WFP SE Meet; Edge Of London Walk 22nd April 2017

I set off from home on Saturday the 22nd April 2017 for my first Walking For Pleasure South East walk. I've walked with these guys n gals before but its my first with the new group name. I get two trains and a tube and arrive at Wimbledon Station. Being a bit early I grab a coffee before joining the group.
Wimbledon has been inhabited since at least the Iron Age when the hill fort on Wimbledon Common is thought to have been constructed.
 In the 18th century the Dog and Fox public house became a stop on the stagecoach run from London to Portsmouth, then in 1838 the London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) opened a station to the south east of the village at the bottom of Wimbledon hill. The location of the station shifted the focus of the town's subsequent growth away from the original village centre.
After a few photographs and a brief chat, we were handed an impressive route map and places of interest of our walk today by David and we made our way up Wimbledon Hill Road towards Wimbledon Village.

Up in the Village we come across a water fountain with a plaque commemorating Joseph Toynbee .

Joseph Toynbee (30 December 1815 – 7 July 1866) was an English otologist, whose career was dedicated to pathological and anatomical studies of the ear. He died in July 1866 while conducting experiments with prussic acid and chloroform as a remedy for tinnitus. Either one of these substances or their combination are responsible for his death. He was buried at St Mary's Church, Wimbledon.

As we passed the Dog And Fox PH, a group of horse riders set off down the road towards the Common. A indication we are indeed on the Edge of London  !

As we pass the Wimbledon War memorial we cross the road and enter Wimbledon Common (Home of the Wombles for those old enough to remember them).

Wimbledon Common, together with Putney Heath and Putney Lower Common, is protected by the Wimbledon and Putney Commons Act of 1871 from being enclosed or built upon. The common is for the benefit of the general public for informal recreation, and for the preservation of natural flora and fauna. It is the largest expanse of heathland in the London area.

After a bit of walking we reach the Wimbledon Windmill. 

The Windmill has been a distinctive landmark since it was built in 1817 to serve the local community. However it only operated until 1864, when the machinery was removed and it was converted to residential accommodation. In 1976 the first floor was opened as a museum, and this was extended to the whole building in 1998.

A museum  has a display of Scouting memorabilia, commemorating the writing of part of 'Scouting for Boys' by Robert Baden-Powell in the Mill House in 1908.

Leaving the Windmill we head back along a path across the common passing a kestrel sitting high up in a tree.

After some more walking through some gorgeous woodland we reach the Beverley Brook with graceful chub darting about in the crystal clear currents. We follow the river for a stretch now.

We reach the A3 that we cross using a crossing before entering Richmond Park. Looking at the map I never did get an answer as to why there's an area called Spankers Hill Woods!

Richmond Park was created by Charles I in the 17th century as a deer park. The largest of London's Royal Parks.

In 1625 Charles I brought his court to Richmond Palace to escape an outbreak of plague in London and turned the area on the hill above Richmond into a park for the hunting of red and fallow deer. It was originally referred to as the king's "New Park" to distinguish it from the existing park in Richmond, which is now known as Old Deer Park.

Red Deer Herd

We walk uphill and with views like this its easy to forget you'll in London if it wasn't fro the large jets heading to Heathrow Airport frequently overhead.

We reach Pen Ponds where we stop briefing for a quick breather while others catch up.

A young Great Crested Grebe.

View over to Wembley Stadium.

View across to London

We now come to the protected view of St Pauls Cathedral.
A view from King Henry VIII’s Mound in Richmond Park to St Paul’s Cathedral a distance of over 10 miles (16 km) and created in 1710, this view frames the cathedral through a special gap in holly hedging, down a specially maintained clear avenue in Sidmouth Wood and then all the way across London.

We reach the cafe in the park by Pembroke Lodge. 

Pembroke Lodge is a unique Grade II listed Georgian Mansion situated at the highest point of the largest Royal Park within London. The building is steeped in history with many royal, political and military connections. Pembroke Lodge has been lovingly restored by The Hearsum Family Limited to provide two fully fitted banqueting suites and award winning tea rooms.

After lunch was finished we set off  along the path and through the park.

Leaving Richmond Gate we head off down the road towards Ham Common.

A fair on Ham Common.

A view down to Ham House

We pass the entrance to Ham House.

Originally built in 1610, Ham House is the creation of an enterprising courtier, William Murray, and his tenacious daughter Elizabeth. As a boy, William was educated with the young Charles I, taking the role of his whipping boy.

Remaining friends as adults, they shared a taste for the latest fashions in architecture, art and interior decoration. William was given the lease of Ham House and its estate as a gift from the King in 1626.

 

By her cunning, William's eldest daughter Elizabeth was able to steer Ham through Cromwell's rule by establishing good relations with the Protector. All the while she sent secret Royalist messages to the prince in exile on the continent.

When Charles II was restored to power in 1660, Ham once again became a place for entertaining and extravagance. This time it was under the ownership of Elizabeth.

In 1672, aged 46, Elizabeth married for the second time, this time to the affluent Duke of Lauderdale. He was a key member of King Charles' inner cabinet. Sharing a love of power and decadence, together they made a dynamic Restoration court couple. They transformed Ham House into one of the grandest Stuart houses in England.

A Gatehouse to Ham House

After a bit of road walking we reach The Thames at Teddington Lock. The first pound lock, built by the City of London, opened to river traffic here in 1811 and it was located beneath the steel footbridge by the lock. Due to problems with water levels caused by the removal of the old London Bridge, a new lock was built a short way downstream in 1857 - this is the current 'launch' lock.

We cross the two bridges across the lock to get views of the lock,The Thames and the weir.

Teddington Lock Footbridge consists of two separate bridges across the River Thames in England situated just upstream of Teddington Lock at Teddington. There is a small island between the bridges.
The two footbridges were built between 1887 and 1889, funded by donations from local residents and businesses. They replaced a ferry which gave its name to Ferry Road at Teddington. The western bridge consists of a suspension bridge crossing the weir stream and linking the island to Teddington. The eastern bridge is an iron girder bridge crossing the lock cut and linking the island to Ham on the Surrey bank.
In recent years wooden ramps have been added to the approach to the bridge on the Ham side and to the middle part on the small island so that cycles and pushchairs etc. can avoid the steps up to and down from that section of the bridge.
From this point downstream the Thames Path runs on both sides of the river and upstream it runs on the Surrey side only.

Teddington Weir is a man-made structure which has changed enormously over time. In our designs we have sought to capture and improve upon the essence of the weir. We hope that, over time, our hydro scheme will become as familiar and loved as Teddington footbridge is today.
A weir was in place on the Thames at Teddington by 1345, although it was destroyed about 1535. A new lock was opened in 1811. Since 1811, the weir has marked the end of the tidal reach of the river. Prior to 1811, the tide used to go as far upriver as Walton, and occasionally even to Staines.
Teddington Lock is a complex of three locks and a weir on the River Thames, and consists of a conventional launch lock, a very large barge lock and a small skiff lock.

The section of the weir to be used for the hydroelectric scheme was reconstructed in 1991-92 and now incorporates two sluice gates, two overspills and two fish passes between the roller sluices and the river wall.

The Anglers PH a Youngs pub tease us but we had to push on and a beer had to wait !

The group walked on but I ran back to run across to get a picture of the blue plaque that commemorates the filming of Monty Pythons Fish slapping dance that was filmed here.

A clip of the dance, well worth a watch!

Now I ran back and catch up with the group and pass a pillar. The Non tidal River Thames is an historic Statutory Public Right of Navigation from Town Bridge, Cricklade to the boundary obelisk just downstream of Teddington Lock. Its statutory framework is provided by the various Thames Conservancy Act.

We pass the expensive homes each with a yacht moored at the end of each. The yachts alone are more expensive than my home !

A Heron ( One of many seen)

We now pass Eel Pie Island. It is situated on the Tideway and can be reached only by footbridge or boat. The island was known as a major jazz and blues venue in the 1960s.

Today, the island has about 50 houses with 120 inhabitants, a couple of boatyards and some small businesses and artists' studios. It has nature reserves at either end, but there is no public access to these.
The island is privately owned and the public can only access the main pathway from the bridge, passing all the doors and gates of the houses and businesses on the island. On a few weekends a year, usually in June and December and dubbed "Artists' Open Studios", the public are invited to visit the collection of art studios, known as Eel Pie Island Art Studios.
The Eel Pie Studios or Oceanic Studios at The Boathouse on the mainland nearby, formerly owned by Pete Townshend, were the location of several significant pop and rock recordings. Townshend's publishing company, Eel Pie Publishing, is also named after the ait.

Sand Martin Bank

For his 2005 television show How To Start Your Own Country, presenter Danny Wallace claimed to be "Leader" of Eel Pie Island after invading the island via the footbridge. After a few hours, the Metropolitan Police Service forced him to give the island back peacefully to Queen Elizabeth II.

We stop again just past Eel Pie Island at an ice cream van for ice creams and a break before walking onwards on the home stretch.

View to the former Star and Garter Home

The Star & Garter Home in Richmond opened its doors to the first residents on 14 January 1916, under the auspices of the British Red Cross Society, to care for the severely disabled young men returning from the battlegrounds of the First World War.
During the Second World War, the Home became a haven for a new generation of injured soldiers, sailors and airmen. These young men looked to staff and their older peers for guidance in facing a life of disability. In addition to nursing and therapeutic care, the Charity offered training in skills such as crafts and finance to promote independence.

Now its been converting into apartments sadly.

Here half of the group head off along the river straight to the pub whilst the rest of us head up Terrace gardens to get the views back along the river and worthwhile it was too!

The scenic panorama may be viewed from Terrace Walk, laid out near the top of the hill in the 18th century. This promenade surmounts the Terrace Gardens and both are Grade II listed in Historic England's Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England.

In each of the alcoves there were homeless people camping !

Now back on the river we head to the pub where a pint is waiting for us!

We reach the White Cross Inn where I order myself a well earned pint of Youngs London Gold.

After a debrief I leave the group where they were staying to have their meal , whilst I head off home to the Tube Station after a lovely 12.5 mile walk.

A big thank you to David and Siobhan for organising the walk and to all for great company. Till next time.