Walked Abbey Wood to Thamesmead. As the previous reviewer points out, if approaching Abbey Wood from Thamesmead and you want to connect with the Lesnes Abbey area (and maybe even go on to Erith on Abberi) then you can walk straight there by continuing along the Abbey Way footpath, without going all the way to Abbey Wood station and back out again....

Jane Taylor

As well as the Thames at Erith, highlights are Frank’s Park at Belvedere, and Lesnes Abbey Woods, including the abbey ruins. If continuing to Thamesmead, there is a good linking path from the abbey ruins area directly north, which connects to the Abbey Wood to Thamesmead Slow Way (Thaabb)! Because its not clear whether the Abbey Wood meeting point is at the low (street) or high (station) level, so if you are continuing on you may need a change of level...

Jane Taylor

The route passes Bexleyheath station; the meeting point is some distance away but with good bus links including the Super Loop bus...

Jane Taylor

The first third is along quiet residential roads, first following the railway (photo #1), before heading north (photo #2) towards the Ridgeway....

Derick Rethans

After leaving Bexleyheath's centre (photo #1), the first part of this route is mostly along quiet residential streets (photo #3, #4), with occasional highlights such as the Bexleyheath Cemetery (photo #2)....

Derick Rethans

It is a great tribute to the planners and developers of Thamesmead that there are pedestrian/cycle routes under or over all of the intervening thoroughfares on this 3 mile route right across (not around) Thamesmead. There are even further footbridges which take you over the railway to the ruins of medieval Lesnes Abbey, and the delightful Abbey Wood beyond....

Andrew

Due to new housing need to follow Green Chain and Thames Path in Erith. Lesnes Abbey Park went to right , when could of gone straight on. Lots of green space....

Lizbiz70

At the Abbey Wood end there is a lot of walking through some lovely green and wild places, then quiet residential roads punctuated by a station and some shops. I wasn't happy with the vague line that AbbBex 1 took through Lesnes Abbey Woods, which can be very disorienting even if you are following an actual path, or that it missed Bexleyheath Station when there isn't a station at Bexley town centre....

Daisy C

Once it joined the Green Chain Walk at the eastern end of Lesnes Abbey Woods it was really easy to navigate as there are lots of fingerposts and wooden waymarkers all the way to the Thames and then back around to Erith Station....

Daisy C

But the problem I think is actually serious is right at the start outside Abbey Wood Station, it looks good on a map but in 3-D reality it's either impossible or off-putting. At the station exit there is a road in front of you so it's the obvious right turn to take, but if you do then you can't turn left onto Abbey Road as per the route unless you jump off the side of the flyover. After that you will get onto Abbey Road and can turn right but it's fairly busy and you'll need to cross, but the good crossing (pelican) is behind you, so you'd need to double back....

Daisy C

Overall I enjoyed this route, it was easy to navigate and either no- or low- traffic except a short bit between the Plumstead underpass junction and the beginning of the residential developments at Woolwich Arsenal. The Ridgeway path is green and quite wild (not overgrown though) which gives some sense of distance from the sometimes noisy industrial sites either side, they are currently mixed in with wild brownfield sites but that might not last. At the Plumstead end, if you (like me) miss the last turn off then you'll end at the high level end point which leads onto the roads, where you could get a train or buses but it isn't terribly pedestrian friendly and you'll have missed the onward route via Mallard Path, so take the path down and back to the right which soon turns again to the low level exit....

Daisy C

Follows small canals, small parks and round Southmere Lake, which was beautiful at sunset. The area is designed with pedestrians in mind and I barely saw a road until a few hundred metres before Abbey Wood station....

Daisy C

The western half of this route (Woolwich - Plumstead) is along the A206. The western half runs south of the railway line, much quieter than this route, and the eastern half is close to this route and a fairly similar experience....

Daisy C