Best Beckenham secret walk

Ask any of the good citizens of Beckenham what their favourite walk is, they may well tell you about the historic Beckenham Place Park, or Beck Rec with its famous (recently renovated) 'David Bowie' bandstand. For me, one of the best places to walk, or bicycle, is along the Pool River from Cator Park to Catford. My journey on this fine April day began at New Beckenham Station, where I enjoyed a coffee from a wagon parked outside, before walking to the toward the Harris Academy school. Before you reach the school, you can pick up the footpath on the right, immediately before the school's sports hall.

Fed by several sources including the River Beck and Chaffinch Brook, the Pool River flows into the Ravensbourne at Catford. Along this entire length, there is a good walking path and cycle path, which even has a bridge with a spiral ramp so you don't need to dismount to cross the railway line. Not sure about wheelchair access along the river, as there are a couple of obstacles along the way.

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There is much bird and other wildlife to be seen along the route, including kingfishers, I am told, though you would need better eyes and quicker reactions than mine to spot one. If you see a flash of blue, it may have been a kingfisher. Did you spot the courting mallards in the featured image above? I am content with the more common or mundane flora and fauna, and have been known to forage sloe berries, among other delicacies to be be found along this route.

The sloe berries are not much use unless you are making sloe gin, although there are supposed to make a good sauce for venison. Either way, you would need to wait until late summer or early autumn to harvest them. Closer to the ground and at this time of year (early spring) you can find a plentiful supply of what I believe is horse radish, or something similar.

You would be better looking for a healthier and bigger specimen. If you find a nicer-looking and more accessible plant (the one with the big leaves) and can lift it out with its root, you may find a particularly piquant relish. It won't look much but if you cut out the thickest part of the root, leaving the waste where it is (along with the bugs and other life it hosts) then brush off most of the dirt, you can wash the rest later and trim the outer skin. The inside of the root will be tender and fiery hot to the taste. Use it in a sauce or spicy dish or do what I do and just enjoy it as it is. In better condition the young leaves also make a spicy addition to salad, but best to find some plants that are not in the doggie walk zone.

The river path will take you past sports fields and some very attractive allotments, as it meaners through what is a natural flood plane. Not sure how often it floods but there is evidence of flooding in places and this helps to boost vegetation, insect life and therefore attracts birds and other predators. If you are walking, be aware that cycles use the same path and, though most riders are considerate, some may not take prisoners. Also if you are walking alone, the path is quite isolated in places and used by some dubious characters, particularly as you near the South Circular Road in Catford. The route takes you out to the Wickes and other stores on the south side of Catford.

From there, once you have crossed the main road, you can follow a walking or cycling route, all the way to Greenwich. My walk today (a pleasant April afternoon) only took me as far as Sydenham Station. This part of the walk takes you along the industrial areas of Kangley Bridge Road. To me, this is just as interesting, if not more so, than the secluded, almost rural, walk that precedes it. And there is no less wildlife to be seen, if you keep your eyes open. The stately, if somewhat diminutive, holly tree in the picture above, for instance, not to mention the stunning yellow flowers along the verge. And if the litter in the foreground bothers you, there is always the option of picking it up and finding a litter bin to deposit it in.

If you ever visit, and wonder what these towering tanks are, the sign below the nearest one identifies the structure as "Flocculator 3." Don't bother looking it up on Wikipedia as you will be none the wiser for doing so, as I discovered. This industrial unit is either involved in plastics manufacture, or it has something to do with separating solids from liquids, is all I could glean from Wiki.

And industrial premises are not the only feature of the Kangley Bridge Road section of the walk. You get to see churches amid the industrial landscape too.

For those interested, the full quote from Philippians reads: "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."

Back to the Pool River, there is a beautiful section that you can access by walking into the carpark of the Metro Business Centre, one of the industrial areas along the road. This view overlooks the sports fields across the river.

My walk, on this day, ended at Lower Sydenham Station, on the Hayes (Kent) to Charing Cross line. From there the riverside walk continues alongside the railway line before crossing over Southend Lane, continuing as the 'Waterlink Way' along to Catford. Some of the best riverside views are found in this section, which I will cover another day.

Meanwhile, here are some shots from the station itself, where I indulged myself with another coffee and a hot pastry, courtesy of the station café.

I have no idea if the above work was commissioned or simply put there by an enterprising graffiti artist but it sure brightens up this part of the estate.

There is something about the parallel lines of a railway, drawing the eye to a vanishing point, that always attracts my photographic eye.

Hope you enjoyed walking with me and thanks for the company.

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If you enjoyed this walk, you might also like to read: Blooming in Bethlem

Ray