Section #1 Summary
Distance Walked: 9.34 miles
Time to walk: 2hrs 50 mins
Segment #1 Rating = 5/10
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.
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 and watched the world go by.
Leaving the pier and I encountered the first of several industrial estates in that litter section 1, nothing much to really say about it other than my desire to get past it as quickly as possible.
Having successfully navigated my way through Erith, 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, 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 adding some fun variety to the scenery. It doesn’t last though as I soon encountered a second industrial estate, an absolutely huge scrap metal plant and a recycling centre that seemed to stretch on for miles and noise of metal being scraped spoiling the serenity of the marshland. They don’t take long to walk past though and before long I was enjoying a last look at the Thames before heading inland along the River Darent and then leaving the marshland altogether via the River Cray.
This is where things started to get more residential for the remainder of the section but thankfully 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 have 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 Old Bexley itself, the end of section 1 of the Loop. Arriving in Old Bexley felt worlds away from where I started in Erith, a picturesque village that I’m looking forward to seeing more of when I start section 2 of the Loop in November.
From Bexley train station, I should’ve had an easy commute back into Central London but I timed my visit with weekend engineering works which meant taking a rail replacement bus back to Dartford to continue my journey. I’m sure it won’t be the last time I have this experience on my journey around London.
