Wellbeing at Work

Queen Elizabeth Hospital SE18 4QH Common and Park Do these walks to help meet your daily walking target and improve your wellbeing

LOCAL AREA The Queen Elizabeth Hospital is almost entirely surrounded by green space, though much of it is closed to the public (Ministry of Defence establishments) or fenced off (a cemetery and a sports ground just to the West of the hospital). However, Woolwich Common faces the main entrance and the varied Horn Fair Park is tucked away very close. Charlton Park and Mary Wilson Parks are also not far away. There are good opportunities for enjoyable lunchtime and after-work walks. In fact two of London’s great long distance walking routes, the Green Chain and the Capital Ring pass close to the Queen Elizabeth and you can have a taster on our walk.

DESCRIPTION A pleasant walk around Woolwich Common and a visit to the varied Horn Fair Park with its sunken rose garden. The walk shares two short sections with both the Green Chain and the Capital Ring. Those seeking a shorter walk can choose to do either the Common or the Horn Fair Park halves of the walk, instead of both. The May trees are splendid on the Common in Spring, as are the roses in Horn Fair Park in June. Wear sensible footwear and choose a dry day for a walk on the Common.

TOTAL DISTANCE 2.1 miles

TIME 40 minutes

PACES 4200 paces An alternative shorter route is offered (1.4 miles/26 minutes/2750 paces). Wellbeing at Work

Queen Elizabeth Hospital SE18 4QH Common and Park

1 Start at the main entrance to Queen 3 Continue on for several hundred metres as the path swings Elizabeth Hospital: around to the right. When the path becomes wider and hard From the white canopy at the front of the topped, take a grassy fork downhill and to the left in the hospital, keep on the right pavement and walk direction of Greenwich Heights, the tallest block of flats on through the pedestrian exit gate onto Stadium Baker Road. At the junction with Baker Road (opposite Master Road. Cross at the zebra and turn right (the Gunners Place) cross with care and turn right. Common is on your left). Just beyond the bus stand and car park entrances, and before the H4 bus stop, fork left onto a brick path and take the first left into the Common, under a copse For a shorter walk, continue along Baker Road 400-500 of May trees. metres and back to the main hospital entrance.

4 After 100 metres turn left, just past the H5 bus stop (at a The May tree, another name for the Hawthorn, Green Chain Walk sign), and walk between Greenwich Heights flowers beautifully and widely in May. There is an old and a car park, pass through two metal gates and enter Horn expression “Ne’er cast a clout till May is out” which Fair Park. means don’t take off any of your winter clothing until the May tree is in blossom. Woolwich Common is 5 Turn left and go behind goal posts on a rough path for 50 me- filled with May trees which makes for a great walk in tres, to join a hard surface path beneath an avenue of trees that the Spring. circles the park (ignore the Green Chain Walk sign pointing right). 2 Keep straight on this path, up hill and almost right across the Common (following the Capital Depending on how much time you have left, you can choose Ring long distance path sign). As the exit gate to extend your walk to visit a sunken rose garden and the comes into sight turn right onto a grass and Charlton lido (undergoing refurbishment as a scuba diving gravel path (another Capital ring sign). centre and swimming pool). Simply take a short descent over grass to the corner of the paddling pool, turn left and then right at the bottom of a short flight of stone steps – and return via You will soon pass two wooden benches side by the playground. side on your left, shortly after which leave the Capital Ring/Green Chain and bear right at the Directions continue > fork in path – in the distance you will see the glass top of a large brick tower. Wellbeing at Work

Queen Elizabeth Hospital SE18 4QH Common and Park

Continue around the park, along the far side to Green Chain and the Capital Ring just before the far end and turn right at the – long distance walks Green Chain Walk sign, to return to the point where you entered the park. The South East London Green Chain, and the network of routes that link them, is known The adventurous can follow the Green Chain simply as the Green Chain Walk. It’s an extensive Signs to the left leaving the park here to network that can provide many happy days of continue on for a longer walk to Charlton Park walking through the dozens of woodlands and and Mary Wilson Park. open spaces.

6 Return to the hospital along the path to the right Its ten sections, together with numerous spurs to Baker Road. and links, cover 65km (40 miles) and are a delight to explore, with many possible combinations and opportunities for circular walks. The Queen Turn left beside the hospital boundary to Elizabeth is very near the Green Chain as well as return to the main entrance. the Capital Ring - giving opportunities for longer summer walks after work. End http://www.greenchain.com/

The Capital Ring The Capital Ring is one of the Mayor of London’s key routes. It is a surprisingly green route that encircles London 125km (78 miles) long, and threads together parks and open spaces, mostly following residential roads in between. http://www.walklondon.org.uk/route.asp?R=1