And we are back at the next section of the Walk and thankfully it’s a good one, this time we are leaving from Woolwich Arsenal and heading to Woolwich Common and then then South to Eltham, crossing paths with the Capital Ring as we go. Here’s what you can find…
There are parts of the the first section of the Capital Ring on this section, simply because that path takes the only real way through and although we tried to find other ways it was inevitable that we would cross the CR. But in doing so we found one part that we never managed to follow when we started the Ring, so we can finally tick off the lost part of that route.
We started as we left the last Section at Woolwich Arsenal Station, on the DLR. The open green is clean and pleasant except for the mass of drunks and low-lives that populate the open space. Getting the phone out to photograph and record, was like pulling out cheese to a rat, we had eyes on us and shifty people moving in and around us in an instant, so we made a hasty retreat from the green and high street, and headed south towards the Common and a pair of Obelisk (we like a good Obelisk!)
We crossed the common, from the northern tip and down, leaving by Shooter’s Hill and crossing the CR for the first time, where it took the shortest route across the open green space (a foreshadow to it’s true identity if only we had been aware of the CR’s fear of grass when we followed the path last year).
The CMHoL however takes a more scenic route down and through, exiting on the main road and heading East to the junction and then joining the CR proper to enter Jockey’s Woods and to find our way up to Severndroog’s Castle – however we took the woodland path, where the other walk took the car park road and stayed on the tarmac for most of the way!)
We like the folly in the woods and would like to climb to the top to take in the view over the South Downs, but it is perpetually shut! Well it does seem to open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings on months without an ‘R’ in the month, typically British! So alas we will never know the joys of the heights!
We headed down the steep steps towards the Rose Garden and then turned left and headed along the path, this is where we got lost on the Capital Ring. This time we found the signpost that wasn’t clearly marked on the route map. We emerged onto the plain of Oxleas Woods and Meadow where there is a cafe not a café atop the hill.
Our route goes across the grass and into the woods and around and down before heading back to exit at the bottom of the meadow and cross the Rochester Road and back into the Shepherdleas Woods and cross the Capital Ring route of section 2 and then exit into Eltham Park.
Follow the roads to Eltham Station via the randomly named Dunvegan Road – it sounds like a Scottish Vegan!
Climbing Moss 