Sidbex two

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 80.00% of reviewers

I walked from Bexley to Sidcup on a windy drizzly day.
Agree with the previous reviewers a good walk mostly alongside The Shuttle River.
After a wet winter the ground was soft and quite muddy through Bexley Woods.
But a pleasant walk mostly away from traffic.

Walked Bexleyheath to Sidcup. Slightly muddy through Bexley woods, but generally good conditions.
Previously walked this route the other way, in summer. Both times a fine route, plenty of off road paths, direct.

5 star route. Very little busy road, lots of green.
Walked Sidcup to Bexleyheath.

Started with a sandwich and home made lemonade at the Chunky Teapot cafe, opposite Holy Trinity Church. Highly recommended.
After that it was straight into Lamorbey park, picking up the river Shuttle (photo 1), and then Bexley Woods (photo 2), a gloriously deep shady green beech woodland. After crossing the A2 there’s a little uphill along residential streets to the end point at Bexleyheath library. Fabulous walk.

Caught the Superloop bus at Bexleyheath to Abbey Wood (this is of course also a Slow Way!) and from there the Elizabeth line.

Mostly good underfoot (photo 3 was probably the worst bit, and it was still very passable). It does look like mud and maybe flooding could occur in Bexley Woods, but nothing like that at this time of year.

I walked this on an overcast morning from Sidcup to Bexleyheath. I got a hail shower on my head.

After rounding the church at Lamborey (photo #1), you head straight into the lovely park with the same name (photo #2). After a short stretch along not-busy roads (photo #3, #4), the route then follows the River Shuttle for a fair amount (photo #5, #7, #8). I thought that Bexley Woods (photo #6) was the high point of the route. Crossing the A2 was safe, although annoying cars everywhere (photo #9)! After the crossing, while walking up Midhurst Hill to Latham Road (photo #9, #10), I got a hail shower on my head! But it quickly dried up as I finished the route at Bexleyheath, with its now very shiny pavement (photo #11).

This is a lovely route which mostly follows the Shuttle Riverway which is waymarked, so navigation is quite relaxed. The Shuttle is a large stream now and the Riverway isn't a fully off-road route but a green/blue chain of small parks and some wilder areas with only a few short and quiet links on roads. South of the A2 there is only a little that is on-road.

If you'd like some local info there is a very detailed guide to Shuttle Riverway both history and ecology. It gave me hope I would see the elusive water vole near Penhill Bridge but peak dog-walking time was probably not ideal conditions. I was happy to see fish shoaling, ducks paddling and emerald green waterplants waving in the current.
https://web.archive.org/web/20131218132347/http://www.bexley.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=3249

The last section leaves the Shuttle and heads past a school and its playing fields into Lamorbey Park, where you might see people fishing in the lake or catch an outdoor performance at the Rose Bruford Drama School on the other side of the lake.

Access(ibility) notes
Midhurst Hill is quite steep, and the A2 footbridge ramp (S side only) is standard, and the rest is pretty flat. There are several staggered fences and the type of kissing gates meant to deter motorbikes.Bexley Woods path is the only unmade section without a tarmacced alternative, but if there is a muddy patch in winter you could probably step, but maybe not wheel, around that easily. Being mostly beside the river I suppose there will be some chance of flooding but local homeowners don't seem worried. There are no shops or stopping places.

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