Ealchi two

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 66.67% of reviewers

Windsor Road in Ealing, and Wellesley Road in Chiswick both had trees where the roots had made the pavement uneven and raised up. In some instances there was quite a narrow gap between the tree and the wall.

In Gunnersbury there was a part of the path that had a great big crack in it (see pic). It then took you through the middle of the fields where two football games were being played, and then down a steep slope that ended in a fairly big muddy patch, and then just before getting back onto the path there were lots of pebbles that acted as some kind of boundary.

Walking through Turnham Green was nice, but then once you got onto Barley Mow passage, Bourne Place, and Linden Gardens, there were quite a few cars in the way and no dropped kerb on either side.

Overall a fine route, with some maybe not so nice bits, mainly the bit next to the A4.

Nice walk south from Ealing Broadway. The pavement narrows in a few spots due to trees both here and on Wellesley Road in Chiswick. In these areas, the tree roots have also made the pavement rise up and the paving crack which causes accessibility issues.

Another issue that we found on a Sunday morning is that the route runs straight through the amateur football pitches in Gunnersbury Park. We took a detour to the east of the pitches to keep as close as possible to the marked route. It also skirts close around what could be cricket stumps next to the sports hub. There were muddy areas in the grass in mid-February which were passable for us, but could cause problems for wheelchairs or pushchairs. The exit to Gunnersbury Park passes through a gate which looks heavy, however isn't too difficult to open. Wheelchair and pushchair users may find it harder to open the gate.

As previously mentioned, the crossing point on the A4 is fine on the northern carriageway for those who can move quickly. The traffic lights will stop traffic on the main carriageway when there are cars who want to join the A4 from the north. There is no dedicated pedestrian crossing though, so it can be dangerous to cross here. On the southern carriageway, there is no crossing, only a railing at the indicated point which prevents pedestrians from crossing the road. It's safer to move 100m to the east to use the pedestrian crossing at this point for both carriageways.

After crossing the A4, apart from the previously mentioned trees which narrow the roads and cause the paving to be uneven, the route is mostly good. There are a few points which lack drop kerbs, are narrow or had inconsiderately parked cars. The crossing from the southern to northern side of Chiswick High Road also did not line up with a pedestrian crossing, which is available 50m to the west.

Overall a nice quiet walk which needs some adapting to make it suitable/safe for Slow Ways.

A pretty nice route for those wanting to avoid main roads.
Direction taken:
- from Ealing Broadway to Chiswick
Accessibility & safety:
- there are a few trees with protruding roots on the pavements between Ealing Broadway and Gunnersbury park making the passage uneven and narrow - usually, the other side of the road is flatter and safe to use in those places
- there are no steep drops on the pavement
- Gunnersbury Park section unnecessarily goes across the grass - in the winter it always gets muddy to some degree, and there is also a quite steep drop at one point
- in Gunnersbury Park the path runs between football pitches, so there is a small risk of getting hit by a ball
- at the exit from Gunnersbury Park, there is a metal gate that needs to be pulled open - that might be not convenient for wheelchairs and prams
- just after exiting Gunnersbury Park the wire netting along the pavement on the left is damaged by overgrown plants - very incautious walkers can potentially get caught by the sharp wire (foot and head level)
Facilities:
- there is a toilet in the sports centre in Gunnersbury Park left from the designated path
Nice points:
- nice coffee shops at the start and end points of this Slow Way
- Gunnersbury Park is great for dog spotting!.

This is a very indirect route and I would recommend to anyone who wants a direct route that they use Ealchi One.

I spent some time while I was plodding from Chiswick towards Kew Bridge station wondering why the route has been draw this way. I came to the conclusion the route maker is a Brentford fan who wants a handy Slow Way to the new football ground.

There are some good parts of the route - I especially liked the passageway behind Chiswick High Road, and also the relatively quiet residential approach to Ealing Broadway.
I didn't enjoy the walk through Gunnersbury Park perhaps as much as other walkers might - to me it seemed a fairly long bland stretch with lots of playing fields. The construction works are now complete (see an earlier review), and access across the playing fields is fine, apart from there may be matches being played. I did get a decent coffee from a mobile coffee van, and the new sports centre is clearly popular with active children during the school holidays. There are lots of dog walkers, so if you enjoy watching dogs doing their thing (I do) its not a bad place to have a sit down.
Gunnersbury Park is open at night but not lit throughout.

There are a number of poorly drawn dangerous 'A' road crossings. The roads in question are:
- Chiswick High Road (twice): in Chiswick, and especially at Kew Bridge
- The Mall at Ealing Broadway
There are good safe crossing points nearby and clearly visible, but it may mean doubling back to a crossing point already passed. It's a shame, because I found that by and large a lot of attention was paid to accurate drawing.

The route is pretty good for accessibility, although some of the residential streets have the usual issues with trees, bins and cars taking over the pavements. No flights of steps.

I'm not sure that, for me, this route quite captures the spirit of Slow Ways, being so indirect, and in addition I felt provoked to a bit of a grump when I had to backtrack to the safe road crossing, which I'd already passed by, at Kew Bridge - so for these reasons I've given only two stars.

Nice route that avoids main roads, and is definitely more scenic that ealchi1, although slightly more difficult to navigate. A couple of things to watch out for. Firstly, the route goes right past Brentford fc's stadium, so might be worth avoiding on match days. Secondly, the direct route across Gunnersbury Park is not available due to construction, but it's easy enough to find an alternative option.

Good route, through mostly lit residential areas. Does a very good job of avoiding main roads so is a very pleasant journey. Good amenities either end of the route, but you don't pass too many in the middle of the journey.

When going through Gunnersbury Park via the north entrance, crossing straight over the field isn't possible due to temporary works, I suggest taking the path on the west side of the park down.

Share your views about this route, give it a star rating, indicate whether it should be verified or not.

Include information that will be useful to others considering to walk or wheel it.

You can add up to 15 photos.