Getting to and from Banstead Downs is a bit of a pain as trains only go to this remote stop once every hour so I had a 45 minute wait on a cold Clapham Junction platform in November waiting for the train. The weather was grey and overcast with a hint of rain in the air. This didn't put me in the best frame of mind for the walk and this mood wasn't improved by the attitude of the golfers on the golf course just after the start. Their arrogance and rudeness to me and to a pair of other walkers was not a good advertisement for their pastime. It was nice however to meet and chat with a pair of fellow walkers who were also doing the Loop. It was helpful as well as navigating across the golf course was difficult and six pairs of eyes were better than two!
After the golf course the route goes through a long urban section with little to recommend it before going under a railway bridge onto open scrub-land. An interesting section this as it was going to be built upon and the concrete bases of access roads were built but the housing estate never was. These run through a stand of trees giving an eerie impression of a ghost town. Looking west along the tracks the sun came out for a moment and standing in the dappled shade looking back at me was a fox and its cubs. It stared at me for a few moments before walking across the concrete tracks and into the woods.
The path then runs along side the parkland of Nonsuch Park and the ruins of the Tudor Nonsuch Palace. Time for another moan here - sorry if I'm coming across as a grumpy old man. Dog owners, thank you for bagging up your dog poo but nobody thinks that they make attractive tree decorations. Take it home or bin it, don't hang it from the bushes of chuck it up into the branches of the trees. Thank you.
After the minimal ruins of the palace you pass through Ewell which looked very attractive but with the shorter hours of daylight I was in a hurry to get on. This meant that I didn't stop to explore the museum in Bourne Hall Park. The path then goes under a very low railway bridge on a platform on top of the river. This pushes a lot of irrational fear buttons for me - dark water, constricted spaces and heights. Needless to say I got through as fast as possible!
Most of the rest of the walk is alongside the River Hogsmill which meanders its way through scrubby woodland and open (and muddy) grass for several miles. This is a peaceful section but with the grey overcast skies it was a little sameish with no bit views to excite or enliven the walk. Things didn't get any better later on as the next section runs past light industrial units and a sewage works before emerging at last on the Thames at Kingston. This last five minutes was possibly the best bit of the walk with the views along the Thames including Kingston Bridge being very attractive. Then up through the shops to a proper station with trains running every few minutes into central London and somewhere to buy a snack before heading home!
All in all probably the least inspiring leg of the walk so far to be honest.
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