Walk Report

A "Roming" We Go, Tuesday 13th November 2018
10 walkers, 14.5 miles - leader Ron Williamson
A glorious autumn day with blue skies and warm sunshine encouraged today's walkers to eagerly add an additional 3.5 miles to the promised 11.
Emerson Park station, the eighth station on the single-track railways east of London to be visited this year, was today's starting point. Our route took us through Fielders playing fields into the immaculate gardens of Langtons before crossing the River Ravensbourne and entering Harrow Lodge Park. Bypassing Hornchurch High Street on local roads and footpaths we quickly reached the pleasantly landscaped Ingrebourne valley, an area once full of gravel pits and derelict industrial sites but now a country park and part of the rapidly maturing Thames Chase.
After 4 miles with the sun in our faces it was necessary to turn west and cross the "high ground"of the once notorious Mar Dyke Estate to reach the valley of the River Beam, another area which has been transformed into a pleasing green corridor. Now with the sun behind us we continued past where the Beam River becomes the Rom through the Chase to our own oasis, a cafe which had been closed for nearly four years before reopening just a few weeks ago.
The excitement of the walkers was now almost bubbling over as we traversed the wide expanse of Central Park Dagenham to reach the training grounds of a well-known Premier League club. Alas, as often is the case, our high spirits soon faded and almost died when the next footpath proved impassable and a diversion on tarmac was needed to reach our destination of Romford station.
But wait, all was not lost; Romford has two Wetherspoons capable of raising our morale.

---