Kensel two

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Kensel here.

As previously stated, I plotted this route as an alternative to resolve a right-of-way issue with the original route. Overall, not the most inspiring route and has lots of road walking, but more functional than the previous.

I walked from Selsdon on a warm, late summer weekday early evening after prolonged dry weather. A bit more than half of this walk is off-road, and not along alleys but through a couple of woodlands, a small park and beside a meadow. But the highlight for me is Riddlesdown, at the end of my test, a large "wild" area of meadows and steep woodlands owned by the City of London with views across the leafy valley of Kenley. This is the only significant viewpoint along the walk.

I think my impression of the walk is probably different from the route author because we walked in opposite directions, so my final memory is Riddlesdown, which ends just 2 minutes from Kenley Station, whereas theirs is the noisy walk beside Addington Road. The bits on Addington Road were tiresome but only 1km total and the wooded bit in Sanderstead Plantation broke it up. Half the route is road walking but the rest is either short, very quiet or both.

I think the re-submission of the route was needed because the official footpath *Right of Way* is actually fenced off and if you were to climb or circumnavigate that, it's then through dense scrub. No sign or record of a diversion that I've found. Almost every Slow Way route review using it has highlighted it as an issue. It's very unhelpful at best.

Unfortunately the other smaller change didn't work out for me. It was to avoid the stiles near TQ 334 605 but this alternative path wasn't usable because the holly had grown even further since the KenSel 1 review, and narrowed well beyond my willingness to shove through between holly and barbed wire. In any case there were two high logs to climb over elsewhere in Mitchley Wood, both well above the knee and effectively they were higher stiles than either of those being circumvented here. This route also shares the steps, kissing gates and very steep slope at Riddlesdown with KenSel 1 plus the hills in Mitchley Wood and Sanderstead's park. Plus potentially very muddy paths at Sanderstead Plantation, judging by the dried out signs. Perhaps stiles will not be the limiting factor. There is another way around these stiles and logs though, by following the (permissive access) track beside Riddlesdown College all the way to Mitcheley Hill, then along the pavement for a while, but I haven't tried it.

Although it is only a short Slow Way there are a few shops, eating places and bus stops in Sanderstead, almost dead centre.

I found an informal path which avoids the Selsdon end of Addington road but I'm not sure how permanent it will be. There are two small white lodges, the first opposite Upper Selsdon Road and another near the turning into the Sanderstead Plantation. Just beyond each I found a wide path beside the fence which is set back just 10 metres or so from the road. The path is between the fence and a shallow belt of roadside trees. It had recently been cleared, so was very easy going and is definitely being used, but I'm not entirely sure if it will remain clear and in use. Still, on my visit it was greener and quieter than the road and the shade was very welcome, especially coming after some other road walking on SelCro 1.

PS Hello Smatticus if you are reading this! If you can copy your review from KenSel 1 or do a one-sentence review then this route will nearly be verified!.

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