Spectacular views, hidden gems and green parkland can all be enjoyed on a crisp stroll around the capital as part of Transport for London’s winter walking weekend this month. And it’s all free – but you’d better be quick to book a place on some of the more in-demand walks.
Winter Wanders sees TfL put on 43 free guided walks across London on Saturday and Sunday January 23-24.
The walks, which are led by experienced Walk London guides, range from short strolls to more challenging routes, and all start and finish within easy reach of public transport.
There are six new walks for 2016 including a special design-focused walk to celebrate TfL’s Transported by Design programme. The walk will follow the Piccadilly line above ground from Green Park Tube station to Covent Garden Tube station taking in the design heritage of the stations and the surrounding areas.
The Winter Wanders include a near-10-mile ramble down the River Wandle, from Wandsworth to Carshalton (for which booking is essential), and a day-long 9.5-mile walk along the Thames from Richmond, stopping off for lunch in Kingston, and touring thee former royal hunting grounds of Bushey Park.
Other, shorter and less-demanding strolls involve a look back to London in the Blitz, inspired by the book Goodnight Mister Tom, covering less than two miles around the City of London, and there’s a two-mile walk from London Bridge to Tower Hill called Discovering Historic Southwark
TfL is working with London’s boroughs to try to make the capital a more walking-friendly city, with over £4 billion being invested over 10 years to make London’s streets and roads greener and safer. TfL has also spent more than £9 million into the Walk London Network of seven high quality walking routes that span London, which include the Green Chain route which starts at Crystal Palace, and the London Outer Orbital Path, which takes in Addington Hills (misspelled on the official TfL website) and Farthing Downs.
Winter Wanders is one of three TfL-sponsored walking weekends held each year, to help Londoners enjoy the city’s best walking routes and motivate people to walk more often. The other guided walking weekends, Spring into Summer and Autumn Ambles take place in May and October.
- To find out more about the Winter Wanders guided walks, visit www.walklondon.org.uk
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