CatfordBeckenham Junction

Catbec one
Verified route

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 100.00% of reviewers

By Daisy C on 16 Dec 2023


Distance

5km/3mi

Ascent

63m

Descent

40m

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Description

This route is mostly off road as it uses Beckenham Place Park and the Waterlink Way - a walking and cycling route following the River Ravensbourne through a series of linear parks.

You join the Waterlink Way almost immediately at Catford Station via the forecourt of the next-door Catford Bridge Station just 75m away. There’s a short foot tunnel under the South Circular road into the Halfords car park and then shortly into the River Pool Linear Park. After Lower Sydenham station you pass between private sports fields until turning up the residential road Overbrae, with a good view back towards Crystal Palace from the top. Next is Beckenham Place Park, where you could stop to explore, have a picnic, do some wild swimming, or get a coffee in the mansion courtyard cafe. I believe it’s the largest “park” in SE London, certainly bigger than either Greenwich or Crystal Palace.

There are many bus stops along the way, six bus routes converge at the retail park at Bell Green just off the route. Also has wheelchair accessible “community toilets” in Sainsbury’s or you could eat in their cafe. There’s a much smaller shop right on the route on the east side of Lower Sydenham Station and a cafe nearby. It is a fairly steep climb up Overbrae in Beckenham and to get over the train lines at Lower Sydenham is a footbridge with steps and no ramps. You could avoid both by using the full length of Worsley Bridge Rd from Southend Lane to Brackley Road in Beckenham but would then miss Beckenham Place Park altogether

This route is mostly off road as it uses Beckenham Place Park and the Waterlink Way - a walking and cycling route following the River Ravensbourne through a series of linear parks.

You join the Waterlink Way almost immediately at Catford Station via the forecourt of the next-door Catford Bridge Station just 75m away. There’s a short foot tunnel under the South Circular road into the Halfords car park and then shortly into the River Pool Linear Park. After Lower Sydenham station you pass between private sports fields until turning up the residential road Overbrae, with a good view back towards Crystal Palace from the top. Next is Beckenham Place Park, where you could stop to explore, have a picnic, do some wild swimming, or get a coffee in the mansion courtyard cafe. I believe it’s the largest “park” in SE London, certainly bigger than either Greenwich or Crystal Palace.

There are many bus stops along the way, six bus routes converge at the retail park at Bell Green just off the route. Also has wheelchair accessible “community toilets” in Sainsbury’s or you could eat in their cafe. There’s a much smaller shop right on the route on the east side of Lower Sydenham Station and a cafe nearby. It is a fairly steep climb up Overbrae in Beckenham and to get over the train lines at Lower Sydenham is a footbridge with steps and no ramps. You could avoid both by using the full length of Worsley Bridge Rd from Southend Lane to Brackley Road in Beckenham but would then miss Beckenham Place Park altogether

Status

This route has been reviewed by 5 people.

There are no issues flagged.

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Information

Verified route

Route status - Live

Reviews - 5

Average rating -

Is this route good enough? -  Yes (5)

There are currently no problems reported with this route.

Downloads - 6

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Geography information system (GIS) data

Total length

Maximum elevation

Minimum elevation

Start and end points

Catford
Grid Ref TQ3728073527
Lat / Lon 51.44410° / -0.02602°
Easting / Northing 537,280E / 173,527N
What3Words seat.wire.stuff
Beckenham Junction
Grid Ref TQ 3744569789
Lat / Lon 51.41047° / -0.02512°
Easting / Northing 537,445E / 169,789N
What3Words brains.scores.spends

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reviews


Ingrina

26 Jan 2025 Winter

Very pleasant walk from Catford to Beckenham Junction! It was great to follow the River Ravensbourne for a while before joining the roads to go into Beckenham Palace Park. We detoured to the cafe, where some of us split off, while others of us took a walk around the park before going on to Beckenham Junction station. If you have time, I'd highly recommend having drinks or food at the cafes and exploring the park. A really great way to add some more nature and green/blue to the walk!.


Hugh Hudson

14 Dec 2024 (edited 15 Dec 2024) Autumn

Walked from Beckenham Junction to Catford. A lovely route, mostly in urban green spaces.

We leave Beckenham north along Southend Road, then head straight on into Beckenham Place Park, where we follow the surfaced road uphill before turning left to exit the park back onto Southend Road. More residential streets follow (the descent down Overbrae is quite steep), taking us to Lower Sydenham station, where a bridge with steps on both sides takes us over the railway. A very narrow strip of greenery takes us to Southend Lane. Most of the rest of the route is on the well signposted surfaced path alongside the Pool River and the Ravensbourne, crossing the river four times. We eventually surface opposite Catford station, which is reached through the underpass just before Catford Bridge. The Catford Bridge pub was an excellent breakpoint.


David Sanderson

14 Dec 2024 (edited 15 Dec 2024) Autumn

A model Slow Way. Uses all the green spaces to great effect, including the Beckenham Place Park and Pool River. Amazingly off-road. Very easy to follow. Finished at the Catford Bridge Tavern, which I can recommend. Lots of links to transport. Some steps.


Derick Rethans

17 Mar 2024 Winter

I walked this on a warmish afternoon, from Beckenham Junction to Catford. It had rained a lot in the morning.

The route starts through a quiet street (photo #1) towards Beckham Park, with its lovely mansion (photo #2). It was a little up hill, but there were great views. The route then continues steeply downhill (photo #3, #4) towards Lower Sydenham, along more residential streets (photo #5). After Lower Sydenham station, it picks up the Waterlink Way (photo #6, #7, #8), which is a nice set of linear parks along the river Pool.

A very pleasant walk.


Daisy C

21 Dec 2023 Winter

This route is a great one, through two lovely but very different parks, and very green and very off-road for suburban London. Often there's no housing in sight. Outside a few hundred metres at each end there are 3 bits of road walking. These are, respectively, short and very quiet; very leafy and fairly quiet; very leafy and very quiet. There's even a view which gives you the excuse to stop at the top of that hill.

It's almost a shorter CatBro one, without the sometimes noisy road walking towards Bromley. Some smaller flaws with the mapping and road crossings are ironed out too. There's a very comprehensive review for that route and more photos. (My photos aren't uploading for some reason.).


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