Walked from Selsdon Clock to Purley Station, the section in the Sanderstead Plantation is unlit and a bit muddy but flat, but it's close to Addington Road that would be a fine alternative. There's a lot of undulation in the stairs in the section between the golf club and Grasmere Road, but you could level that out using Brancaster Lane if needed. Those sections also appeared to have well-maintained streetlights but I walked in the daylight....

Tom S

Apart from the road at Selsdon almost all on quiet lanes/footpaths, well plotted. Steep downhill from Selsdon, uphill from Warlingham - but good pavements all the way....

Jane Taylor

A short section of B road at the Selsdon end is why I lopped a star off, but otherwise a full 5 star experience....

Jane Taylor

As previously stated, I plotted this route as an alternative to resolve a right-of-way issue with the original route. Overall, not the most inspiring route and has lots of road walking, but more functional than the previous....

Smatticus1991

I think my impression of the walk is probably different from the route author because we walked in opposite directions, so my final memory is Riddlesdown, which ends just 2 minutes from Kenley Station, whereas theirs is the noisy walk beside Addington Road. The bits on Addington Road were tiresome but only 1km total and the wooded bit in Sanderstead Plantation broke it up. Half the route is road walking but the rest is either short, very quiet or both. I found an informal path which avoids the Selsdon end of Addington road but I'm not sure how permanent it will be. There are two small white lodges, the first opposite Upper Selsdon Road and another near the turning into the Sanderstead Plantation....

Daisy C

But slightly marred by two uncomfortable road crossings where a couple of traffic islands seem like an obvious local need. The beginning of Fairfield Path is only a few hundred metres from East Croydon station, and although it starts as an alleyway there's little of that, it is mostly linked small green spaces in small quiet estates. The next road to cross is Croham Lane, again quite busy but with a traffic island, not a numbered road though. I rejoined the bridleway at the golf course, but again I'd like a traffic island where it comes out (beside a bus stop!) and you *must* cross over Upper Selsdon Rd / B275....

Daisy C

Fairly easy to navigate too, the only bit that could have been tricky was Selsdon Wood Nature Reserve, which has many branching paths, but actually this route is ok, especially as you can just follows the London Loop and Vanguard Way signs through those woods (also on footpaths through Selsdon). Access wise the worst bits was probably the very steep tarmac path down Hutchinson Bank; the restrictions across the path might catch you if you tumble, but are probably just to stop dirtbikes....

Daisy C

It's possible to leave/enter Purley Station from the south side and join Warren Road without using the A22....

JohnMyerson

Follow LOOP signs to Swallowdale then turn left, right and left to Sundale Avenue which leads to the Old Farleigh Road near Sainsbury's (toilets)....

JohnMyerson

I walked from Selsdon to Croydon (after walking from Warlingham to Selsdon). The best part is through Croham Hurst woods although from Lloyd Park (café and toilets) you follow the Fairfield Path along footpaths and quiet roads into East Croydon. There's a large Sainsbury's at Selsdon at the start, with toilets....

JohnMyerson

The route is soon in pleasant countryside but it's easy to miss the narrow path (left) just after the equestrian centre. Old Farleigh Road has fairly busy traffic and is quite a steep hill. Good Sainsbury's at Selsdon with Toilets....

JohnMyerson

Begins with a stretch of road that can't really be avoided, but afterwards a pleasant walk....

Laura

This route is an unfortunate victim of geography, whereby much of it is dominated by road walking, although I can see that the original plotter had no viable alternative. The official route goes through a field which avoids the narrow track, but requires crossing stiles at TQ 33479 60493 and TQ 33383 60415. Eventually, the route takes you through Riddlesdown, one side of a semi-wooded/meadow adorned, steep, dry valley which runs from Caterham to Purley, transecting the North Downs At this point, there is some confusion with the official route, as the green dotted footpath which goes in a straight line to the bottom of the valley doesn’t actually exist/is blocked by impenetrable woodland It is better to follow one of the two black dotted paths which go through the clearing in the woods, but this requires going through at least one kissing gate This route, while direct, lacks the scenic value of others in the local area, contains a lot of (unavoidable) road walking near Selsdon, features kissing gates which could impede disabled users, and most significantly of all, features a footpath which is unusable...

Smatticus1991

Starting off at the tram station, which is easily identifiable and provides good public transport links to West Croydon, the route weaves through a residential estate before descending down a steep concrete track with steel barrier chicanes. At certain points, large burrows have been dug out along the path (fox or badger, possibly), which could present problems for disabled users. The entrance is just next to a cul-de-sac residential estate, but the path leads uphill through coppiced woodland. It ultimately leads to a long, straight residential road which runs parallel to Selsdon high street, before stopping/starting here It follows a direct route which leads through pretty woodland, with few prohibitive barriers (gates, stiles etc) for disabled users and relatively unchallenging terrain, save for a short, steep hill near New Addington Main criticisms are that some of the urban areas may intimidate users around the waypoints of Selsdon and New Addington, and some stretches of footpath may prove tricky for disabled users due to uneven surface (erosion, animal burrows)...

Smatticus1991