08 - Hatton Cross to Uxbridge - 12th May 2025 (18.7 km)

Another lovely day weatherwise. I took the train from Sydenham to Whitechapel then the Elizabeth line Heathrow terminal two and three and then the Piccadilly line down to Hatton Cross. The signage in Heathrow to get you from the Elizabeth line to the Piccadilly line is beyond hopeless!

Worth noting that there is a small newsagents and food store actually in the Hatton Cross tube station. So that’s a great place to pick up a sandwich if you need one either at the end or the beginning of the trip.

There’s a lot of noise on this route. Initially coming from the aeroplanes and then as you walk along the main road that leads away from Hatton Cross tube. But then when you turn left into the woods, you gradually leave all the chaos behind and slowly but surely the world quietens down. Sure it kicks off again when you get to some roads a bit later, but walking along the side of the river Crane has its lovely peaceful moments with just trees and weeds and bushes and bird song. The river Crane really is a little lifeline in this part of London.

Walking through the woods just north of the motorway there’s really no sign of all the chaos and broken trees that were strewn around when I walk through here last time after that big storm. Sure there’s a few fallen trees and branches and things blended in amongst the trees, but that’s the case for every woodland. I suppose when you think about it, every woodland having existed for centuries must have witnessed endless storms and the fallen trees that you normally see are just testament to the passage of time and changing weather. But here, I saw the most recent storm and its immediate effect; though already accommodated into the natural state of the wood.

It might be worth noting that two days ago and I was walking. I was shattered after 10 K but I was trying hard to make the walk on reduced calories as part of my diet. Today when I got to Hatton Cross I had tuna-mayo and sweetcorn sub with a Samosa. And so far today at 5K I’ve been striding along with force. So maybe it’s false economy to reduce the calories on a hiking day.

The footpath signs on that roundabout on the A road just north of Junction three of the motorway are a bit rubbish. They need rethinking.

The section of the canal north of West Drayton has a lot more boats on it than the section before there. The earlier section was somewhat deserted but after West Drayton, its chock-a-block.

07 - Fulwell to Hatton Cross - 10th May 2025 (11.9 km)

A lovely sunny day in May. The sun perhaps a little bit too hot but I had my suncream and hat so was hoping all would be well. The journey to Fulwell is a bit of a pest. I took a train from Sydenham to Crystal Palace then the Victoria train to Clapham Junction and then the Shepperton train to Fulwell so I got here at just about 12:20 in the afternoon .

There was initially quite a lot of walking on footpaths by the side of houses, although the roads are reasonably quiet and leafy. There’s a small leafy path section just round the back of a tennis club but then you’re back on the main road and heading along the sidewalk again and threading your way through a housing estate.

Once you get to the river Crane things change completely. It’s a very pleasant wooded path along the side of the river with birdsong, grass, brambles and all manner of things. Really very nice.

Oddly, though the skies were completely clear and blue, as I stood beneath a tree on the banks of a little river in Hounslow Heath just passed the second bridge, it seemed like I was getting rained on with fairly large drips of plain water from the tree above. I have no idea why or how that’s possible, but it did seem to be the case . The tree might be a willow. It had leaves a bit like a eucalyptus but I took a picture of it anyway for later.

I think this section of the London Loop is one of my favourite sections. It’s true there’s a lot of aeroplanes overhead, but it really is lovely through the heath

Something odd to note is that I’ve seen so many people today in these lovely wild looking natural places with headphones on or talking into their phones and absolutely having no interest in the places they are walking. Very strange

Quite soon after that by the river, it looked like there were huge patches of giant hogweed. I took pictures just so I could have a look later. Pretty sure that’s what they are though.

It seems like Donkey Wood is right underneath the flight path. So you get to see and hear a LOT of low aircraft. And it also seems like since I was here last, they’ve laid a gravel path all the way through which is welcome as it makes walking very easy.

I am noticing that my left boot is rubbing on the right hand side of my left big toe. Not sure if the toenail needs a clip or if it’s over clipped or if my feet have spread where if the boots are too small, but something is not right.

I made it okay to Hatton Cross but was quite glad to get there really. I lost the glow a kilometre or two before so I guess my comfortable limit is about 10 K at the minute. It needs to go up but little by little will do it.

In passing on the train, I wondered what all the aggregate works are for at Acton mainline station.