Abbey Wood to Woolwich, 6 Jan

Meet 10.00 am at Abbey Wood station (Elizabeth Line). Please use the loos inside the station before exiting. Please be sure to arrive on time – by 10 am – at the starting point. The route to The Thames is not straight forward and cannot easily be explained to late comers.

Lunch please bring your own picnic as well as snacks, fluids.

The walk is six to seven miles, mostly on hard surfaces – so please wear walking shoes/boots with good cushioning. There are no drop out points.

We walk from Abbey Wood station to Lesnes Abbey, with a 10 min stop for more loos and a very quick look around the garden. NB: local people exercise their dogs at Lesnes Abbey so you may come across dogs off lead. This is NOT a coffee stop. There are no more public loos until Woolwich, and there is no al fresco loo cover en route. 

We then follow part of the Green Chain – Abbey Way to Ridgeview until we reach the Thames by the site of the old Victorian Crossness pumping station. There will be about a short detour for a better look at the extent of the buildings, and there is a ramp that will give us views of the modern water treatment facility and incinerator works in the distance.

Then we turn and head west along the Thames. 

We will stop around 12 noon at a spot with concrete benches for our sandwiches or snacks or both. This site gives good views of the Thames.

Then on we go until we reach Woolwich, where there is a poossibility of group photo at Peter Burke’s Assembly sculptures.  Refreshments at the Works Cafe or Dial Arch gastro pub or elsewhere of your choice. The Elizabeth Line Woolwich station is close to the Dial Arch gastro pub.

There are other ways of getting to and from the starting and finishing points by public transport, which some may wish to explore. But the Elizabeth line worked perfectly for this walk.

At the moment, the weather forecast is not too bad.  

Perhaps I will see you next Saturday? Patricia (non-members please contact walks@morleyramblers.uk)