Elm Park – Rainham Walk – 17.05.2009

So, it was decided to finally finish that London Loop walk from Upminster Bridge to Rainham Station – which had been previously abandoned….

Well, it didn’t start at Upminster Bridge, but at Elm Park – which was half way through the walk…. making the way back to Hornchurch country park to find the London Loop was a bit tricky – but t was soon discovered that whilst you are walking you are walking through history – Hornchurch had an airfield and thats were Spitfires were built – if you look carefully enough you can spot an original old lamp (probably from the original airfield – memorial sign (by the school to all the veterans – sadly my photo didn’t come out) and all the road names are dedicated to something like airfield road, or something like that!

Eventually finding the entrance to Hornchurch country Park was good, but it was not the one which was abandoned months ago! The park went behind the same housing estate that we had just walked to get into the park! darn it.. The wind came and the rain came – with the wind whistling in my ears, you could suddenly get the idea of this being an airfield with all that space – flat – amazing. Surprisingly Essex is still quite beautiful.

Walking through the park to the little farm and almost taking a wrong turn and back again, found the right route to rainham

From 2009 – 17.05.2009 – Elm Park – Rainham Walk

The loop sort of disappears again (and I mean yet again) it is not exactly well signposted Mr Mayor) – but improvising is the name of the game – so over the top to Ingrebourne hill via stile

Ingrebourne hill is actually very nice if your a cyclist – loads of places for mountain biking – without having to actually go up any mountains – good if you cant move Snowdon to Essex! Very impressive. So walking wise not bad – but still no london loop signs

From 2009 – 17.05.2009 – Elm Park – Rainham Walk

Eventually join up with the road to Rainham and catch up with the London loop signs (hooray) which guide all the way to Rainham – Rainham is a pretty little village – cute little parish church, 3 pubs, tiny train station with level crossing and a massive map of the London loop on the side – 🙂

From 2009 – 17.05.2009 – Elm Park – Rainham Walk

Sadly I lose my copy of the map – so improvisation, no knowledge of the area, and a photo of the map take over – oh dear I hear you cry – yep your right – very bad now – totally the wrong direction taken! Went back on myself and even went about 1 mile on the London Loop the other way! readers please don’t lose faith in me though – at least I didn’t go the wrong way up the Mountain LOL 🙂

So maybe Rainham Marshes another time!!

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