London LOOP: walk all the way around the capital
By: Dan Poulton
Tags: Maps, Hiking, London, Walking, Exercise

After the country park, you cross over Elstree Golf Course and finish the section outside Elstree and Borehamwood station.

Section 16: Elstree to Cockfosters

Section 16 brings you back into London, beginning at Elstree in Hertfordshire and ending 10 miles later in Cockfosters in North London.

You first head south to Barnet Lane, where you go east and enter Scratchwood Park.

After that, you cross the A1 into Nut Wood and Moat Mount Open Space. You’ll notice a small river called Dollis Brook which is followed by the Dollis Valley Greenwalk.

The London Loop joins part of this walk, after you’ve walked through Old Cholmeleian Sports Club.

You follow Dollis Brook all the way to Barnet Playing fields, where you turn north to High Barnet.

Once there, you cross King George’s Playing Fields, track the edge of Hadley Green, Monken Hadley Common and Hadley Wood.

You then reach the end of Bakers Hill, where you cross over the railway to a footpath leading to the Pymmes Brook Trail, which begins at Jack’s Lake.

After that, you follow the trail to Cockfosters Road, where this section ends at the District Line station.

Section 17: Cockfosters to Enfield Lock

You walk 9.5 miles from Cockfosters to Enfield Lock, both in North London.

You set out from the tube station to neighbouring Trent Park. You leave the park at Ferny Hill, taking a footpath to Salmon’s Brook.

From there, you follow the brook to The Ridgeway, passing Brook Wood.

At the Ridgeway, you turn right and then left, taking a country lane which crosses Turkey Brook and a railway line, before reaching Strayfield Road.

Next you head into Hilly Fields, cross Clay Hill and track Turkey Brook all the way to the River Lea at Enfield.

This section ends a little way before the River Lea, near Enfield Lock station.

Section 18: Enfield Lock to Chingford

Continuing from Enfield Lock you follow a 4 mile trail to Chingford north-east London.

You first take the trail alongside Turkey Brook to the River Lea.

This section crosses the River Lee, where you can pick up the north-south Lee Valley Walk, another of the seven Walk London routes.

We’re heading east on the London LOOP, passing Enfield Island Village.

You then head south to Yardley Hill, pass Gilwell Park Scout Activity Centre and track the north side of Chingford Golf Course.

After that, you cross Bury Road and head through Chingford Plains to the routes end, near to Chingford station.

Section 19: Chingford to Chigwell

Next it’s Chingford to Chigwell, on the Greater London/Essex border, over 4 miles.

The route begins near Chingford Overground station. Cross over Ranger’s Road into Chingford Plain, following a watercourse to the east.

Next, you turn south and walk through Epping Forest Visitor Centre, emerging back out on Ranger’s Road. You follow the road down to The Ching (a stream) where you pick up a footpath to Epping New Road.

Epping Forest is an ancient woodland on the London-Essex border, sitting on a ridge between the Rivers Lee and Roding. Once much larger, the modern day forest is now 12 miles long north to south, but very narrow west to east.

Epping Forest (Peter Trimming)

Once you reach Epping New Road, you take another footpath to the High Road. From there, you take North End, The Drive and a footpath to Linder’s Field Nature Reserve.

Then, you cross over the railway to Thaxted Road, and take Green Walk across Valley Road all the way to the River Roding. Around the River Roding there’s lots of green space, two cricket clubs, a football club, a large pond and several footpaths.

If you’re carrying on to the routes end, cross over the River Roding, walk down to Roding Lane, which takes you over the M11 motorway. Take Chigwell Rise at the junction after the M11, which takes you to the High Road Chigwell, and the end of Section 19.

Section 20: Chigwell to Havering-atte Bower

Section 20 takes you 6 miles from Chigwell to Havering-atte-Bower, a village in Greater London. This very green section is mostly off road.

You continue up the High Road and turn right on to Green Lane, a narrow country lane. At the end of Green Lane, you’ll see a footpath sign for the London Loop. The footpath takes you across green fields and a water works.

The footpath ends at Chapel Lane, where you turn left on to Lambourne Road. You’ll see a green which you cross over to get to Chigwell Row Wood. You cut across the wood to Romford Road, and head into Hainault Wood Country Park.

In the country park, the footpath takes you down to the boating lake, up to the golf course, through Mile Long Plantation and to the River Rom.

Once you get to the River Rom, you’ll be on Lodge Lane, where you head south and turn left into Carter Drive. From there, you take a path across a field to Havering Country Park.

You leave the country park via Wellingtonia Avenue, and the route ends at The Green Haveing-atte-Bower.

Section 21: Havering-atte-Bower to Harold Wood

The next section begins at Havering-atte-Bower, and runs for 4.3 miles to Harold Wood, Romford.

You set out from The Green and head north to find a footpath which takes you to Pyrgo Park. The footpath continues to Paternoster Road, before another footpath takes you to Cummings Hall Lane.

From there, you cross over Noak Hill Road and head into Tees Drive. You’ll see a footpath which takes you from Tees Drive into Little Hatter’s Wood. You’ll track Carter’s Brook as you continue down the footpath.

Once you reach Dagnam Park Drive, you cross over into Central Park where Carter’s Brook becomes Paines Brook. You now follow Paines Brook through a narrow green space all the way to Church Road, Harold Wood.

It’s a short distance to the routes end at Harold Wood station (Elizabeth Line).

Section 22: Harold Wood to Upminster Bridge

This section starts out in Harold Wood and continues for 4 miles to Upminster Bridge, East London.

This time we’re following the River Ingrebourne which you’ll find in Harold Wood Park. As you carry on along the path you’ll find a large wooded area, and you briefly leave the river and join Hall Lane to cross over the A127.

Once you reach River Drive, you rejoin the River Ingrebourne and head south to Lee Gardens Avenue, Upminster.

The route ends at Upminster Bridge tube station.

Section 23: Upminster Bridge to Rainham

The penultimate section begins in Upminster and continues for 4 miles to Rainham, London.

Head east from Upminster Bridge station to find Bridge Avenue to your right. Follow Bridge Avenue past Hornchurch Stadium and pick up Ingrebourne Way.

Now you’re back on the River Ingrebourne and the long footpath alongside it takes you to almost all the way to our routes end. First you pass through Ingrebourne Local Nature Reserve, before arriving in Hornchurch Country Park, and finally Ingrebourne Hill Wood.

Next you leave the green spaces behind for Rainham Road, which takes you to the end of this section at Rainham train station.

Section 24: Rainham to Purfleet

The last section takes you from Rainham to the River Thames at Purfleet, Essex over 5 miles.

You leave Rainham train station and head south on a footpath alongside Ferry Lane, crossing the A13 as you do.

The footpath continues down to Coldharbour Lane and then Ferry Lane, and now you’re on the River Thames.

The Rainham to Purfleet Path takes you all the way to London Road, Purfleet, where you find the end of the London Loop at Purfleet train station.

Unlike Section 1 which begins on the other side of the River Thames, this last section does not connect up with the Thames Path. The Thames Path, which runs from source to estuary often on both sides of the river, finishes near Blackwall on the northern side.