Hi again!
Last week on the one day that really did feel like the beginning of spring (13 whole degrees!!), I went to Bexley to explore Joydens Wood, a piece of ancient woodland which has a long history stretching back to Roman times. Cared for by the Woodland Trust, there are multiple trails you can follow through the area. This is a lovely ramble; a couple of times I stopped just to listen to the sound of- well, pretty much nothing, other than the birds! The roar of London is only there in a very distant sense.
There are a few entrances to the Wood; the one I used took me down Stable Lane, just outside the village of Bexley. After you pass the stables, there is a gate on the left leading up into the woodland.
There are still traces of ancient human activity in the forest; including Faesten Dic, a boundary made up of a ditch and a raised bank, which runs through the woodland for about a kilometre. You can follow this as one of the trails, which are all really well sign-posted.
You could probably spend most of a day exploring the woodland- not only are there numerous trails to follow, there are also remnants of ancient settlements, such as The King’s Hollow, part of an old dwelling; also a well which would have been the area’s original drinking water source.
It’s very evident from the size of a lot of the trees just how old this woodland is; my favourite was the “Old Oak” towards the Summerhouse Drive entrance to the woods.
Another thing I noticed was how much wildlife there was about; the birdsong was so loud there, and there were squirrels absolutely everywhere!
Joydens Wood also forms part of a longer walk around the Bexley area which is fully outlined in the “London’s Parks & Countryside Pathfinder Guide“. This walk also involves a lovely stretch of the River Cray, which I’ll have to test out very soon!
Rhi xx
P.S. One thing I did find was that most of the trail I took was seriously muddy, so best to wear walking boots or an old pair of trainers you can stick in the wash afterwards!