Suburban Surrey Looping

A pleasant stroll through urban green space on the periphery of London, through the boroughs of Croydon, Sutton, Reigate & Banstead and Epsom & Ewell

London Loop Stages 6 & 7 – Coulsdon to Ewell

On the Loop near Little Woodcote Village

Back to the London Loop once again, in the company of the regular completists who have been my Loop companions so far. We decided to combine two stages, Stages 6 & 7, as the combined length of both is only 8½ miles. Both stages pass through green and pleasant land, but, as the London Loop website warns, Stage 7 is one of the least green sections of the Loop including as it does substantial stretches of uninspiring pavement walking through nondescript suburban mock-Tudor housing. Because of this, there was a temptation to skip Stages 6 & 7 altogether, but our profound obsessiveness that requires us to complete the Loop in its entirety and in order prevailed in the end.

Start: Coulsdon South Station TQ298590

Finish: Ewell West Station TQ214627

Length: 8½ miles/4 hours

How to get there: Both stations above are in Travelcard Zone 6, so easy and cheap to reach. Southern services from Victoria and London Bridge go to Coulsdon South, while Ewell West is served by Southwest Trains from Waterloo.

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More wanderings in the Weald

Woodlands, meadows, picturesque villages, historic churches, a stately home, and one of 50 Great British Trees – quintessential British countryside

Cowden to Chiddingstone Causeway, Kent

Church of St. John The Baptist, Penshurst

A return to the Weald, one of my favourite parts of south east England. As described in a previous post, it’s an area of beautiful woodlands and undulating hills, gentle slopes dropping into steep-sided sandstone ravines, and full of fascinating industrial and social history. Today’s walk encompasses all of these, together with history of a more aristocratic type, passing through the grounds of Penshurst Place, seat of the Sidney Family.

Start: Cowden Station TQ476416

Finish: Penshurst Station TQ519464

Length: 7¾ miles/4 hours

How to get there: Cowden is on the Uckfield Branch, served by Southern services from London Bridge; on a Sunday however, services run only between Uckfield and Oxted, so take a train from London Bridge or Victoria to Oxted or Hurst Green and change there. Penshurst station, which is not actually in Penshurst but in the village of Chiddingstone Causeway, is on the line between Tonbridge and Redhill and is also served by Southern; direct trains run via Redhill and East Croydon to London Bridge, or change at Tonbridge for Southeastern services to Charing Cross.

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