Another week, another section of our own walk around London, this time one of our favourites, a lovely walk from Morden to Richmond. This is why…
This was walked back in November last year and so it was starting to get dark early and so we struggled to see at the end, but in all it was still a long, but rewarding walk.
We started off at the end of the Northern Line at Morden station and exited to the north of the station – apparently there is an exit to the car park, but we didn’t find it! Eventually we started the walk finding the first patch of greenery with Kendor Gardens, one of those patches of land that used to be wasteland at the side of the railway, then turned into a park and it’s really pleasant.
At the top end of the park we turned left and headed for St. Mary’s Church Grounds, a little cut through of grass and trees that leads to a private road and little cottages and idealic footpaths before exiting onto a main road, where we found coffee in an unusual place, an American Diner called Waffle Jacks, run by Romanians! It was strange and a little chaotic, but wasn’t so bad!
Then onwards north, past the Wimbledon School of Arts and then a train line bridge and keep walking along nice, well appointed residential roads. At the top of a steep road, you can see a rather dramatic Gothic Church that looks more like a Cathedral to the left and a secret passage to the right.
Through the tunnel and view south on top of the hills reveals Croydon in the distant. A few more steep roads you emerge at the bottom of The Wimbledon Common and a lot more trees, a large pond and a lot of grass.
Walk until you find the Memorial Path and then follow this NW to the golf course and cross the 6th, 10th, 11th and walk alongside the 14th (the wrong way) and avoiding rogue little white balls! At the tee criss and exit down a wooded avenue to familiar territory if you’ve done the Capital Ring.
Exiting into a poignant spot for us, the war memorial and the Richardson Evans Memorial Playing Fields, the very spot where the CMHoL was conceived, it was here, crossing the rugby pitches (rather than doing as the map tells to do and follow the path around 3 sides and avoiding the direct route across) and realising that the CR avoided grass in favour of tarmac at any given opportunity, that’s when we figured we could do better and so we vowed to try once we completed the more famous ring of London and having committed the fields to memory.
We then crossed the A3 and entered Bob’s favourite place. Richmond Park and almost immediately discovered the extremely friendly Red Deer – and the hoards of extremely stupid and annoying children trying to kick the animals.
Having made friends with the Cervidae (especially the dog, they were fascinated with her), we set off again, towards White Lodge, the glorious home of The Royal Ballet School, marvelling at the amazing school building and we sat and had our coffee and sandwiches, while watching the sun set to set and then realised the sun was setting and it would soon get dark!
So we weaved through Duchess Wood, with the deer following us and headed NW and into Conduit wood. It was at this point the failing light gave us a new challenge (and one we suggest you try to avoid), navigating woods and trying to find the exit gate in near total darkness!
We eventually found a way out onto the Queen’s Road and then Myddleton Road and walked the posh and exclusive roads of Richmond.
We decided to take a detour and not head directly to the station via Vineyard Passage, but instead headed to Richmond Green and the Prince’s Head to sit and sup at a beer, just like Ted Lasso in the pub from the series! And end the walk here!
Just like this…
Minus a dog!
Well there we go another section ticked off, Are you trying the #CMHoL if you are please tag your photos and share them on Social Media so we can see them and come back soon for another section summary in a few weeks. In the meantime if you want to do the walk, head up to the top of the site and click on the tab marked ‘CMHOL’ and download all the sections of the walk so you can follow along – and not get lost like we did!! –
Climbing Moss 