Capital ring Clapton

Capital Ring 1,2 and 3

We have now done 3 sections of the Capital Ring. It is proving a much better walk than expected, the LOOP had aspirations to be rural but remained, in sections, resolutely (sub)urban. The capital ring has no pretensions, but passes some quirky, unknown places.
We started in November at South Kenton. We passed through Fryent Park, with a fine view across W. London from Barn Hill. We passed the Welsh Harp and began to feel hungry. West Hendon Broadway did not look inviting so we dived into Brent cross shopping centre and had a meal in one of their eateries. Probably a first for the LWG! In the afternoon it looked from the map that we were going to walk along the North Circular but to our surprise there is a little known Brent Park running either side of River Brent, running parallel and invisible to and from the N. Circular.
In December we went through Highgate Woods and then followed the Parkland Walk, London's longest stretch of disused railway, to Finsbury Park. Along the New River to the West Reservoir and had lunch in the 1930's former filtering station, now a sailing centre with an eccentric cafe, where customers were clearly not expected. We then went through Stoke Newington – past a Mosque next to a Synagogue, the Victorian Abney Park cemetery to reach Clapton station.
In February we walked along the Lea Valley to the Olympic View tube then along the Greenway which is a track on the pipes of the Northern Outfall Sewage Embankment (NOSE), past Sir Joseph Bazalgette’s “Temple of Sewage”. We planned to have lunch in the Newham City Farm but sadly the café has been vandalised and is shut at present. We could not find anywhere to eat, the Capital Ring seems to be carefully designed to keep you away from shopping streets. After asking some Muslim students for the nearest pub we wandered into the University of East London Cafeteria, which was excellent, and very cheap. Nobody seemed to notice that we were not students, even when one or two people changed their socks. Then along the Albert Dock, planes flying in and out of City Airport and to the Thames.

In March we will cross the river – by Free Ferry or subway and start to explore South London.