Capital Ring: Section 1 & 2 - Woolwich Arsenal to Grove Park

Weather: Cold, wet and windy!

Playlist: Last FM Playlist

Time: 3 1/2 Hours (rain does not encourage me to dawdle!)

The Capital Ring was back on song with this walk after the slightly depressing nature of the previous two legs. This one starts on the south bank of the Thames and almost at the start you get a fabulous view along the river. For me one of the highlights actually came on the link from the station to the river. You pass through the old Woolwich Arsenal site and where this meets the Thames there is an installation by Anthony Gormley. As you walk beside the Thames you get a good view of the city ahead with the Thames Barrier (a lot smaller than I imagined it), the 02 Centre and the towers of Docklands. The river is still quite active industrially here and the Tate and Lyle sugar works dominate the northern bank of the river.

Anthony Gormley Installation

After you leave the river most of the rest of the walk passes through commons and woodlands. After the flat nature of the previous legs the presence of a couple of hills was invigorating and the colours of the late autumn woods was special, even if the heavy drizzle that turned to rain for the last six miles wasn't!

One surprise was the presence of a children's zoo early on in the walk with deer, rare breed sheep and chickens in abundance!

The woods, in particular Oxleas Wood were in top form, showing off the amber and gold foliage and filled with the sound of birds and the smell of autumn. Another hit was Severndroog Castle and the views over the city from this folly's gardens.

Severndroog Castle

Towards the end of the walk the route passes Eltham Palace, closed on the day I walked, which is an odd mix of Tudor and 1930's! Inside you have a large hammerbeamed banqueting hall and exquisite 1930's rooms next to each other. The exterior is the same mix and there are some fine gardens and a moat. Well worth a visit if you are in the area. Leading from this is St John's Walk an ancient path that takes you up a rise to a view over fields to the city of London. Stretched out before you are some of the iconic buildings of London; the Gherkin, the Post Office Tower, Docklands and in the distance the London Eye. On a brighter day it would have been even better!

Capital Ring: Section 14 & 15 - Hackney Wick to Woolwich Arsenal

Weather: Warm, sunny and slightly sticky with a stiff breeze

Playlist: Last FM Playlist

Time: 3 and 3/4 hours

A bit of a delay (ok almost 4 weeks) in bloging this section of the Thames Path, partly I think because I didn't find it that enjoyable, in parts the route become a bit of a slog, a chore rather than the pleasure I have got used to. At least the weather was nice.

This pair of legs could have been entitled 'Diversions and Disappointments'  as the early part of the route is heavily disrupted by works connected with the upcoming Olympics and the new Crossrail railway link. This meant a lot of route changes early on along some rather grotty and noisy main roads.

Most of the route takes you along the top of the NOSE or Northern Outfall Sewer Extension. A useful linear path with easy navigation with a subtle bouquet! However unlike some of the other similar linear paths the scenery was rather boring and uninspiring. Apart from the glimpse of the Abbey Mills sewage work there was little of architectural value and nothing of natural beauty to see on the walk.

The latter half of the walk takes you through the campus of the University of East London which is attractive and its dramatic setting on the side of the docks with London City Airport beyond is splendid. The next section of the walk took me to the Thames for the first time, tide was in and it looked very wide and wild with the wind whipping up the water. The next part of the walk was a little confusing and for me scary as you walk across the dock gates at the end of the docks. I hate heights almost as much as I hate spiders and this made me rather nervous.

The final part of the walk was to be though the foot tunnel at Woolwich but this is closed for repairs so instead I took one of the rather grand ferries and enjoyed the view up and down the Thames as I prepared for my first walk south of the river.