Hey again! This week I’ve been exploring Maryon Park and Charlton Park in near Woolwich. The two pretty much link up to each other, so you can do a pretty lovely uninterrupted walk starting from either end.
I started in Maryon Park (the best way to get there is from Charlton train station; it’s a five-minute walk and trains run from Cannon Street/ Charing Cross every ten minutes or so). The main part of Maryon Park has tennis courts, basketball courts and a kids’ play area- it’s pretty well used and not particularly wild; the more interesting bits in this regard are the paths that wind up either side of the main park and lead to elsewhere. (Interesting-ish fact: a couple of scenes from the 1960s cult film “Blow Up” were filmed here, one on a staircase up at one side of the park, the other in the tennis courts in the centre.) If you’re coming in from the entrance on the A206 (I did), turn right up the path that leads up into the woodland just before you reach the tennis courts. If you follow the fence on the right and go up the steps at the end, you come out into a wonderful little wild patch. (This whole walk is part of the Green Chain walk, as was the walk through Bostall Woods last week- eventually it all links up.)
Following the path across a road, you’ll then come to the other side of Maryon Park, which contains an animal park (actually only discovered this last week- it seems to be mainly peacocks and sheep, which to my mind is a great combo). You can follow pretty much any path that branches off through this part of the park and it’ll be lovely. I chose to keep going towards Charlton Park.
The landscape here is beautiful. This is what I love about this kind of walk. One moment you can be on a busy industrial road (although I do love a bit of brutalism so this isn’t bad either!) and the next you can be in lush woodland.
Next week I’ll be exploring Brookmill Park in St John’s!
Rhi x