Festive 500, London Waterways - Day 5: River Wandle (Wandle Trail)

Featured waterways: River Wandle

Distance ridden: 41km 

Cumulative distance: 318km

Distance left: 182km

Terrain: Multi-terrain: gravel, grass tracks, muddy sections, tarmac

Weather: Initial frosty patches, cloudy, 3 degC

Nutrition: Water

Route on Strava:

During the Festive 500 challenge I always think it is important to schedule in a few "easy" days at around the half-way mark. It's good for the soul, and you don't have a feeling of beating yourself up to get this done.

So today, was that day - a 25-mile ride that took me along the River Wandle from Croydon to Wandsworth, and then back home via the different commons in South-West London along a largely traffic-free route.

This is quite a pleasant waymarked route, known as the Wandle Trail, so there is no need to do much in the way of navigation. It's just a case of following the white stickers with a green arrow marked on the lamp post. You can also follow National Cycle Network Route 20. 

Look for the green arrow won the whit background, or NCN route 20

From my home in Crystal Palace, I cycled down to Wandle Park, Croydon to start the route. That went through places like Waddon Ponds and Beddington Park, and then largely followed the River Wandle. I went past various residential properties, nature reserves, woodland, parkland, light industrial estates and retail parks. There is a bit of everything along this 14-mile trail. You get to see areas that you wouldn't normally visit. Even though the route passes through Wimbledon, you get to see a totally different side of this area associated with strawberries and tennis.

One pleasant find, is Morden Hall Park - a reason to go to the end of the Northern Line. It is set in 125 acres of parkland and there is a nature reserve adjoining it. Within the grounds is also Deen City Farm, as well as Morden Hall, a stately home and functions venue. 

Many walkers were out in the park with their families on this dull chilly day, but it didn't stop them from enjoying being outdoors.

Morden Hall Park

One thing to note was how muddy the place was. Now, I do remember that this park has been used as a cross country running venue in the past. There is a reason for that! This would also make for a good cyclocross venue too, which is what I ended up doing by default as I weaved around the walkers.

I was conscious about not going too far into the swamp though as I really didn't want to muddy my lovely Liv Devote too much (even if it performed well in these conditions). I am more a fan of riding bikes than washing them!

In fact, some parts of the park were so muddy that I would have feared for the safety of a small child falling in!

After Morden, my route took me around places like Mitcham and Colliers Wood, then on to Earlsfield. Along various parts of the River Wandle people were out fishing. I didn't realise it was the season to do that sort of thing; it would be interesting to know if anyone ever caught a monster carp there, like they show on the fishing programme that comes on after the Tour de France broadcasts!

For a brief section, the route leaves the parks and traffic free paths to go down Earlsfield High Street, a handy spot. Normally (when there isn't lockdown) many cyclists hang out in this area - recreational riders and club riders sitting in the cafes with their bikes parked nearby. Also, if you feel too tired to ride all the way to the end of the route, or if for some other reason you can't continue cycling, Earlsfield train station is right there.

Cake time in Wandsworth Town

I was quite happy to go all the way to the end of the route close to Wandsworth Town train station. The first thing I noticed when I arrived there was the change since my previous trip along the Wandle Trail. The "planters" had gone. Previously, Wandsworth Council had closed Old York Road to traffic, and put in plant pots and cycle lanes. With the cafes along the side of the road, it gave a pleasant "Copenhagen-like" feel. But that has all changed now. The road has been re-opened to traffic, and cyclists are sharing the roads with all kinds of users. The planters had only ever been a temporary measure, and Wandsworth Council decided to scrap these "so-called" low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) due to them causing more congestion than before.

After a quick stopover, at the popular Gail's Bakery, I trundled home via various quiet roads in Wandsworth and then through Wandsworth Common, Tooting Common and Streatham Common. The welcome sight of the Crystal Palace transmitter as I crested Streatham Common signified to me that I was near home. Once past Beulah Hill I was back at base where I enjoyed a leisurely lunch and reminisced on the pleasant morning I'd had.

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Rapha Festive 500, London Waterways - Day 3: Thames Path and Wey Navigation

Featured waterways: River Thames (from Kingston to Weybridge), Wey Navigation, River Mole, River Wandle 

Distance ridden: 81km 

Cumulative distance: 224km

Distance left: 276km

Terrain: Gravel, Muddy track, 50% on tarmacked road 

Weather: Overcast, light rain, 8 degC

Nutrition: Water, half a banana, Ryvita with peanut butter

Route on Strava:

It's good to get out of the house at 9 o'clock. The first day I managed this, on day two I was out at 9.30. Today, was a lethargic 10.30am. But hey, one is allowed a Christmas hangover. Today's ride focused on South-West London. So I cycled over to Kingston. Instead of taking the main Hampton Road with all the other club cyclists and trying to beat my Strava time on this popular segment, I dropped down onto the gravelly Thames Path to reach Hampton Court Palace.

Hampton Court Palace

For sure, if you are wanting to ride at training pace this is not the route to take, but it is a very leisurely and scenic way to get to Hampton Court. It was almost midday by this time, and more folks were flocking there for their Boxing Day walk. However, it was still possible to ride through okay and share the path with other cyclists as well as walkers. I am not sure it would be quite so easy to ride through in the afternoon, though.

Hampton Court is one of those places I really enjoy visiting - the palace, the quaint flats overlooking the River Thames, the barges, and the independent bijou shops on the high street make this the sort of place I could hang out in all day.

I am not sure I would want to live there though. I think it's all right to be there and be cut off from the rest of the world for a short while, but I would worry that I might end up with a very insular outlook on the world. And on a more practical note, the traffic on the roundabout heading towards the M3 can be a nightmare!

River Thames at Hurst Park, near Hampton Court

So I continued along the Thames through Sunbury, Walton, and on to Weybridge. Up to Hampton Court, the terrain had been compact gravel. Once past Hurst Park, the track was muddy - at times very muddy and it would have made for a decent bit of cyclocross training.

Talking of sport, there was a lot of that going on here. As well as cyclists, there were joggers, people playing football in the nearby park, canoeists, and a bit of stand-up board paddling - something that has really taken off this year.

Once at Weybridge, the Thames fed into the River Wey. Rather than follow the signs to get onto the River Wey, I followed signs for Addlestone to reach the Wey Navigation - a canal parallel to the River Wey. I figured that this would be less muddy than the main river.

Initially, I thought my hopes of avoiding a mudfest were dashed as the start of the Wey Navigation was so claggy - even with the straw laid on the ground to make it passable. The path was narrow, and at times I worried I would slide and fall into the water! I felt a little guilty that the friendly folks around there looked at me expecting to bid me "good day" or "Merry Christmas", but I couldn't look at them as I was focused on my bike handling!

After a couple of hundred metres the path rose up to a higher elevation and the ground was much drier than earlier. I heaved a sigh of relief and was able to appreciate my surroundings, which were very pretty - even under the gloomy skies.

Eventually the path reached the road, at New Haw Lock. Sadly, I had to make the prudent decision to return home as the sky turned deep grey and the drizzle became more like rain.

Wanting to get back sooner rather than later, my route home was practically all on road. I went through Byfleet, Cobham, and Stoke d'Abernon where I briefly rode alongside the River Mole. Then I continued on through |Oxshott, Ewell, Cheam and Sutton. These are all places I was familiar with, having done training rides there on my road bike.

At Carshalton I entered Beddington Park to pick up the Wandle Trail, which follows the river Wandle to Croydon. It was quite a surprise to bump into Louise Mahé, a fellow cycle racer who I have raced with in the past. It had been ages since I last saw her, and so it was quite a fluke to just randomly cross paths with her just outside Croydon.

I could hang out at Hampton Court all day!

Eventually I reached home, just as it was getting dark and the rain became heavy. Weatherwise, it had been a grim Boxing Day. But I must say I was glad to have been able to get out and ride along the Thames and go through the pretty side of Hampton Court, as well as to discover the Wey Navigation. This year's Boxing Day is certainly an improvement on last year's when I left my house as a mountain biker and returned home as a drowned rat after being caught in torrential rain and sploshing my way across muddy trails in the local parks. 

Today had certainly been a fun day.

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