Tips & Resources
A-Z Tips & Resources
A
The Anglers Pub, Teddington
Positioned at Teddington Lock, halfway along the Hampton Court to Richmond route the this makes for an excellent lunch stop. With its large pub garden this has proved extremely popular during Covid and I think will continue to do so into the future. Worth booking in advance.
See also Tide End Cottage Pub.
G
Google Maps
You know what to do.
H
Historic England
A handy and accessible site which gives summary information on all the buildings, battlefields, parks, gardens, shipwrecks etcetera that you are likely to encounter on any of the LoHo walks. NB there aren’t many actual shipwrecks on LoHo walks.
Hampstead Heath
This site is a tad touristy but has an excellent selection of historic photographs and paintings of the Heath.
K
Kent
For those of you that live in Kent or South London this is an excellent website which will provide you with many more walks than I have done here. Thanks to the intrepid Adam McCulloch for setting up this splendid resource.
N
National Trust
With an income of £630 million annually, ownership of over 500 houses, castles, parks etc. plus 780 miles of coastline, the Trust is not just a cosy institution for pickling the past. NT has major political clout and is at the heart of the biggest contentious issues affecting the use of our land. For that reason alone, if you can afford it, it’s worth signing up to support it and/or change its policies.
National Rail
Quick fares and train times – at weekends always check for rail disruptions.
O
Ordnance Survey
This venerable organisation has moved on from the days of being the chief print source of the maps beloved by outdoor pursuits enthusiasts everywhere. Unrivalled for the accuracy and detail, these maps have now been digitised and can be customised to any area. The digital mapping service can be accessed by a cheap subscription of £2.99 a month and gives the right to print off maps, create and share routes in cities, towns and countryside across the UK. Happily, they still sell their gorgeous paper maps which are works of art in themselves.
The app also contains an excellent location feature. As much as I would hate you to switch on your phone in the middle of the walk and start mindlessly noodling, should you ever get lost, or be uncertain of which path to take, the location feature will pinpoint you on the map to within a few metres. Then you must put your phone away…
If you walk regularly, it’s worth going for the annual subscription. LoHo people can access all of my maps for free on the subscription site.
As you can tell I’m a fan of OS, having cycled and walked with them for years.
Other mapping services are available…
R
Right to Roam
An informative and well balanced account of why we need a RTR Act. The woodcut style drawings are also rather beautiful too.
S
Shoreham
There are two Shorehams: one in the Darenth Valley in Kent and the other by the sea in Sussex – try not to confuse the two when buying train tickets or wearing your Speedos.
Shoreham in Kent is at the heart of several walks listed on the website. It has a couple of cheery little tea shops but, surprisingly for such a well-placed village, the pubs don’t stand out, unless all you want to do is drink beer and have ‘pub food’. However, for anyone seeking something a little more special I recommend The Mount Vineyard which has a very pleasant garden and a restaurant that serves decent pizzas and wine. A great place to lunch when walking. Booking highly recommended.
T
Tide End Cottage Pub
www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk/pubs/middlesex/tide-end-cottage
Often overlooked in favour of its neighbour, The Anglers, this smaller, more intimate pub next door is a good alternative.
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Travel and TFL
www.tfl.gov.uk and www.nationalrail.co.uk
Booking in advance – handy cheap fares tip:
When going on any route outside of London, check the stops on the rail route, work out how far your TravelCard will get you (currently a suprisingly long way out to Zone 8) then book your return rail to your destination from the furthest Z8 station using your TravelCard for the remainder of the route. This can more than halve the fare.
W
Walking World
Another subscription site for the walker. This one has the USP of being built by walkers for walkers, so the routes are grounded in local knowledge. An annual subscription gives you access to walking routes all across the UK and abroad.