more for "promoting the
countryside than any amount of PC guff....

We need to number our trails like the GRs .. This would of course be
number 25.

Richard Webb

[email hidden] (RJ Webb) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I'd like to see it promoted to National Trail status, the first
suburban National Trail in Britain.

What a good idea.. Now that will do more for "promoting the
countryside than any amount of PC guff....

We need to number our trails like the GRs .. This would of course be
number 25.

Richard Webb

Thanks Richard, maybe we could get up a petition in favour & send it
to Mr Blair... although a higher profile LOOP might get in the way of
his attempts to expand London through the Green Belt...!

I assume the Thames Path would be number 4, the North Downs Way number
20; would you make the Pennine Way number 1 or 6?

What are GRs? I'm assuming it's nothing to do with dog noises?

Anth

Anth said:

I remember seeing Phil Cook writing accounts of the London LOOP on
here last year - have you finished it yet Phil?

No I have only the last little bit to do from Harrold Wood to
Coldharbour to do. I almost did it a fortnight or so ago but was
rather busy with other things like tidying up the flat. :-(

Quoted message said:

it - see http://www.wheresthepath.com/London_loop/London_Loop_Intro.htm
(unfortunately days 3 & 4 aren't online yet, but will be soon).

I'll have a look when I've got myself sorted out - I've just got back
from Scotland.

--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

Quoted message said:

What are GRs? I'm assuming it's nothing to do with dog noises?

Anth

Grandes Randonees - French LDPs - Bless them...

Plug in to, and follow one of those for instant happiness.

They are numbered and go all over the place.

Richard Webb

Phil Cook <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Anth said:

I remember seeing Phil Cook writing accounts of the London LOOP on
here last year - have you finished it yet Phil?

No I have only the last little bit to do from Harrold Wood to
Coldharbour to do. I almost did it a fortnight or so ago but was
rather busy with other things like tidying up the flat. :-(

Quoted message said:

it - see http://www.wheresthepath.com/London_loop/London_Loop_Intro.htm
(unfortunately days 3 & 4 aren't online yet, but will be soon).

I'll have a look when I've got myself sorted out - I've just got back
from Scotland.

Good luck with the last bit Phil - on the whole I found it the ugliest
bit of the whole LOOP. It's worth it though for the great feeling of
reaching first of all the fantastic panorama of the Thames & then the
end of the LOOP at Coldharbour Point (where you can see the start at
Erith across the other side of the Thames - shame the old ferry
doesn't still run across to complete the circuit!).

Much of it's on temporary road diversions at the moment - I might go
back in a few years and see if it's any better once the final route is
open.

Anth
http://www.wheresthepath.com/

PS. Day 3 is now online, day 4 should be as well within the next week
to complete the whole write up.