Today's walk kicked off from Norwood Junction at about 10:40, I was piggy backing on the back of another walking project which walking around all the London Football Clubs with Minkco, we had already completed AFC Wimbledon to Crystal palace and today we were doing Millwall and Charlton and stopping at Woolwich Arsenal, unfortunately due to the Pub Olympics we never got as far as Woolwich Arsenal having stopped at the Valley, were Minkco got a train back to London for Johnny Cash concert, whilst I continued on home. A total of 15.8 miles was completed against a forecast for this route of 8.5 miles.
From Norwood Junction we followed the railway line back the way we came, through South Norwood and Anerley. We walked through Betts Park where we saw what remains of the former Croydon Canal. The Canal ran 9.25 miles from Croydon via Forest Hill to the Grand Surrey Canal at New Cross (which we also passed on this walk). The Canal was opened in 1809 and Closed in 1836. It was sold to the London and Croydon Railway and was partly used for its railway route.
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| Croydon Canal |
We then headed for Crystal Palace, to view the splendid Railway Station, this is one of two stations built to serve the site of the 1851 exhibition building, the Crystal Palace, when it was moved from Hyde Park to Sydenham Hill in 1854.
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| Crystal Palace Railway Station |
Having viewed the Station, which even Minkco thought was impressive, we moved on to Crystal Palace Park to see the site of the former exhibition building, which burnt down in 1936. Having looked at some old pictures of the building and having been to the site it must have been monstrous and overwhelming. Behind the site is the Crystal Palace transmitter.
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| Site of the former Crystal Palace |
After cutting through the park and the National Sports Centre we passed through Sydenham and Forest Hill, with Minkco eyeing up all the Pubs as by now the "Sun was well over the Yard Arm"! It was around here somewhere that we stopped off at a charity shop to hand in my puzzle which I had completed earlier in the week. When I say my puzzle, I mean my wife's, she got it as a Christmas Present a few years ago, but it was not very inspiring so took ages to complete! Once completed it was actually pretty impressive!
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| Edward Gorey - Jigsaw Puzzle Completed |
Whilst walking between Crystal Palace Park and Upper Sydenham we came across a number of houses with Blue Plaques, the most famous (to me that is) was Sir Ernst Shackleton in Westwood Hill. If you follow this link you will see what I mean about all the plaques! I must say there are some really lovely properties in this area.
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| Once the home of Sir Ernst Shackleton |
Having negotiated our way through Sydenham, Forest Hill and Honor Oak admiring the lovely autumn colours we cut through Camberwell New Cemetery from where I could see Shooters Hill and the houses that line my road.
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| Camberwell New Cemetery |
And not before long we had arrived at Nunhead Cemetery, one of the Magnificent Seven, the name afforded to the seven large private cemeteries in London which were created following an Act of Parliament in 1832 to alleviate overcrowding in existing parish burial grounds. The other six are Kensal Green, West Norwood, Highgate, Abney Park, Brompton and Tower Hamlets. I have been to a number of them and Nunhead is particularly haunting. I used to bring the girls hill and let them play and ride their bikes, Sarah particularly enjoyed it as she was going through her 'Goth' phase!
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| Nunhead Cemetery - Chapel |
Having passed through Nunhead it was a fairly straight route north via Pomeroy Street and Ilderton Road to arrive at The (New) Den, home of Millwall Football Club. Strangely enough I was back here the following week for AFC's 0-0 draw, a credible result with ten men, although Millwall were without Gregory and Morison.
From Millwall its just a short hop to the Dog & Bell in Deptford, on route we followed the course of the former Grand Surrey Canal. This was constructed during the early 19th Century. It opened to the Old Kent Toad in 1807, Camberwell in 1810 and Peckham in 1826. Its main purpose was to transport cargo, primarily timber to the Surrey Commercial Docks. The canal closed progressively from the 1940s, with all but the Greenland Dock closing in 1970. Much of the route is traceable, as it has been turned into roadways and linear parks.
At the Dog we had a couple of pints and a game of Bar Billiard's, I lost rather heavily.
By now it was beginning to get dark and Mincko had in mind another Pub visit, the Pelton Arms in Greenwich and a short stop from The Valley, but before then we had a pleasant walk alongside the river passing Peter the Great (a statue), the Naval College and the Cutty Sark
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| Canary Wharf from Deptford Wharf |
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| The Naval College Greenwich, now home to Greenwich University |
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| The Cutty Sark |
We also passed the Trafalgar Arms, The Yacht and the Cutty Sark, these are all Pubs (none of which appear in the good beer guide), before we arrived at the Pelton Arms, which Mincko was suitable impressed with. Here we had a couple of pints and a couple of games of Darts, which I won, the score is now 2-1 in the Pub Olympics, as Mincko has also won at Snooker.
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| Celebrating my victory |
It was now dark and it was now raining, we decided to halt our Football walk at the Valley where Mincko caught the 17:17 train back to London.
I meanwhile carried on home, walking up Charlton Church Street, through Charlton Village and headed for Hornfair Park where I would cut through to Woolwich Common and then home. Unfortunately the exit was locked in the Park and I had to re-trace my tracks back to Shooters Hill Road and continue on home. I guess I arrived home at about 18:30 - quite a long old day.
