Step by Step: An Enchanting Walk on the London Loop's Sections 8 and 9
Date: 22nd of June 2024
Start: Ewell East Station, 10:30
Finish: Houslow Heath, 19:00
Duration: 7h 30’
Distance: 17.00km
Elevation Gain: 150m
Route Type: Point to Point
Weather: Warm and Sunny.
Companions: Natalia
Our initiative to walk the London Loop continues, this 150-mile trail through all the green areas and parks of London. Today we tackle sections 8 and 9, starting from Ewell East and arriving at Hatton Cross, but actually, we'll finish a few kilometers earlier (and I will explain why later) :)
After a small park, we cross the Hogsmill River to start, once a very hardworking river thanks to the mills, and at the end of the walk, there will be another beautiful stretch along the Crane River.
In the middle, perhaps the most beautiful part, is Bushy Park, with swans and deer that now peacefully coexist with humans and don't even move from the path, it almost feels like being in a fairy tale. Bushy Park is right after that little gem of a town, Kingston Upon Thames, where yesterday the atmosphere was somewhere between Marano Lagunare and a beach on the Romagna Riviera, with people having Aperol Spritz sitting at bar tables with a view of the river and boats passing by full of tourists and wanderers along the Thames.
Unfortunately, as soon as we approached one of the last stretches (Hounslow Heath), distracted by all those planes landing almost over our heads at Heathrow, I slightly lost the way a couple of times (I'm using OS paper maps, and I must say the route, even in terms of signage, is exceptional). After 25 km and 7 hours of walking, for Nata it's a great excuse to interrupt the day's efforts and find a bus back home; the beauty of the London Loop is that it's very accessible without the need for trains and long journeys.
In the end, we missed the last few bits, but no matter, we'll resume the next stage from Hounslow Heath :)