.......go out walking? You won’t spend and you’ll see that London is much more than you thought, it can still give you the feeling that it was once villages and countryside. Try two of my favourites, they’re circular. During lockdown I’ve been doing them in the early morning and they’ve kept me happy. I think they will you.
Try walk number one:
Make your way to Perivale station, 297 bus or central line, turn right and walk to the canal, and when you reach it turn left and walk for ten minutes. You’ll see boats, people living on boats, ducks, ducklings at this time of year, a few joggers and me probably.


When you get to the first bridge, a wooden one, cross it into the park. And you’ll find this pretty path into the park. Walk through the park for a minute or so, then any turning on the right takes you into what I now call the buttercup meadows. I imagine that as the year progresses the flowers will change but these meadows have been so beautiful with their golden glow of buttercups.
Keep walking, any direction through one meadow after another, you can’t get lost. Any path will take you sooner or later to the road. Look out for The Ballot Box pub, (closed now, but handy for a quick beer in a while). On the same side of the road as the pub there’s a path into another green area. Here you have a choice to go up to the top of the hill or have a walk through a wood. I suggest the path through the wood, (my friend and I sat down there on a hot morning, drank our coffee and were amazed that in London we could see such loveliness.)
Or try walk number 2:
This one starts at Hammersmith station. From there make your way to Hammersmith bridge, just ask almost anyone for directions, it’s only a five minute walk. It’s a beautiful bridge and the river walks in any direction are really lovely.
I like to start on the Hammersmith side, turn right, stopping to look at the water, is the tide in or can you see the mud and stones we like to call the beach. Then there’s the house boats to look at. If the pubs are open, stop and watch the passers-by, everyone’s favourite hobby, or make your way to The Dove at the end of Furnival Gardens. It’s my favourite pub in the whole of London and you can hope there’s a table on the balcony overlooking the river because it is so enjoyable to sit there, eat something and watch the river traffic.


Published on 28 March, 2023