London Loop: Section 7: Kingston Bridge to Donkey Wood

Early December and still the weather does not feel like winter. Clear blue skies to start with but there had been some rain over the past few days but compared to 2010 when the walk would have been several inches deep in snow things were a lot better!

The walk started off well with a stroll through Kingston and I managed to avoid stumbling into the large John Lewis store instead crossing the Thames by the old bridge and then by an easily missed sign into Bushy Park. This part of the walk was probably one of the most interesting and attractive of the LOOP so far. Attractive parkland, nice trees which had lost their leaves but kept their striking skeletal forms and some lakes with rafts of birds.

Swans in Bushy Park

Of course while doing this I failed to 'live in the now' and tripped over a hummock and did a rather impressive forward roll/somersault which if it had been caught on camera would have earned me a place as a stuntman!

Spent a bit of time in the parkland watching some Long Tailed tits in the trees around the small stream and artificial lakes and chatted with a photographer who was taking photos of the birds. The usual comments of birdwatchers; the decline of greenfinches the rise of the Ring Necked Parakeets and the best food to put in the garden to attract birds to the table.

The next section of the walk was the best and most exciting. Having read in the guide that deer can be seen in the open parkland I was expecting to see a few in the distance like I saw in Richmond but I was wrong. Instead there was a group of at least a dozen straddling the path, some with full on antlers grazing and in some cases butting antlers with each other. I was able to spend some time watching and photographing them without them taking any notice of me, a real joy.

Deer in Bushy Park

After a section of road walking the path joins the River Crane. Here you pass some interesting industrial archaeology - the remains of gunpowder mills. I hadn't realised that this part of greater London had been famous for the production of gunpowder. The remains of several mills can be seen on this leg and the previous one surrounded by high earth banks to protect the surrounding mills and buildings from the force of any explosions. One of the mills now houses a interpretive centre for a bird reserve that occupies an island in the middle of the river, it was closed at the time of my visit but might be worth a return visit later. The path here was muddy, very muddy, with thick black mud rich with rotting leaves. A great smell but quite awkward to walk through and this got worse as you progress along the rest of this section.

With clouds building and time pressing, I should have spent so long with the birds and the beasts earlier in the walk, there follows a drab road section and then a wild, blowy walk across Hounslow Heath, a surprisingly wild place in the heart of this part of London. The next section returns to the Crane and includes several difficult sections. Difficult navigation and difficult walking along narrow paths, some no more than a foot or three wide between a chain link fence and the steep side of the fast running river. With the sloppy black mud of the path added to these this section was quite awkward and not particularly interesting. A section of slimy a and springy boardwalk was a slight improvement before possibly the worst section of the LOOP so far. A half hour slog beside the very bust A30 all the way to Hatton Cross tube station. This was made worse by the long waits at the numerous crossings you have to use to get across the road to the station itself.

A shame that he walk has to end on this grimy, grim, rubbishy, noisy, smelly, boring note after it had started on such a high. Add to this that the next leg will start with another joyless yomp beside the A30 to get back to the LOOP doesn't make me look forward to January's walk with any great joy.