The Capital Ring is a strategic walking route that completely encircles inner and central London. It is approximately 78 miles long and cuts trough as many green spaces as is possible.
I completed the Capital Ring for the first time some 8 years ago but I thought I’d like to do it again and properly record it this time. Officially it starts at the Woolwich foot tunnel under the Thames on the south side of the river and curves in a clockwise direction until arriving at the foot tunnels northern entrance. Since I have the luxury f choosing, I decided to pick up the walk at the point nearest to my home in South London, Crystal Palace park. Today the skyline is dominated by the TV masts
But there are signs of its history dotted about. Strictly this hill should go by the prosaic title of Sydenham Hill but it was renamed Crystal Palace when the 1851 Great Exhibition was dismantled after its year in Hyde Park and rebuilt here overlooking London. It burnt down in the 1930s – my dad remembered seeing the smoke and flames from 30 miles away, or so he claimed – so little remains. I was standing on one of the remaining terraces when I took this picture of my loyal companion.
And this is the statue of the designer, Joseph Paxton that still overlooks the park. Sad, isn’t he?
Because I love it, Dog and I had a quick coffee in Brown and Green’s cafe by Crystal Palace station 
and set off to cross the escarpment of Sydenham Hill to look away from London and out towards the North Downs, Croydon and the Surrey countryside.
It is oddly green, looking south from up high, because it feels very built up when you are at ground level. The walk soon leaves the early 20th Century housing for some allotments and onto towards Streatham Common which extends in a strip of green open spaces and woodland for some two miles. First up is a scrubby little section called Biggin Wood. It is a mix of ancient deciduous trees and low level foliage and is a great place for moths and small mammals to thrive.
There’s a large white house here in the middle of the common, home once to a wealthy Victorian family and now is used by the local authority for functions. It seems rather down at heel sadly.
The views though make it worthwhile
And Dog enjoys the smells
One of his skills, seen here, is to find other dogs abandoned tennis balls.
I’m not sure when we first spotted the water troughs that surround London (maybe it was on the first circuit). Mostly they are now used as planters but 100 plus years ago these were for the many horses. The fact there was a body – The Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association – responsible for them makes me glow with a ridiculous pleasure. Just imagine that as your job title. Dog was about to pay his own, distinctly canine, homage to these granite marvels.
After descending towards Streatham Common Church we had to snake between the houses past where once stood the Ice rink and Swimming pool, now replaced by a dull functional building that inside is splendid.
We also passed the Youth Club where I help out. One of the current plans is to remove the railings and make the front more user friendly. We’ve raised the cash and the works start in a month. Yay!
If you buy any of my books all the proceeds go to the club – as if you need an incentive!
After you turn into Conyers road and head alone a rather functional residential street the last thing you expect to come across is an 1860s Metropolitan waterworks that looks like a Moorish Palace. The Victorians were utterly and completely bonkers with their public buildings.
And shortly afterwards this rather magnificent stain glass window in a small private house.
A bit of painting around the frame wouldn’t come amiss.
From here it is a short hop to Tooting Bec and the largest outdoor Lido at some 100 yards long. It’s used 365 days and the regulars are certifiably bonkers (much like the Victorians).
The Bec itself is rather picturesque and somnolent, with people drifting slowly across its green and grassy swards.
On leaving this part of the walk you cross Bedford Hill which is now a rather expensive line of Victorian Houses that run down the slope into Balham but when I first came to London in 1978 was the notorious red light district of South London. It was close to this spot that Cynthia Payne ran her brothel which sought to circumvent the law that said you couldn’t earn money from running a brothel – living on immoral earnings – by having her ‘guests’ pay in luncheon vouchers rather than cash. Her extraordinary life story was told in a film, Personal Services starring national treasure Julie Walters.
And finally, here is an example of how the walk went – me following Dog as he marched ahead until distracted.
TanGental 
I’m so jealous – looks like such a lovely walk!
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It is and I’m available as a guide when you make it to London next
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It is and I’m available as a guide when you’re next in London.
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How fun it is to go online and take a mental walk! You and Dog make terrific tour guides, pointing out the sights. Lovely water troughs! In Helena, Montana there’s a beautiful mansion district left over from the gold mining era and occasionally you can glimpse posts once used to secure horses. But I doubt they had a municipality for it!
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My grandmother had an ivory back scratcher which she used regularly when I was a child. As she used it she said ‘God bless the Duke of Argyll’ which she told us was a reference to the eponymous peer and the posts he left for his horses and cattle to scratch against. Your posts remind me of that story.
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Ha, ha! Have you ever seen brushes from car washes mounted in a pasture for cattle to rub on? They love them. The modern version (and I love my bamboo back scratcher — I’ll remember to praise the Duke of Argyll).
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Lovely Geoff! I never heard of this walk, what a great way to see London. It actually doesnt seem like a city at all from your fab pictures.
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It’s a beautiful place if you can dig around a bit. When you’re here next
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Cool! Look forward to it!
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Fascinating for me, Geoff, especially having been a neighbour of Madam Cyn. I, too, had never heard of this walk, but must have run or walked much of it over the years. Your turn to bring back memories for me. 🙂
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Excellent more to follow
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What a fabulous urban walk! I loved the water works and drinking troughs. Some of the walks we follow between Glasgow and Loch Katrine (where the city’s water comes from) also pass glorious Victorian infrastructure, and there’s a water tower in Perth that is now an art gallery.
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Cute dog. I missing having a dog.
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Thanks Rachel. He is and he knows it.
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Thanks to you, that tv mast was a great distraction with my son discovered on the London Eye that he did not really like heights. We pointed it out, reminded him he had seen it a couple of days before up close, and then talked about Victorian era dinosaurs. 🙂
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good to know I have some uses still!!
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This isn’t a part of London I know so thanks for the introduction, Geoff. I was looking forward to a dip in the Lido but I settled for a stroll on the common instead. And I do love bonkers Victorian architecture. 🙂
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thanks for taking us on this lovely walking tour!! I will be back to tour more of your blog!!
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I am glad you are enjoying these strolls. I will be doing the whole ring over the next few weeks so there should be several more posts from other parts of London.
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🙂
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Love this, Geoff – sounds like a great walk 🙂 And I really enjoyed the pictures too. London is a fascinating city – even though I live very close by I feel as though I barely know any of it, there’s so much to discover in every square mile.
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I really enjoy the sense that is was once just a series of villages and often you find traces of those differences
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Yes, and it’s something you can only do when walking…
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another good reason to dust off those walking boots, I always think.
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