London Loop section 23 page 1 LONDON LOOP Section 23 of 24 Upminster Bridge to Rainham Section start: Upminster Bridge Nearest station to start: Upminster Bridge (District Line) Section finish: Rainham Nearest station to finish: Rainham (Rail) Section distance 4.5 miles with no station links Total = 4.5 miles (7.2 km) Introduction This section starts near the fascinating Upminster Windmill and generally follows the River Ingrebourne. You walk through Hornchurch Country Park which has gone through several phases as a farm, military airfield, gravel quarry and rubbish tip, until its acquisition in 1980 by the local authority. The terrain is almost completely level with tarmac or firm gravel paths and there are no stiles, so all of this section is very accessible. There are pubs at Upminster Bridge, Rainham Road and Rainham village. There are cafés and toilets at Upminster Bridge, Hornchurch Country Park and Rainham. As shown by the ‘break points’ in the walk guidance, you can shorten the walk by taking buses from Newmarket Way or later from Rainham Road. This version by members of the Ramblers for Transport for London In this format: text © Ramblers 2021, maps © OpenStreetMap Downloaded from: https://innerlondonramblers.org.uk/loop Published: May 2021 London Loop section 23 page 2 Walking directions Did you know? Leave Upminster Bridge station and turn right onto the busy Upminster Upminster Bridge refers Road. Go under the railway bridge and past The Windmill pub on the left. not to the railway Cross the Ingrebourne River and then continue to Bridge Avenue. bridge, but to the bridge across the Ingrebourne River, which has existed Diversion to visit the windmill in various forms since To visit Upminster Windmill from here, take a diversion from the Loop by at least 1375. continuing along the main road for about half a mile. At the top of the rise, the windmill is on the left. Rejoin the main route via Boundary Road and Did you know? Brookdale Avenue. Upminster Windmill was built in 1803 by a local On the main route, turn right along Bridge Avenue, towards the sports farmer and continued to produce flour until 1934. stadium, until you reach Brookdale Avenue on the left. Opposite, on the The windmill underwent right hand side of the road, are the black metal gates to Hornchurch major restoration in Stadium. Go through the gates and down the drive. 2016-21 and will soon be able to produce flour Bear left and enter the car park. Turn left towards the tarmac path to the by wind power for the first time in almost 90 left of the wooden fence passing a barrier. Follow the path along the green years. open space of Gaynes Parkway with the Ingrebourne River on the right. This version by members of the Ramblers for Transport for London In this format: text © Ramblers 2021, maps © OpenStreetMap Downloaded from: https://innerlondonramblers.org.uk/loop Published: May 2021 London Loop section 23 page 3 At the triangular crossing of paths keep right on the tarmac path joining a Did you know The Ingrebourne River national cycle route (NCN 136). Continue close to the river before crossing is your companion for it via the footbridge. most of this section of the Loop. It passes Turn immediately left once over the bridge and follow the Ingrebourne, now roughly north east to on the left, to the busy road called Hacton Lane. Cross at the pedestrian south west through the Borough of Havering lights and continue straight ahead through the wooden gate and follow the and into the Thames at path around Hacton Parkway Play Area. Rainham Creek. Once past the play site, continue on the tarmac path of the Ingrebourne Valley Greenway, with the river on the left, and on the right an open space Did you know? followed by the backs of houses and then another open space, until The Ingrebourne Valley reaching the sign for the Ingrebourne Valley Local Nature Reserve. comprises 261 hectares of interconnecting habitats, including river, Break point open water, marsh, At the end of the second open space, you can turn right on a path to grassland, reed bed, Newmarket Way, to catch a ‘Hail and Ride’ 193 bus to Hornchurch and ancient and secondary Romford stations (westbound). Also Hornchurch station is a 10-15-minute woodland, scrub and walk from Newmarket Way, via Goodwood Avenue, Ascot Gardens, Crystal hedgerows. The valley Avenue, Standen Avenue and Suttons Lane. is home to London’s largest remaining To continue on the Loop keep on the path past the footbridge on the continuous freshwater reed bed, designated as left. Do not go over the bridge, keep ahead. Follow the Greenway track a Site of Special through a metal gate next to the river, which sometimes bursts its banks Scientific Interest here, so use the alternative wooden footbridge to the right to enter (SSSI) and a Local Hornchurch Country Park. Nature Reserve. Some 60 species of birds regularly breed in the Alternative route area, and there are The path beyond the signpost can be flooded after heavy rain. To avoid nationally scarce beetle this, turn right at the signpost, where NCN 136 also turns, signposted ‘F.P. species, dragonflies, 215 Suttons Lane Alternative Route’. After following this path round a few crickets and other bends you arrive at the car park and beyond it the children’s play area and insects. The reed bed the Nature Discovery Centre, where you can rejoin the Loop. can be viewed from the Essex Wildlife Trust From the signpost until Albyn’s Lake you pass various concrete pillboxes Discovery Centre, or from a nearby open-air and turrets. A reminder that this site was once an RAF airfield. The airfield viewing point. closed in 1962, but the air raid shelters, gun emplacements, turrets and pillboxes still show evidence of the airfield’s defence. This version by members of the Ramblers for Transport for London In this format: text © Ramblers 2021, maps © OpenStreetMap Downloaded from: https://innerlondonramblers.org.uk/loop Published: May 2021 London Loop section 23 page 4 Further on the path forks left at a Loop waymark to go past a children’s Did you know? Hornchurch Country play area on the right. Shortly after this on the left is Essex Wildlife Trust’s Park sits within the Ingrebourne Valley Visitor Centre - recently rebranded as the Ingrebourne Ingrebourne Valley. The Valley Nature Discovery Centre. park is the former site of Sutton’s Farm airfield, a After the Centre, continue along the tarmac path, keeping left past the Royal Flying Corps base in the First World signpost to Albyns Farm and Lake to arrive shortly at a viewing area where War, which later you can enjoy the broadest view of the Ingrebourne Marshes. Keep became RAF following the track straight ahead past two more signposts to Albyns Farm Hornchurch, whose and Lake. After the second of these, the track winds through a wooded fighter squadrons were prominent in the Battle area to reach the lakeside. of Britain. There is a small exhibition of RAF Alternative route Hornchurch artefacts Beyond the viewing area is a short but steep hill (where the airfield control and memorabilia in the tower once stood). It should not trouble walkers, but might be a stretch for Nature Discovery someone with a pushchair or wheelchair. The signpost to ‘Albyns Farm & Centre, and more are Lake avoiding hill’ offers an alternative path to the right. Follow this path, displayed in the Purfleet Heritage & Military like an inverted ‘C’, to a T-junction with a signpost pointing right to Albyns Centre on Section 24 of Farm & Lake, where you rejoin the Loop. the Loop. Follow the track around to the left of the lake before turning right towards the farm. Go round the gate and past Albyns Farm, a much-restored medieval manor now privately owned. This version by members of the Ramblers for Transport for London In this format: text © Ramblers 2021, maps © OpenStreetMap Downloaded from: https://innerlondonramblers.org.uk/loop Published: May 2021 London Loop section 23 page 5 Soon an opening appears on the left, with a path leading into open Did you know? From the viewpoint you meadows as indicated by a Loop waymark and a signpost to Ingrebourne can see in the distance Hill. Take this path, passing a wooden gate on the right. Shortly after the to the west the buildings gate, where the tarmac ends, turn right through the opening where straight of Canary Wharf and away there is a crossing of paths. Turn left on the wide gravel path as it the City; sometimes the Shard as well. To the gently climbs to the brow of the hill. You are now entering Ingrebourne Hill north, above the trees where you have the opportunity to enjoy an outstanding, panoramic view. on the horizon is the top of the white water tower Alternative route at Havering-atte-Bower, It is well worth taking a detour from the Loop to go up to the viewpoint. near the start of Section After the path starts to descend, take a path on the left that slopes up and 21. Towards the north- east is St Andrew’s back, with a green dog waste bin at the corner. To return to the Loop, either Church, Hornchurch, take the same path back or take the path that winds down to the lake. This and a little further meets the Loop at the point where it turns right to head to Rainham Road. round, not on the horizon, Upminster Continue ahead keeping a close watch for mountain bikes crossing the Windmill.