Capital Ring

Gtr London

This is an inner London circular orbital route linking parks, commons and open spaces, and very well served by public transport. While there is a significant proportion of hard surface and pavement on the route, there are many sections that seem quite rural, in green parks and woods, round lakes and reservoirs and along rivers and canals, and there are a number of long parkland sections such as in Richmond Park, and many fine views across the distant City from the higher sections.

There are numerous points of interest along the way, highlighted in the well-researched guidebook and leaflets. Leaving the Thames path at Woolwich, the route includes Maryon Park, Woolwich Commons, Oxleas Wood, Eltham Palace, Crystal Palace, Wimbledon Park, Richmond Park, crossing of the Thames at Richmond, Syon Park, Brent River Park, Grand Union Canal, Horsenden Hill, Harrow on the Hill, Fryent Park, Brent Reservoir, Highgate Wood, Queens Wood, Parkland Walk, Finsbury Park, the New River, Clissold Park, the Lea river, the Olympic Park site at Stratford, the Greenway, and finally the Woolwich foot tunnel under the Thames.

The latest edition of the main Aurum guidebook for the route, listed below, includes changes to the route since its previous editions. These are also summarised in the additional information on this publication's page linked below, to help if you are familiar with the previous route or have an earlier edition or older OS maps.

From the start the route soon coincides with the Green Chain Walk to Crystal Palace. The Dollis Valley Greenwalk (10 miles and included on OS mapping) provides a link between the London LOOP and the Capital Ring as does the Thames Path South East Extension to Erith.

The Definitive Guide Cicerone book is a comprehensive guide to walking routes in Greater London dating from 2002.

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Details:

Path Type:	Paths Marked on OS mapping
Waymark:	Name with Big Ben in arrow ring on green disc
Attributes:	Easy Canal Forest/Woodland Lake/Reservoir/Loch River Urban Heritage Industrial History Olympics
Start and Finish:	TQ432797 - Woolwich Foot Tunnel, Gtr London
Open Date:	2005
Web Sites:	TfL - Capital Ring Walk London Underfoot - Capital Ring / Green Chain Walk [blog] Jason McDonald's Walking Pages - Capital Ring [blog] Tim Bertuchi - Capital Ring Walk Annierak - Capital Ring [blog] Stephen and Lucy Dawson - Capital Ring [blog] Capital Ring - Youtube (Parts 1 - 15)

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Publications, Badges and Certificates:

Guidebook	The Capital Ring : 78 miles of green corridor encircling inner London : Recreational Path Guide  (Aurum Press (an imprint of Quarto)  - 2016 )
Guidebook	London Street Atlas  (Geographers' A-Z Map Company (an imprint of HarperCollins)  - 2016 12th ed. )
Guidebook	London : the definitive walking guide  (Cicerone Press  - 2002 )
External PDF	Capital Ring Certificate  (Transport for London (TfL) )

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