This was an "interesting" walk in a few ways. In early January of 2020, I boarded the train from my home station of Streatham Common to Wembley Central and then got onboard the #92 bus towards Sudbury Hill Station where I had finished my last walk on the Capital Ring in July of the previous year. Even though I was following the route on google maps on my phone I got off the bus much too early. Somehow I got confused and got off at Sudbury and Harrow rail station. Duh.... maybe I should have had that second cup of coffee at breakfast but then again that does create other problems when you are walking! So I waited for the next #92 and this time got off at the right stop.
I popped into a shop next to the station to buy a Galaxy bar...I am getting credit for doing this walk through my walking club so I have to have proof I walked it. I was impressed I remembered to do this actually. Any excuse to get a Galaxy bar!!!
I headed off along the pavement (known as sidewalks in North America) until I turned left onto a path that was once the road between Sudbury Hill and Harrow and known to locals as Piggy Lane!!!
I eventually emerged into Harrow-on-the Hill but let's just call it Harrow. It is the home of the famous prestigious Harrow Boys' school that was founded in 1572 by John Lyons under a Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I. It is just a bit posh and boasts such alumni as Winston Churchill as well as other Prime Ministers, politicians, five kings and the list goes on. The uniform includes straw boater hats, top hats, morning suits and canes. Sadly school was out for the Christmas holidays (I did this walk in early January) so no one was about as I'd have loved to have seen that uniform. Fun fact: I too attended a private Anglican school for three years and wore a uniform. Not posh though. Harrow is also famous for hosting two kings. Charles I stopped here on his way north to battle during the Civil War. Henry VIII is said to have had his hunting lodge on the site of the old Kings Head pub which is now a block of flats. It is said that he courted Ann Boleyn here.
Above is a gantry honouring King Henry VIII which is just one of ten gantries in the United Kingdom.
I wanted to follow this road down but it was going the opposite direction and what goes down must come up.
I resisted the cafe!! The building above is one of the oldest buildings in Harrow school.
I really wanted to sneak over to get a view from that veranda but it was private property of Harrow school and with my luck, I'd have been caught.
Yep, it's Queen Elizabeth II....
The path crossed the sports fields of Harrow and had a nice view back towards Harrow.
The church spire you can see in the middle is that of St Mary's which is Church of England - this has been a church on this site since the 11th century but not in this form. Extensive renovations took place in the mid 19th century. Lord Byron, another Harrow student was a frequent visitor to this church.
Stiles are common in the British countryside but not as much in greater London but here you are!!! Climbing over it brought a big smile to my face as I've climbed a few of these in my day.
That smile on my face was gone shortly thereafter...
I crossed over a busy road and followed the instructions in my book which was to go on the Ducker footpath. Pardon my french but on that particular day they should have changed the D to an F.
At the beginning, the path was pleasant then turned into a narrow path between a chain-linked fence and a forest that was very wet. (believe me I double checked the instructions) And I only had hikers on, not proper walking boots....(they were at home in Canada)
Nope, not tackling that!
So I had to retrace my footsteps back to the street. Thank goodness for google maps on my phone as not only could I find the nearest bus stop but also the correct bus to take to South Kenton. After a fairly long wait (and I was not in the best of moods) it pulled up and I then hopped aboard and jumped off somewhere along the way ending up at South Kenton station. It was not on the route at all of course. I took no photos as it was a residential area with no interesting houses. In the end the distance on my Fitbit was even more than if I'd done the route properly as it turns out. So this was a very disappointing end to what was to be my last walk on the Capital Ring for quite a while. Of course, I didn't know it would have ended like this or I'd have stopped at that cute coffee shop and had a look in St Mary's. During a dry spell (fingers crossed) in the summer of 2022 I am planning to find my way back to the Ducker trail and redo the walk the way it should be.
I've enjoyed my jaunts along the Capital Ring so much. By now every reader must know that I love London and this walk has given me a chance to explore and get to know it so much better. I'll be back on the trail sooner than later I hope!!!
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