London Loop Diaries #1
Section 1: Erith to Old Bexley (walked 4th October 2025)
Watching a Morrisons security guard having a fight with a thief was not what I expected my first impression of Erith to be but that’s what I got. Erith itself feels like a place out of time and reminded me a lot of the coastal towns in Devon & Cornwall that have been forgotten as industries have moved elsewhere. The new build apartments indicate a desire to revitalise the area but the empty storefronts left me wondering if it was working.
After my dramatic introduction to Erith, it was time to kick off section one of the London Loop proper. The first real point of interest (for me at least) was Erith Pier, London’s longest pier which used to act as a deep water wharf for industrial ships docking in London until as recently as 1950. Nowadays, the pier is popular with people fishing, walking dogs or simply watching the world go by, on a less windy day (I foolishly started the walk on the weekend Storm Amy battered the UK) I might’ve sat for a while.
Leaving Erith via a very sketchy path through an industrial estate, I made my way into Crayford Marshes, my highlight of section 1. Popular with walkers, cyclists and bird watchers, the marshes feel so far removed from London that I forgot that I was still technically in the City. It’s a gorgeous stretch of land with striking views of the Queen Elizabeth II bridge and yachts from Erith Yacht Club bobbing up and down on the Thames making for great photo opportunities. This is exactly what I’m hoping to see more of on the London Loop, I want to see everything London has to offer beyond the hustle and bustle of the City that I love.
The serenity of the marshes is spoiled by an absolutely huge scrap metal plant and a recycling centre with the noise of metal being scraped digging into my ears. Thankfully, they don’t take long to walk past and before long I was waving goodbye to the Thames before heading inland along the River Darent, leaving the marshland altogether via the River Cray.
Things start to get more residential for the remainder of the section but most of the walk along the River Cray runs behind the town on a footpath with minimal interaction with Crayford itself. Leaving Crayford involved crossing the A2 which involves going up onto the road itself, back down again and then under it in order to cross. Had I realised this earlier, I would’ve opted for an alternate route but the lesson here is to better research each section before starting it.
After crossing the A2 it was a short walk through Churchfield Wood, past the church of St. Mary the Virgin and into the centre of Old Bexley, the end of section 1 of the Loop. Old Bexley felt worlds away from where I started in Erith, a picturesque village with a lovely atmosphere and plenty of people going about their days.
9 miles down. 141 miles to go.
