After a little shopping parade (photo #1), the route follows residential streets for a while (photo #2); it's up-hill right from the start, and a fair bit too....

Derick Rethans

A short section along Restons Crescent (photo #4) gets you to the next green space (photo #5). It was short, and after going up a hill alongside Eltham Park South (photo #9), there is then a descent towards the A2 (photo #10), which you follow with a lovely pocket park to the finish (photo #11)....

Derick Rethans

We detoured to Severndroog Castle for the views and an excellent cup of coffee then extended the journey to Eltham Palace which made it a walk of just under seven miles. On paper it doesn't sound that appealing but once out of the back streets of Woolwich it is excellent....

porcovolente

After crossing Westhorne Avenue (photo #4), the route goes through a playground, before following a footpath (photo #5) just south of Will Crooks Gardens for a while. At Birdbrook Road you cross to the south of the railway, where the route then follows footpaths through a brand-new development (photo #6)....

Derick Rethans

I am finding the route's inaccuracies too much to pass it, and will suggest a new route also taking into account Daisy's comments. I will also add my review to that new route, as it is what I walked too....

Derick Rethans

Leaving the busy high road soon behind (photo #1, #2), the route first mainly follows residential roads....

Derick Rethans

The kiosk in Danson Park does drinks and ice cream but little food (no cakes!). The back streets into Bexleyheath Broadway are fine....

JohnMyerson

The route follows a signed cycle path to Falcon Wood through Eltham Park South although there's some noise from the A2 road. After a short section of private road and by taking Lion Road you reach Bexleyheath Broadway....

JohnMyerson

Good route - walked Eltham to Chislehurst. Agree with all observations from previous reviewers, so probably best to read them rather than me repeating them. I did have a good rest and lunch at Avery deli near New Eltham station, recommend....

Jane Taylor

I had lunch in Lamorbey Park, just north of Sidcup Station....

JohnMyerson

Lots of stairs over rail lines, 40cm narrow in places, more cycle barriers than you can shake a spanner at, not for wheels....

Strider

I live very close to this route and there’s no way I would choose to walk along the poisonous South Circular for even the shortest time. If you’re going to go this way get the 202 bus!...

Dorothy Hallam

Decent route along mostly quiet streets and footpaths....

Charles Hedley

Always good to walk away from Eltham station, so ugly. A good enjoyable walk making the best of green spaces....

Strider

Shops at New Eltham and opposite Chislehurst Memorial....

JohnMyerson

The sign at Mountsfield Park says it's closed from dusk to 8am....

JohnMyerson

Is Eltham Station the most unimaginative building ever, set within a flat sea bricks?...

Strider

The "off road" part is largely along Edith Nesbit Walk, a no-then-low-traffic footpath then lane....

Daisy C

Good route, direct, mostly off road, makes use of the Green Chain network which runs through south-east London....

Jane Taylor

I used the short cut along the surfaced path at the edge of Oxleas Meadow to get to the café for a welcome cup of tea....

JohnMyerson

I enjoyed this route especially the woodlands and amazing London views. All the road crossings were safe enough. Paths in Elmstead Woods are not that clear but I didn't get lost!...

JohnMyerson

I love this route, it takes in wondrous green spaces (passing by rows of beautiful gardens), incredible views (Shooters hill) and unexpected gems (Severndroog Castle and Eltham palace make for easy detours)! The bluebells in spring are especially magical. Would highly recommend....

Saira

There's a grand building in Avery Hill Park which is a Winter Garden, like a smaller Kew Glasshouse, and although it was hidden under scaffolding it is open to visit now, and free. Until Avery Hill Park it was flat but then some short slopes and there's just one unpaved section there, which had some patches of mud....

Daisy C

It's a quiet and pretty road up from Eltham Station up to Eltham Park North. Plumstead Common might have lights but the other green spaces don't. Plumstead Common Road is the noisy part of the walk and where you leave or join the Green Chain....

Daisy C

ETA - I've uploaded EltWoo 3, an improved version of this route, which I recommend if want to see the views from the top of Shooters Hill and you like helpful fingerpost signs, but don't want to get lost down a flytipped alley in Plumstead....

Daisy C

I know the route from Elmstead (before Mottingham) to Eltham really well so I'm' happy to write up my review. In short, it's a nice route, quiet, lots of green spaces, somewhere to stop for a break, even catch a bit of heritage at Eltham Palace. The only drawback was crossing the busy-ish road at Plaistow Lane (nr Sundridge Park station), no visible crossing point or lights. Bromley North station is on the route, Sundridge Pk is a little further off, and Elmstead Woods a little further still (but Green Chain signposted)....

Daisy C

The southern one is called Sparrow Lane and you can see a 14th century boundary hedge, or glimpse through it into Charlton AFC's training ground. After the path section of Sparrow Lane ends, it carries on as a quiet road, and the end is quite close to New Eltham Station, where you'll find some small shops, a pub, a cafe and a public toilet outside the library....

Daisy C

It uses quiet roads most of the time and there are some points of interest: the Catford Cat, views along the "Vale of Catford" from the top of Mountsfield Park, the quirky cafe/florist in Hither Green (near the station) and Sutcliffe Park where the River Quaggy has been re-naturalised - if you wander north a little there are wildflower-rich meadows, and boardwalks through the reeds and wet woodland (my favourite part, if that's not clear). You could take Sherard Rd opposite the station then cut through to the big roundabout and come into Sutcliffe Park from the bottom of Eltham Green Road....

Daisy C

Kidbrooke has three parks, very little traffic and a station with a handful of shops etc. Over Kidbrooke Park Rd the line goes a bit haywire again, going right through a large building to get to Kidbrooke Station, and ignoring the nearby crossing. And happily the building works near Kidbrooke Station are (nearly?) done and there's no block to walking through. There's also a map/diagram which shows an easy diversion to avoid Edith Nesbitt Walk via Kidbrooke Lane and a better line for either side of Kidbrooke Park Rd....

Daisy C

A very direct route with two decent sized green spaces but also avoidable road walking with busy traffic. Eltham Park North blends into shady Shepherdleas Wood but again noise from the A2 cutting. At the end of the woods don't take the footpath ahead, turn right on the road bridge to Falconwood station, then Lingfield and Millbrook, it's fairly obvious just that it's the only section of the route which is not perfectly plotted. Edited 1) to add photos 2) I might walk the route again, with Bexleyheath amendments, but for pleasure and purpose combined I'd use EltSid 2 and BexSid 2. 3) A more accessible version with hard surfaces and no sharp slopes would use Eltham Park South and the path to Falconwood Station which is on that side of the A2 but it has more A2 traffic noise....

Daisy C

Football fans might be interested in the Charlton Athletic training grounds just south of Avery Hill Park, which has been restored to grassy meadows from municipal grass. The mapped route (using OS basemap) doesn't show Avery Hill Park's paths well!...

Daisy C

There are several long steep parts, it's unavoidable here as there's no gentle way down to Woolwich, lean into it, climb the hill and enjoy the fabulous views. If the long steep steps just south of the castle are just too much there is a gentler way around the west side of the hill....

Daisy C

Starting from Blackheath the first short section of the route is pleasant until Kidbrooke, when it gets very confusing near the station. After navigating a diversion around the big property developments you can rejoin the original route, which is ok until it starts going along the highway. This stretch is quite long, is really noisy and the areas around the path are dirty and felt unsafe....

Mostly very nice, a couple of points where we took a detour to avoid a bit of less walkable road (Wrekin road) and one area that needed a very small detour because the plotted route was inaccessible (end of olven road)...

gpkeeling

While in London you are obviously mainly going to be on roads I would personally take a longer less direct route using smaller roads in the future as it wasnt particularly nice to walk along....

Alex_D

This was a good route for the area, mainly using smaller quiet roads and going through two parks which I hadn't visited before. I did not do the last section (to bexleyheath high street) as I went from the park to the train station so I cannot comment on this section....

Alex_D