Connect Balham with Slow Ways

We’re creating a network of walking routes that connect all of Britain’s towns, cities and national parks

more walks and reviews are needed to fully connect Balham to the verified network. Can you give a hike and help?

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Balham

Greater London


Slow Ways linking Balham and Brixton, Clapham Junction, Streatham, Tooting

England / Greater London / Balham

Balham’s four Slow Ways are 75% checked

Drawn: 4/4
reviewed: 4/4
verified: 4/4
and surveyed: 0/4

Help connect Balham

Many Slow Ways have several route options. Some will be better than others, or good for different reasons.

Our goal is for each Slow Way to have at least one route that is verified and surveyed. To be verified – and get its snail badge – a route needs at least three positive reviews.

Give a hike and help get a for every one of Balham’s Slow Ways.

Walk to Balham from further afield

Slow Way Route To do
Balham—Brixton
Balbri one

Survey me Distance 4km/3mi Ascent 9m Descent 21m
Balham—Streatham
Balstr one

Survey me Distance 3km/2mi Ascent 12m Descent 27m
Clapham Junction—Balham
Clabal one Survey me Distance 3km/2mi Ascent 22m Descent 9m
Tooting—Balham
Toobal one

Survey me Distance 4km/2mi Ascent 19m Descent 30m
Tooting—Balham
Toobal two Verify me Distance 3km/2mi Ascent 28m Descent 17m

Fancy stretching your legs a bit more?

If you’ve polished off all of the routes between Balham and its neighbours, how about walking its whole web?

This includes the great ring of routes that join its neighbours to each other!

Collective progress

70% of Balham’s four route options are drawn, reviewed, surveyed and/or verified

5/5

drawn

5/5

reviewed

0/5

surveyed

4/5

verified

11 people have contributed to Balham’s Slow Ways

3 people have pledged to walk and review a route

0 people have surveyed a route in Balham

17km out of 17km have been walked and reviewed

60km of reviews have been shared in Balham

Latest Updates

It would be a better route if it spent more time in Tooting Bec Common rather than going along busy roads....

Ric Adamson

Walk this route

This route is not very far from where I live and the walk across the common is a much nicer alternative than walking down Balham High St. The common is festooned with long uncut grass and it feels you could be in the countryside. The common can get busy with everyone over the weekend....

Lizbiz70

Walk this route

A pleasant walk with a surprising amount of green off-road walking for the area. Wandsworth Common and its lake are a highlight. I might be cautious of doing the off-road sections at night on my own....

Luke Reader

Walk this route

A really nice route that mainly goes through Wandsworth Common which is a great open park with some nice trials around the outside. At the Balham end, the streets are quiet and pleasant to walk down...

Dannyash

Walk this route

The walk from Tooting Broadway to Balham via the high street is interesting, chaotic and colourful and passes by many hidden spaces including the market, a sewing machine museum and some great indian and pakistani restaurants!...

Saira

Walk this route

The walk from Tooting Broadway to Balham via the high street is in my opinion more interesting, colourful, lively and direct!...

Saira

Walk this route

Once away from the busy high street, the route follows quiet back streets. An easy to follow if not very exciting walk....

Intrepid Rabbit

Walk this route

Intrepid Rabbit took this photo on Balbri one

Walk this route

In order to follow the route, after turning off Ravenstone Street towards Larch Close, continue along Larch Close to the end and turn right onto Bedford Hill and then right again onto Elmfield Road....

Intrepid Rabbit

Walk this route

Intrepid Rabbit took this photo on Balstr one

Walk this route

It is mostly residential and has fairly wide pavements, but there are a few twists and turns, which means you need to keep an eye on the map. That said, you do tend to only make turns when you come to the end of a street/road, so that makes it much easier to navigate than other options winding through the streets. Feels fairly calm and safe, as it goes through a lot of homes and then ends at a high street right by the station....

Ingrina

Walk this route

Visit Tooting Marker or Broadway Market for food, drink, and produce....

Ingrina

Walk this route
Balham

KieranCM surveyed Balham

View facilities

A pleasant walk, largely on tree-lined paths across Wandsworth Common, past the lake....

Malcolm Jones

Walk this route

A very pleasant route for both walking & cycling, largely over Tooting Bec Common. It takes the shortest way across the common, but there are plenty of other paths....

Malcolm Jones

Walk this route

Rather than turning left onto Bedford Hill, a more pleasant route is to walk straight on and stay on the common until the railway bridge....

Lizbiz70

Walk this route

This is an urban walk on pavements throughout, and given that context, it is as pleasant as can reasonably be expected. It largely follows quieter back streets apart from at the two ends. The only slightly awkward bit is across the Balham Sainsbury's car park - watch out for cars not paying attention to pedestrians....

David Livesley

Walk this route

Near the end, there is a way through Balham Leisure Centre, although this is not very obvious; take the narrow passageway on the left of the building, past the children's playground....

David Livesley

Walk this route

Like many of the urban routes this one does not conform to the methodology used for mapping when it comes to being off-road and enjoyable and beautiful. However there are some ameliorating aspects on this route, primarily more green spaces and less traffic although overall this was another pavement pounding exploration....

John Pestle

Walk this route

This definitely a pleasant route as urban routes go, but far from the most direct....

tractiveeffort

Walk this route
Tooting—Balham

tractiveeffort added Toobal two, a new walk from Tooting to Balham

Walk this route
Balham—Brixton

Slow Ways added Balbri one, a new walk from Balham to Brixton

Walk this route
Balham—Streatham

Slow Ways added Balstr one, a new walk from Balham to Streatham

Walk this route
Clapham Junction—Balham

Slow Ways added Clabal one, a new walk from Clapham Junction to Balham

Walk this route
Tooting—Balham

Slow Ways added Toobal one, a new walk from Tooting to Balham

Walk this route
1

Balham, Thu 28 March

11°

Light rain

Balham’s Slow Ways starting point

Grid ref

TQ2848173211

Lat / Lon

51.44333° / -0.15267°

Easting / Northing

528,481E / 173,211N

Fancy stretching your legs a bit more?

If you’ve polished off all of the routes between Balham and its neighbours, how about walking its whole web?

This includes the great ring of routes that join its neighbours to each other!

Facilities

Users have reported that the following facilities can be found within 1km of Balham's meeting point

Public toilet

Wheelchair accessible toilet

Supermarket or convenience shop

Restaurant, cafe or pub

Accommodation

Accommodation for under £50 a night

Campsite

Bothy

Free wifi

Mobility scooter hire

Off-road wheelchair hire

Disabled Parking

Train station

Bus stop

Ferry

Official ‘Walkers are Welcome’ town

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