Broorp two

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 100.00% of reviewers

Very nice. Crofton / Sparrow Woods were thankfully dry. Plenty of other green and even rural feeling sections, plus quiet residential roads Loses a star for the line being messed up twice, briefly just north of Orpington Station but also the km leading to Bromley South Station. On the ground there are beguiling but wrong alternatives that you might reasonably assume the line was supposed to follow.

GPS signal didn't work under the leafy canopy of Crofton Woods and OS maps don't show all the paths or which bits are now woodland. The paths curve, branch and turn. I'd recommend using the London Loop waymarkers and the path along the wood edge by the stream. They meet at a large wood framed info board map, in case the wooden fingerpost is hidden by holly branches again. Lots of dog walkers and locals around though, I'm sure someone could set you right if needed.
I'm going to post a map of the paths later.

ETA I chose a different way at the Bromley end. From the end of Siward Rd, dogleg onto Langdon, a dead end for cars. Out onto Kentish Way/A21. Down a few metres, cross at the lights. Looked up at Waitrose building. Follow sign/arrow right to customer entrance (up Kentish Way a tad then footway round building). Bromley South Station is the other end of the carpark. I was too late to buy a cold drink on a hot day but the crossing was fine and this made more sense to me. If you were coming from the station this would be ok too.

But if trying to use the actual route coming from Bromley, you would probably go up a set of steps behind the other side of the station, and end up on the A21 anyway, except the crossing would be further away, perhaps hidden by the rise and bend of the road. And on the opposite side of 4 lanes of traffic, where the route should be perpendicular to them, there is a blank brick wall. So you'd have to improvise anyhow. It's a bit frustrating that there's a niggle so near the end/beginning point. I don't want people to be wrongfooted and lose confidence before they have a chance to appreciate the route's better parts.

I think this is a perfect suburban London Slow Way. Much of the first half of the route goes through beautiful woodland, quiet recreation grounds and long, traffic free, alleyways. Along the whole route, the Slow Way only crosses about two roads which can be even vaguely described as busy (and they have good crossing points).
Crofton Woods can get muddy (I walked in January) but there are many side parallel paths which are relatively mud free. There are a free steps along the route which would make this not the most accessible route (such as at the very beginning near Orpington Station) but these could be avoided with some small road diversions.

Very much as per the overall description. Pleasant scenic route from Bromley to Orpington. Very similar to BroOrp One, in that much of the middle section, Sparrow Wood and Crofton Wood are shared.
Out of the two, I prefer this one. The start avoids the hustle of Bromley High Street and I believe the end is a far nicer walk and view - but try them both and compare for yourself.
Please be aware on this route, I believe the map at the start and near the end can be a bit misleading. When taking the road next to Bromley South Station, you need to follow around to the left and take the first right, Palace View, to go under Kentish Way and then right into Murray Avenue. On the map, it seems as if you can walk alongside the railway.
Near the end, the map shows as if there is a path at the corner of Andover Road, where in fact you continue around the corner into Cathcart Drive to reach the pathway.

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