It’s nearly 2 months since I returned from Italy and I’d hoped to fill in some of the blanks on my trip long before now but life (mostly good stuff) has got in the way but here we go now.
I set off from my Aunt and Uncle’s house with some trepidation – both them and my parents were nervous about me cycling through the heart of London and that had rubbed onto me – after all I was planning on cycling through the biggest city in the UK. On the other hand though cities are trying to reduce the number of motor vehicles coming in and out – both for congestion and environmental reasons – and are making an attempt at making our streets more cycle friendly – we are still a long way short of countries like the Netherlands and the France but things are getting better.
So I set off from Sunninghill, approx 27 miles south west of the heart of London, having declined the offer of a lift part of the way from Uncle Pat and hoping not to use the back up plan of taking a train part of the way.
As it happens this turned out to my favourite city, to date, to cycle through – I can only speak for the route that I took but based on this I would have no hesitation in recommending cycling through London. In total I cycled about 50 miles that day, to Dartford where I was staying the night at a Warm Showers host.
I started on nice leafy back roads in Berkshire.
Eyed up the Ferraris at the Egham showroom – tried and failed to engage the fellow washing and polishing the cars, in conversation.
Loved the murals round about Staines, which is also where I crossed over The Thames (twice).
I followed some of South Perimeter Road Of Heathrow airport, which wasn’t pretty or attractive but there was a cycle path so no real trouble with traffic. Although there was a cycle path which followed the main road, it didn’t flow with the road – ie every time there was a junction I had to stop and check and make sure it was safe to continue and there was a lot of junctions leading up to the airport – this is often a problem with cycle paths in the UK and why some people don’t like using them.
Past the Gillette Corner – as in razors but now film studios.
Through beautiful tree lined Chiswick – the leafy trees kept the roasting sun off my head – lots of cafes and restaurants and at least 3 bicycle shops – except for the cost I could imagine living here – at a brief glance a 2 bedroom flat in Chiswick would be twice the price of my flat in Alloa – I was surprised it wasn’t much much more and then realised that this was for shared ownership and to get a flat similar in size to mine would actually be at least 3 times the value of mine – ouch.
And then past some of the main landmarks of London – I was so excited to arrive in London and see the sites but very frustrated that I could not get a photo of my favourite ones – the phone decided that it was too hot to to take a photo of Big Ben.
And then onto Southwark – which I’m still struggling to pronounce – the t, h and w all seem to be dropped. I wanted to see the Cathedral and the site of the Tabard Arms where the piligrims set off from on route to Canterbury Cathedral as told Geoffrey Chaucer – The Tabard Arms was was pulled down in 1873 and the only thing to indicate it was there is this blue sign.
And then another of my favourite sites – The Cutty Sark which proved tricky to get all of it in the photo at the one time.
I hadn’t planned the route around any of the sights other then Southward Cathedral and the site of the Tabard Inn – it was more very happy coincidence that I came past so many other famous locations
From here it was an easy pleasant but not particularly exciting bike ride to Dartford where I was spending the night.
Happy Cycling Folks.
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