More hills - and a lot of mud - on the Green London Way.

This was the eighth in Pam's series following the Green London Way, although being winter and the conditions underfoot being as they were, perhaps “green” was not quite the appropriate colour.

We all – all being five of us – met on the Overground train from Whitechapel. That is to say, Pam and Sue were already aboard as it pulled into Whitechapel station and Jill, Fred and I boarded to join them.

Forest Hill station – being the finishing point of the last leg – was the start point of this one, so we proceeded uphill (notice an important part of that term) in much – or, to be precise, exactly – the opposite direction and inclination (or declination?) to that we had taken at the end of last month's section (or leg). This led us to the Horniman Museum, which was conveniently used as a loo stop. I also paid my respects to the walrus and the okapi, quickly.

Through the parklands, which included a farmer's market, then downhill to again use a short stretch of the old railway-line-now-nature-reserve, then across the busy Lordship Lane to pass through a housing-estate passageway and through the gates that lead to Sydenham Hill Woods.

The access to the woods is a slightly uphill pathway between railings and probably only a few hundred metres long – if that. However, it felt somewhat longer as it was muddy. We have most of us experienced the trough between fences which with the passage of humans, dogs and bicycles leads to a trough becoming a slough. There wouldn't really have been enough room for anything other than a particularly well-aimed bomb, and certainly for a summer walk that would not have been at all friendly, but the slough aspect of it had me thinking of John Betjeman.

The path deposits one near a bridge across what seems to be a natural gorge, but this was the route of the the previously mentioned Crystal Palace and South London Junction Railway. There is a notice board on the bridge showing a train in the view back when, and the present aspect is totally unrecognisable. Entrance to Dulwich Woods is through a gate in the railings that surround the woods, as they are private. They are part of the Dulwich Estate, and notices at the entrances make it clear what may or may not be done to or taken in to the woods. Also, it is made clear that pedestrian access is permissive only, and no right of way is to be understood. It is obviously a popular place, for we encountered reasonable number of adults and children enjoying a lovely woodland area, with plenty of mud, to boot.

Now, the view from up there...We used a convenient bench to have a quick refreshment and enjoyed a bit of sunshine and a bit of sleet. But at that time both were brief, the latter so much so that some of the group – and remember there were only five of us – missed it. Shortly after we emerged onto a tarry road, which as Fred pointed out might have been as sticky as the mud if we'd actually gone there on a WARM day. This road is evidentially a private one, and not open normally to vehicle traffic, being part of the Dulwich Estate. At the end of the road – which, by the way, was the top end as all the hills were up ones, we looked at an Italianate pub and an art deco apartment block – or was it a house? There was also a large house where John Logie Baird worked on his experiments with television. This was actually an important aspect of the walk, because we were walking towards the increasingly visible mast of the BBC television transmitter at Crystal Palace.

Now here is a thing, because we went downhill for a way – with the North Downs in the distance – to enter the nicely laid-out Sydenham Wells Park. Whilst Pam read out a short bit about the park and its name deriving from the Epsom-salt laden mineral waters once taken hereabouts, four of us stood or sat and listened in warm sunshine. There were crocuses and snowdrops in flower, and cherry trees quite covered in blossom. There were birds singing and maidens dancing. I diverge into fancy.

Shortly, after an uphill bit, we entered Crystal Palace Park. It probably comes as no surprise to most that the park was named after the famous Crystal Palace, which was relocated here from Hyde Park in 1854. When it was destroyed by fire in 1934 it is said that the glow could be seen from Brighton. Pam said something about being able to smell the sea breeze, too – but I think that was also a fancy. We walked up to the terrace where the palace stood, and peered upwards to view the TV mast. This was somehat reminiscent of peering upwards to view the 60 inch TV screens mounted above the mantle piece in some homes - much to the detriment of necks and mantles.

We walked through the park to the cafeteria for lunch and then on to view the dinosaurs by the Lower Lake. They are actually in the lake, or at least the more aquatic ones are – or on islands. I'm sure when I did this walk too many years ago you could touch them or even climb on them, so they must have moved, or else it's flooding.

Our return was via Crystal Palace station, now a terminus of the Overground system but sometimes considered to be one of the most inaccessible London stations. It is quite a magnificent building – a legacy of it being constructed to cater for visitors to the Great Exhibition in the Crystal Palace in 1851. It has recently undergone a major renovation to restore the Victorian ticket hall and to provide lift alternatives to the 100 or so steps down to the platforms. For me, it was a fitting end to a grand – if muddy – walk. We used the stairs.

Paul Ferris, 31st January 2016

Dinosaurs - and EFOG party

Just Dinosaurs - and ducks