Walking in London

Walk along the River Lea

London is a large but congested city. The public transport system is well developed and world-famous but operates at capacity, can be unpleasant to use and is relatively expensive. A congestion charge is made for motorists to enter central London during busy times. For these reasons and others, walking has become increasingly popular for both recreation and as a means of transport in the capital. In addition, London is relatively flat, despite tourist mythology is not especially rainy, and is blessed with pavements on most roads.

Walking routes

There are several key routes in London and Transport for London promote the use of several of them:

Capital Ring

File:Capital ring.jpg

A Capital Ring sign positioned near the Preston Road tube station,

A circular route with 15 sections and a radius of approximately 4-8 miles (6-13 km) from Charing Cross, mostly through the inner Outer London suburbs and partly in Inner London. The route forms a complete circuit, crossing the River Thames twice and with a notional starting point of Woolwich.

London Outer Orbital Path

Local authorities are responsible for route signage

A 150 mile (240 km) circular route with 24 sections mostly through the Outer London suburbs and partly in the districts of neighbouring authorities. The "M25" for walkers. The path is broken by the lack of crossing of the Thames between Purfleet and Erith.

Jubilee Walkway

A route through central London, originally called the Silver Jubilee Walkway, laid down in 1977 as part of the celebrations of the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The route takes in many of London's major attractions.

Lea Valley Walk

The Lea Valley Walk starts outside Greater London but has around 12.5 miles (20 km) within its boundary. The route follows the River Lea and the Lee Navigation.

The Greenway

File:The Greenway East London.jpg

Land is reused for walking routes

Reuse of the land above the Northern Outfall Sewer from Hackney Wick to Beckton as a walking and cycle path.

Guided walks

Several companies provide guided walks around parts of London. These walks are aimed primarily at tourists and the guide will often be an expert in a particular area. Such walks often are around a theme, such as 'haunted London' or 'London of Jack the Ripper'. It is also possible to download a tourist guide of London onto an MP3 player or use mobile phone-based services.

External links

• walkit.com - Walking route planner
• Transport for London walking
• Key routes
• Inner London Area of the Ramblers' Association
• London Cross - A straight line walk across London
• US Pedestrian Advocacy Groups
• UK Pedestrian Advocacy Group
• online walking map of London