Oxfocha two

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 83.33% of reviewers

I tried to walk this on a sunny Saturday afternoon as part of an attempt to break up a long day on dreary suburban trains, and to put off the boring DIY planned for when I got home. But sadly I failed. Not an intrinsic problem with the route which I've walked before, though only in parts. I was just foiled by the packed crowds in Carnaby Street which would have ruined a great walk for me. Heavy crowds are probably a risk for this and for OxfoCha 1 on most weekends or in summer, or around Christmas. Hence, subjectively, it only gets 4 stars.

But I needed to get home somehow so I created another route on the fly via quieter streets and alleys, but with a little overlap - hence the photos. Chinatown was rammed though, but has great Chinese supermarkets I wanted to take advantage of. So then I missed Trafalgar Square which was a shame though I'll add a few old photos. Will upload the new route soon.

Thoroughly enjoyable but sadly a failure trying to leave Trafalgar Square. The way through is closed off and the diversion takes you further west than than makes sense to walk through Leicester Square. Will be happy to revise this when the passage is reopened.

As a visitor to London, I was impressed by how this concise route struck a balance between showcasing some of the most iconic places between Charing Cross and Oxford Circus, and also highlighting some of the quieter spaces that are hidden amid the bustle of the neighborhood. I did have to detour down Whitcomb Street due to the passage to Trafalgar Square near the National Gallery being closed for construction, but otherwise, it was smooth sailing. This is a walk that I would recommend to anyone I know planning on spending time in London.

I think this is the much better option of the two OXFOCHA routes. It takes much quieter and in my view more interesting streets.

I’m a huge fan of Oxfocha one, but this route continued to surprise me with great features! I especially liked walking through Soho and coming up on Oxford Circus from behind!

I did find that the passage from Trafalgar Square directly to the west of the National Gallery was closed when I walked, but I just went one block down Whitcomb Street (the next street to the east) no problem.

Overall a great route!.

This is a fantastic walk through some of the most famous parts of London - Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus, Soho, Carnaby Street ...

I've made it to be a more interesting and less busy/polluted route than Oxfocha One, which sticks to the major roads - but it's just as direct.

When I walked it I found a giant ice cream (the 4th plinth in Trafalgar Square, which changes regularly); and cows in Leicester Square (the elaborate Swiss clock which used to be part of the Swiss Centre).

Refreshments everywhere, the M+Ms shop seemed quite popular ... I noticed Carnaby Street has picnic tables all the way down the middle of the street, which is a brilliant touch.

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