- Greatest city walks in the UK<\/a><\/li>
- Kew Gardens to Richmond Park walk, London<\/a><\/li>
- Finsbury Park to Stoke Newington walk, London<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
The old bridge at Sydenham Hill Wood in London\/Credit: Peter Trimming, Geograph<\/figcaption><\/figure> Sydenham Hill Wood walk<\/h2>
1.5 miles | 1 hour | easy | 52m ascent<\/em><\/p>
1. Start\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>
Through the black gate, turn right at the wooden post numbered \u20181\u2019, down timber-edged steps past \u2018dead hedges\u2019 (woody cuttings woven between vertical stakes).\u00a0<\/p>
This \u2018ancient woodland\u2019, has been recorded here for at least 400 years, with certain flowers, including English bluebell<\/a>, wood anemone and sweet woodruff, indicating its longevity.\u00a0Trees here were reserved by Elizabeth I for shipbuilding, hornbeam was coppiced for charcoal-making and oak bark went to Bermondsey\u2019s leather-tanners. In the late 18th<\/sup>\u00a0and early 19th<\/sup>\u00a0centuries, trade declined and London expanded, shrinking the Great North Wood.\u00a0<\/p>
Near post 2 were the gardens of Victorian houses built on Sydenham Hill, around the time the glass-and-cast-iron Crystal Palace was moved nearby from Hyde Park, where it had housed the 1851 Great Exhibition.\u00a0The Palace gave its name to the area formerly known as Upper Norwood (from \u2018north wood\u2019).\u00a0After these houses were demolished, the wood swallowed the gardens. <\/p>
By the wooden footbridge at post 3 is a former garden resident, a cedar of Lebanon, and the wood\u2019s largest tree.\u00a0In the early 1980s the wood was saved\u00a0from development by London Wildlife Trust<\/a>, becoming its first nature reserve.<\/p>
At a crossroads by post 4, turn left for the folly, a ruined Romanesque stone arch and window. Not as ancient as it appears, it was built in 1866 as a garden feature for a later Mayor of London.<\/p>
![\"Tunnel](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/11\/Sydenham-Hill-Wood-London-geograph-by-Peter-Trimming-scaled.jpg?fit=1024,1024\")
Sydenham Hill Wood, London\/Credit: Peter Trimming, Geograph<\/figcaption><\/figure> 2. Tree tunnel<\/h4>
You\u2019ll come to a T-junction with the central path, the old railway line, which opened in 1865 to take visitors to the Crystal Palace. The blocked-off tunnel entrance is to the left.<\/p>
Turn right. The tree canopy of silver birches, sycamores and oaks thins here.\u00a0Further along is a \u2018hotel\u2019 for stag beetles (only found in south-east England), with adults emerging in May.<\/p>
3. Cox\u2019s Walk <\/h4>
Carry on, down log-edged steps, to Cox\u2019s Walk footbridge, which opened in 1854. In 1871 the French impressionist Camille Pissarro painted Lordship Lane Station from the bridge. It\u2019s currently closed, due to local authority works to protect two ancient oak trees. If it\u2019s open, cross and see step 4. If closed, retrace your steps. <\/p>
Turn right at the junction, downhill on a path edged with long logs. Rejoin the railway track and turn right towards the footbridge. The path beneath it is fenced off to allow regrowth. Facing the bridge, turn left, join a path and turn right. On the left you\u2019ll see the lush greens of Dulwich & Sydenham Golf Club.\u00a0<\/p>
![\"Smooth](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2021\/02\/GettyImages-463128877-a24a61c.jpg\")
Look for smooth newts in the woodland ponds\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure> 4. Dulwich Woods<\/h4>
On the bridge\u2019s other side is a sign saying Dulwich Woods. The two woods, effectively one, were split by the railway. Turn your back on the bridge, take the right-hand fork on a slight downward slope and follow the path around to the left. Turn left off the path. On your left is a pond with an island, home to\u00a0frogs<\/a> and smooth newts<\/a>, as well as southern hawker dragonfly, common blue and red-tailed damselflies. Continue in the same direction.<\/p>
5. Dulwich College<\/h4>
Continue along the edge of Dulwich Wood with allotments over the fence on the right and 1960s-built houses to the left. On the path running parallel to the fence, between the trees is a stunning view: Dulwich College (a public school founded in 1619, with old boys including Sir Ernest Shackleton, Bob Monkhouse and Nigel Farage) and onward to the BT Tower and Houses of Parliament, which reminds you how close you are to central London: it\u2019s five miles to Big Ben.<\/p>
Turn away from the fence and head right, skirting the houses. Come back on to the trackbed and turn right towards the tunnel, which is a massive bat roost. Follow the steep path over the top of the tunnel, pausing to pose on the column top. Return up the stepped path to the entrance gate.<\/p>
Sydenham Hill Wood map<\/h2>
Sydenham Hill Wood walking route and map<\/a><\/p>
![\"Sydenham](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/11\/Sydenham-Hill-Wood-walk.png?fit=1024,1024\")
<\/a><\/figure>Useful information<\/h3>
Starting point:<\/h4>
Crescent Wood Road,\u00a0London SE26 6RZ.\u00a0Bus 202, 356, 363. Sydenham Hill rail station, walk up steep Low Cross Wood Lane, turn left on Crescent Wood Road (tfl.gov.uk<\/a>). Free parking: Crescent Wood Road.<\/p>
Terrain<\/h4>
Entrance gate. Earth and compacted sandy gravel paths. Slopes and steps. May be muddy. Unsuitable for wheelchairs\/pushchairs.
Map<\/h4>
OS Explorer 161<\/p>
Eat\/drink<\/h4>
Dulwich Wood House (thewoodhousedulwich.co.uk<\/a>),\u00a039 Sydenham Hill, London SE26 6RS,\u00a0large Victorian pub with garden bar, at one of London\u2019s highest points:\u00a0112 metres. Snuffle dog caf\u00e9 and wine bar (snuffledogcafe.com<\/a>), 109 Wells Park Road, London SE26 6AD. The Moustache caf\u00e9-bar (themoustache.co.uk<\/a>), 99 Kirkdale, London SE26 4BL.<\/p>
Stay<\/h4>
Fox & Hounds, 150 Kirkdale, London SE26 4BB (thefoxandhoundspub.com<\/a>); Crown & Greyhound (\u2018The Dog\u2019),\u00a073 Dulwich Village, London SE21 7BJ\u00a0(thecrownandgreyhound.co.uk<\/a>)<\/p>
Need new walking kit? Check out our guides to the\u00a0best walking boots<\/a>,\u00a0best walking shoes<\/a>,\u00a0best walking trousers<\/a>,\u00a0best walking socks<\/a>,\u00a0best walking sandals<\/a>\u00a0– and lots more<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n
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- Kew Gardens to Richmond Park walk, London<\/a><\/li>