Join us on this Bank Holiday Monday, for a gentle circular walk, beginning and ending at Abbey Wood Station.
We’ll be taking a stroll through the ancient woodland, (which contributes to half of the area’s name), to visit a chalk pit, once crucial to the area’s economy, but now a nature reserve, fossil beds dating back 55 million years to the Eocene era, strange and hidden woodland sculptures and beautifully scenic ponds, renowned for their dragonflies, birds and bats.
We will then proceed to the Abbey itself (… the other half of the name!). The Abbey has a fascinating history, from its founding, in 1178, to its destruction at the hands of Cardinal Wolsey in 1525, it has featured in a number of truly historic moments, from the murder of Thomas a Beckett, the Peasant’s Revolt, to King James I’s abortive attempt to establish a silk industry in South East London!
We will then head off through Thamesmead to the beautifully landscaped South Mere Lake, (time and collective will permitting) before heading back towards the station, stopping for a brief pint and/or a Sunday Roast, at the wonderful Abbey Arms, if you so choose.
N.B. numbers will be strictly limited to allow everyone the opportunity to chat, make friends and ask questions.
Abbey Wood is easily accessible on The Elizabeth Line, Southeastern Trains and numerous bus routes.
