Product Description

The London LOOP (London Outer Orbital Path) is the newly created network of footpaths around the periphery of the capital. It is the result of ten years' work by the London Walking Forum to devise a route encompassing some of the glorious countryside that lies within easy reach of the heart of London.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #49629 in Books
• Published on: 2008-05-16
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

Customer Reviews

Another excellent guide book from David Sharp
Having used David Sharp's previous guide book on the Thames Path, I was expecting an entertaining and informative book on the London Loop.

The book lived up to all expectations. It is even more invaluable for the London Loop, as the path is not completely signposted in every area yet. If you are going to walk the London Loop, you need this guide!

Also included are a number of interesting facts about places and landmarks that you come across on your journey. Despite living in London all of my life, there were many things that I was not aware of. Fascinating stuff.

hidden london
A fantastic guide to the london loop, a walking path that runs from erith all the way round the outside of london in an anti clockwise direction to coldharbour. which is right over the other side of the thames from erith. this is divided into fifteen different stages which vary from eight to thirteen miles in length.

The route is very well signposted along the way - with the exception of stage seven. The book has maps of each stage [sorry to read one reviewer didn't find them good because I found them very easy to read and use]and gives directions that are generally easy to follow. I mention stage seven as being the odd one out as it requires spotting a church on the horizon to go the right way over one common, and signs on this stage are conspicuous by their abscence. But the other stages are very well signposted.

All of them lead through woods and parkland and some fascinating pathways, villages that have been swallowed up by the metropolis, and there's some remarkable things to see on the way. I've just finished this walk and thoroughly enjoyed it, and the book was an invaluable guide. So I highly recommend it. Although please note it doesn't mention the end of stage four/start of stage five doesn't have to be reached by bus, as whyteleafe station is a mere fifteen minutes walk away, and you can spot it on the maps.

useless for finding the way!
If you want to browse this to get an idea of what the walk is like, then ok buy it. But under no circumstances whatever take it with you on the walk. The maps are too small scale to help and the directions are far too scanty to be useful.
One of the problems in the UK (compare Switzerland for example) is that people tend to vandalise footpath signs. So there are many places where the route is not well signed, or even misleadingly signed, on the ground. In such places you need clear detailed directions and/or a really good large-scale map. See, for example, the Wainwright guides.
This book is just hopeless. I got so frustrated on the first two occasions I took it with me that I binned the wretched thing. If I could award negative stars I would!