Capital Ring section 1 page 1

CAPITAL RING
Section 1 of 15
Woolwich to Falconwood
Section start: Woolwich foot tunnel

Nearest station to start: Woolwich Arsenal (DLR or Rail)

Section finish: Falconwood

Nearest station to finish: Falconwood (Rail)

Section distance 6.2 miles plus 1.0 miles of station links

Total = 7.2 miles (11.6 km)

Introduction
This is one of the longer and most attractive sections of the Capital Ring. It
has great contrasts, rising from the River Thames to Oxleas Meadow, one
of the highest points in inner London.

The route is mainly level but there are some steep slopes and three long
flights of steps, two of which have sign-posted detours. There is a mixture
of surfaced paths, a little pavement, rough grass, and un-surfaced tracks.

There are many bus stops along the way, so you can break your walk.
Did you know?
With many branches and
There are six cafés along the route. Where the walk leaves the Thames loops, the Green Chain
there are two cafés to your right in Thames-side Studios. The Thames walk stretches from the
River Thames to
Barrier boasts the 'View café, whilst in Charlton Park you find the 'Old Nunhead Cemetery,
Cottage' café to your right when facing Charlton House. Severndroog spanning fields, parks
and woodlands. As
Castle has a Tea Room on the ground floor and the latter part of the walk indicated on the maps,
offers the Oxleas Wood café with its fine hilltop views. much of this section of
the Capital Ring follows
some of the branches of
The route is partially shared with the Thames Path and considerably with the Green Chain. The
maps show other
the Green Chain Walk. Note that several of the parks traversed in the branches in green that
earlier parts of the route are closed at dusk. are not part of this walk.

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Capital Ring section 1 page 2

Walking directions Did you know?

The walk starts by the southern end of the Woolwich foot tunnel, next to The Woolwich foot
the River Thames. It then stays besides the river almost as far as the tunnel was built in 1912
Thames Barrier. and goes under the
river to North Woolwich,
which is the end of the
With the river on your right, walk upstream from the foot tunnel to cross the
Capital Ring Section 15.
Woolwich ferry's approach road. At present, the stretch of path immediately The Woolwich Free
beyond the approach road to the ferry is closed whilst a block of flats is Ferry, adjacent to the
built besides the river. Therefore, turn left to the main road, then right at the foot tunnel entrance,
takes vehicles and foot
roundabout, and past the building-site hoardings until you reach the sign passengers over the
‘Mast Quay’. Turn right down the approach to the flats and walk through Thames and has been
them back to the riverside. Turn left. operating for over 800
years.
Head upstream along the riverside path. You pass two of the former dry-
docks, now water-filled, and the Gun Drill Battery from when this area was
a naval dockyard. Shortly after the cannons, and past a modern estate, the Did you know
The Thames Barrier
path reaches a flood defence wall. Either climb up and over the maritime- was proposed following
themed Linkbridge 2000 for a good view of the Thames Barrier or use the a terrible storm in 1953
ramp to the left. which produced a tidal
surge up the river; it
drowned many people
On your left you come to a Thames Path signpost directing you inland.
and caused great
Ignore this sign and continue by the river. The old route has been made damage. The barrier
obsolete by the elevated walkway that you come to shortly. Follow this was completed in 1984
and its huge steel gates
elevated section until it slopes down to end in a road (Warspite Road).
can be raised in 45
Continue along Warspite Road and take the second right into Bowater minutes. There is a
Road through large factory buildings. Leaving the buildings, and with the visitor centre off
Thames Barrier to your right, turn left, just after the zebra crossing, to Eastmoor Street.

follow Green Chain signs to the main road (Woolwich Road).

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Capital Ring section 1 page 3

Cross Woolwich Road by the

pedestrian crossing to enter
Maryon Park. There is a public
convenience in this park, see map
for location. Just through the
park's gate, turn left. The path
then swings to the right, over a
railway bridge, and into the main
part of the park. Bear right before
the tennis courts and right again
having passed them to ascend
115 steps with white-painted
handrails. This turn is only
marked by a small waymarking
post so keep a look-out.

Alternative route
For an alternative route avoiding
the steps: keep to the left of the
tennis courts and follow the Green
Chain's signs through the park to
the Maryon Road entrance (toilets
to the right). Turn right into
Maryon Road and right again at
the church into Woodland Terrace,
which becomes Thorntree Road.
Continue to the top of the hill, past
the houses, and re-join the
Capital Ring at the large Green
Chain sign to the left.
Did you know
The main route also leads to the large sign to the left in Thorntree Road. Maryon Park was
Having climbed the steps walk through the grassed area in front of you and formed from sandpits. A
nearby sandpit is now
cross over Thorntree Road to the sign. Pass the sign into Maryon Wilson
'The Valley', home of
Park, which was once part of the old Hanging Wood. Follow the tarmac Charlton Athletic
path downhill to and through the children's zoo. Football Club. The park
was a key location in
Leaving the animal enclosures, turn left at the large footpath sign, and Michelangelo
Antonioni's film Blow
follow the path to Charlton Park Road. Cross and turn right to reach
up.
Charlton Park Academy.

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Capital Ring section 1 page 4

The entrance to Charlton Park is

through a gate in the wall
immediately after Charlton Park
Academy. There are footpath
signs on both sides of the road
indicating this small gate but they
are often obscured by foliage.
Within the park, and with
Charlton Park Academy still to
the left, continue until facing the
playing fields. You see a large
footpath sign before you. Follow
the light green Capital Ring
finger at the top. Turn right along
the wide tarmac path. Charlton
House is ahead. There is a
public convenience to your right
when facing Charlton House
(see map).

At the end of the wide path, now

facing Charlton House, turn left
to cross the park and then left
again when you reach its far
side. Follow the park's southern
boundary to another large Green
Chain sign. At the sign, turn right
to leave the park, cross the road
(Charlton Park Lane) and follow
Charlton Park Lane to shortly take
the first left into Inigo Jones Road. At the end of Inigo Jones Road cross Did you know?
Charlton House, in the
straight-over the T-junction to the railings of Hornfair Park. distance, was built in
1612 for Sir Adam
Immediately after entering Hornfair Park turn right and then almost Newton, and is one of
immediately left along a path to keep the fenced-off BMX track to your left. the best examples of
Jacobean architecture
Note that there is no signpost to indicate this important left turn. Once past
left in London. It was
the BMX track turn left, through a gate in the park's boundary, and then restored in 1878 by
immediately right to reach a road (Baker Road). Turn left into Baker Road, Norman Shaw for the
and shortly cross rightwards by the zebra crossing. Maryon Wilson family.

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Capital Ring section 1 page 5

The crossing brings you to the large Green Chain sign on the opposite side
of the road. Now head-over Woolwich Common, following the Green Chain
and Capital Ring waymarkers. There are increasingly fine views to the left
whilst crossing the Common and the distantly visible fields are in Essex.

Having crossed Woolwich Common the path comes to a T-junction. Turn

right, keeping the trees to your left. You come to a fork in the path, bear left Did you know?
The Roman Watling
here, and shortly you are beside a major road, Academy Road, with a large
Street crossed Shooters
Green Chain signpost before you. Follow Academy Road for 150 yards to Hill on its way from
its crossroads with Shooters Hill Road. You see a red-brick building Dover to London. The
name Shooters Hill may
diagonally opposite you and to its left (east) is the open grassland of
come from archery
Eltham Common. You should carefully cross this busy junction to reach practice or because the
Eltham Common but be aware that there is no pedestrian phase in the road was historically a
traffic lights. haunt for highwaymen.
In A Tale of Two Cities,
by Charles Dickens, a
Once on Eltham Common you find a main footpath signpost next to the
stagecoach struggles
buildings. This directs you diagonally across the grass towards the woods. up the muddy road of
There is no path. Approaching the woods, Castle Wood, you see a smaller Shooters Hill.
metal signpost pointing into them. The following 300 yards of path through
the woods are a little steep and are stepped in places, at the top you are
rewarded with a large Green Chain sign before you.

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Capital Ring section 1 page 6

Alternative route without steps Did you know?

Instead of crossing Eltham Common go up Shooters Hill Road and take Severndroog is an
eccentric triangular
the first right. Follow this lane until you see a large Green Chain signpost
castle standing 70 feet
on your left. This is the same sign as found at the top of the steps. Note high. It was built as a
that this detour is not sign-posted. memorial to
Commodore Sir William
On the main route, turn right at this sign and continue along the lane, which James, owner of the
land in the 18th century.
leads to Severndroog Castle.
The East India
Company employed
The Capital Ring goes to the right of Severndroog Castle and then
him to suppress pirates
descends 72 steep steps. and he captured their
fortress. His widow built
Alternative route without steps the castle to
The step-free alternative goes to the left of the building along a minor lane commemorate him after
and has Green Chain waymarkers; it joins the main route in the woods and his death in 1784. The
building is open on
can be muddy after wet weather.
Sundays and offers one
of the very finest views
anywhere in London.

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Capital Ring section 1 page 7

At the bottom of the main-route's

72 steps turn left towards the
woods, Jack Wood, noting the
view over Surrey to the right.
Assisted by waymarking posts,
make your way through these
woods until bearing right at a
clearing which reveals the
garden and remnants of the
former Jackwood House.
Continue past the rose garden
to your left to a T-junction. Turn
sharp right here as directed by
the Green Chain signpost before
you. Keep a look-out for the
wooden waymarking posts that
guide you downhill through the
woods for the next 200 yards,
Emerging from the woods keep
left and up to the Oxleas Wood
café which has public WCs and
an outstanding view over
western Kent and eastern
Surrey.

There is a major Green Chain/

Capital Ring signpost outside
the café. Follow its Capital Ring
'finger' for 'Falconwood
footbridge' into the 8,000 year old
Oxleas Wood. Within the woods there are plenty of wooden waymarkers to
guide you. Pass an open-air gymnasium to your left, and 180 yards after
having left the café you come to a fork. Bear right here and make your way
downhill. At the bottom you come to another large Capital Ring and Green
Chain sign. At that sign turn right, proceed along the wide path for 170
yards, and then turn sharp left at a metal signpost just before a clearing of
the woods. Continue through the woodland to a main road, turn sharp right,
and cross Rochester Way to the large Green Chain signpost on the
opposite side.

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Having crossed Rochester Way you enter Shepherdleas Wood at the sign-
post. Follow the path right-wards, parallel to the road. After 90 yards the
path swings away from the road to the left. Follow the wooden waymarkers
as the route arcs back on itself and avoid any right turns until you come to
a large Green Chain/Capital Ring signpost in the heart of the woods. Turn
right here and follow the markers through the wood for just over a quarter
mile where a waymarker directs you left, out of the wood, and onto Eltham
Park North.

Walk besides the pond to your left towards the large sign-post where you
should turn left. Look to your right here for another fine view, this time of
West London. The path takes you back into the wood but beside the very
busy A2, Rochester Way Relief Road which noisily sits in a deep cutting to
your right. Continue besides the road's trench to another large Green
Chain signpost and, to the right, a broad footbridge over the road, which
marks the start of Section 2 of the Capital Ring.

Next steps
Either turn right to cross over the footbridge to begin Section 2 of the
Capital Ring or go straight-ahead, beside the railway line and road, for 600
yards to Falconwood railway station.

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