London Outer Orbital Path

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The London LOOP's logo, a flying kestrel, can be seen on the signs marking the route.

The London Outer Orbital Path — more usually the "London LOOP" — is a 240 km (150 mile) signed walk along public footpaths, and through parks, woods and fields around the edge of Outer London, described as "the M25 for walkers".

[edit] History

The walk was first proposed at a meeting between ramblers and the Countryside Commission in 1990. It was given an official launch at the House of Lords in 1993. The first section was opened on May 3, 1996, with a ceremony on Farthing Downs, Coulsdon. Other sections followed at the rate of two or three per year as signs were installed and leaflets for individual sections published, the route becoming fully walkable in 2001.

Following the election of Ken Livingstone as Mayor of London, the London Loop has become one of his key routes, along with its sister route, the Capital Ring.

[edit] Route

The route is divided into 24 sections in three groups: the "blue" section in South London, the "green" section in north-west London, and the "yellow" section in north-east London. Each of the 24 sections is designed as a day's walk between public transport nodes.

The walk begins at Erith on the south bank of the River Thames and passes clockwise through Crayford, Petts Wood, Coulsdon, Kingston upon Thames, Uxbridge, Elstree, Cockfosters, Chingford and Upminster Bridge before ending at the Rainham marshes, directly across the Thames from its starting point. Unfortunately, there is no way to cross the river there and complete the loop, although there was once a ferry which was mainly used by pilgrims on their way to Canterbury.

Signposts, waymarks and information boards direct the walker along the route. In countryside locations the waymarks consist mostly of a simple white disc mounted on a wooden post, with a directional arrow and flying kestrel logo in blue and text in green. However, local authorities are responsible for funding these signs, so the quality varies from one borough to the next, with some sections not signed at all. The 54-mile blue section from Erith to Kingston is maintained by the Downlands Countryside Management Project, a joint initiative by several councils, and is complete with signs and information boards, in addition to maps available from Tourist Information Centres.

[edit] See also

• Capital Ring
• Walking in London
• South East London Green Chain

[edit] Further reading

• Sharp, David (2001-02-22). The London Loop. Aurum Press. ISBN 1-85410-759-3.
• (June 1999) John Barber (Illustrator): LOOP Walks: South London. Downlands Countryside Management Project. ISBN 0-9535991-0-8.

[edit] External links

• Transport for London guide to London Loop
• Photos and a brief description of a walk taken around the London Loop