A series of walks highlighting our history, natural resources and culture (145Cong.Rec.E170)

Sometimes, TJ and I go on walks that focus more on exercise than beverages. During better weather I made an effort to take Sage for a country walk at least once a month, and one weekend while he was visiting, I roped TJ into coming along for a 4-mile circular walk. From Petts Wood train station we headed into Jubilee Country Park, whose land was mentioned in the Domesday Book and was used in World War II as an anti-aircraft army installation (top left). We crossed the train tracks and Kyd Brook as we headed into Petts Wood (top right). Within a clearing in the the National Trust-protected forest, we stopped at a monument to Francis Joseph Frederick Edlmann, the man who saved the wood from development (bottom).

As we headed back toward the station, we navigated a narrow path between the woods and Soldiering Field, so named because it was where military volunteers trained during the 19th century (left). Across from the field was Flushers Pond (right), which we skirted until we were spit out onto Hawkwood Lane, once the address of the regal Hawkwood House.

But of course, if there is craft beer nearby, we will sniff it out, which is why we ended our walk at One Inn the Wood (left). Sage surveyed the pedestrians as we popped a squat on some kegs-turned-stools set on the sidewalk. Our keg-turned-table was just big enough to hold our two drinks and a homemade pork pie (right).

When we got back to London, the weather was still so lovely, we opted for another short walk, so we could dine al fresco at The Telegraph (top). As we strolled to the "country pub," tucked within Putney Heath, the sun was still shining the cricketers were still batting (bottom left). By the time we headed home, the players had disappeared and the sun was fading (bottom right).

 

Even when TJ is gone, I don't renege on my pledge to Sage. But I often go closer to home, such as a walk near Richmond, which is only a few stops away via train. From the train station, we headed up Richmond Hill, past the wildflower-filled Terrace Gardens (left). Partway up the hill, I caught sight of Ham House, which our route would take us past a few miles later (right).

 

The climb up the hill ultimately leads into Richmond Park, where cyclists participating in Ride London were doing part of their circuit (top left). I cheered them on during my walk to Pembroke Lodge Gardens and back (top right). When I got to the lodge, I realized I couldn't go on the grounds with a dog, so I double-backed to a different path, which meant I only got a glimpse of King Henry's Mound from below (bottom).

From that point, it was mostly flat footing. We enjoyed the shade of Ham Avenues (top left) as we passed by Ham Polo Club (top right). With the help of the greenery, Sage luckily couldn't see over the hedge to realize how many horses were within just feet of him (bottom).

Eventually, we arrived at Ham House, where I took a peek into the backyard through a wrought-iron gate (left). As if that wasn't impressive enough, we circled to the front, where I could take in the full splendor of the 17th-century Stuart residence of a duke and duchess (right).

A few steps from the house's front door toward the river, and I was on the well-known Thames Path. I could've hailed a ferry to take me to the far bank (top left), so I could pass by Marble Hill House, the residence of one of King George II's mistresses (top right). Sage doesn't exactly have sea legs, so I opted to continue on the south bank (bottom left), passing by Petersham Meadows (bottom right) and through Buccleuch Gardens on the way back to downtown Richmond and the train station.

 

On another day, I rode nearly to the end of a Tube line to try my luck with the Oak Trail. Sage and I -- okay, just I -- got lost in some fields a couple of times (top left) before we managed to reach the highlight of the walk: Epping Forest (top right). Similarly spectacular, although more suburban, is Highgate Wood, which we wandered through after completing the southern section of the Parkland Walk. The trail starts at Finsbury Park and, at one point, goes right through an abandoned rail station (bottom).

 

Sometimes, even without TJ, I get a little crazy and go well into the countryside, such as with the Woldingham Countryside Walk. I remember this walk distinctly because it was the first time in a while that I allowed Sage to say hello to a stranger dog, and everything went fine -- even though he was hyped up from just seeing some llamas (top). He equally spazzed out about some cows as we bisected through some farmland on our way to the North Downs Way (bottom left). Eventually, he calmed down at the top of the Surrey Hills as we stepped off the path to let participants in the Woldingham Marathon pass (bottom right). 

There is no hack (S.Hrg.109-539)

Pretty much whenever TJ turns up in town, I nearly immediately drag him to a brewery -- ok, ok, it doesn't take much convincing, actually -- because beer tasting is not nearly as fun all by oneself. During his last trip into town, I took TJ on the Hackney Brewery Trail, which I highly recommend over the Bermondsey Beer Mile, as what it lacks in proximity it makes up for in quality.

It didn't look promising from the start, as our first stop was Tap East, which happens to be in Stratford City Mall (left). But my negativity toward a mall bar turned around when I had a pint of Life's a Beach, a pineapple and coconut wheat beer from Brass Castle Brewery, one of quite a few unique offerings on tap. From Stratford, we headed toward Hackney proper, passing by the Olympic Stadium in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on the way to the River Lea (right).

The inviting interior of The Plough is a bit of a contrast from the industrial Swan Wharf surroundings (top left). The pub comprises the ground floor and loading area of former manufacturing buildings, which over the years have been home to twine and stair-tread producers; the area is now being redeveloped as an innovation center (top right). I wasn't very innovative in ordering a Pale Ale, a flagship beer from Truman's Brewery, with which the pub is associated. As we proceeded to our next stop, we passed a distribution center for the brewery (bottom).

 

As we strolled along Hertford Union Canal, which funneled us back to the main River Lee Navigation, we saw lingering signs of the the area's derelict reputation (top). But as soon as we entered Crate Brewery, the evidence of hipster-led gentrification was overwhelming (bottom left). It wasn't busy at first, but soon enough, those in the know were filling the place for post-work drinks. Luckily, we got our pizza order in before the wait time got too long; I enjoyed a Wheatermelon witbier with our Middle Eastern Lamb pizza (bottom right). 

A few short strides through a parking lot, and we were in the Howling Hops Tank Bar, the United Kingdom's first dedicated tank bar (top left). The atmosphere was so nice that we stayed for a couple of drinks, including a Hopfenweisse dry-hopped wheat beer for me, and soon enough, even though our pizza was filling, we couldn't resist ordering a smoked-beef sandwich from Billy Smokes (top right). We walked off at least a few calories as we crossed Victoria Park on the way to our next stop (bottom).

The People's Park Tavern sits right on the edge of the park, so its garden attracts a lot of post-league player gatherings (top). On such a sunny day, the upstairs tap room was empty (bottom left), meaning there was no line as I ordered a Cherry Tart Belgian blonde ale from Fourpure Brewing Co. The tavern is a base for Laine Brewing Company (bottom right), but I skipped out trying their beers because, a few days earlier, we had visited the brewery's other outlet in Acton: The Aeronaut, where I had an Aeronaut Ales porter. We had such a good time at The Aeronaut and at Dragonfly Brewery -- by far, the most atmospheric pub brewery I've been to in London -- that I forgot to take any pictures.

Running short on time, we skipped The Cock Tavern, where Howling Hops was first brewed in the basement, so we could get to London Fields Brewery before lights out (left). The surprisingly perky bartender talked me into a 3 Weiss Monkeys white IPA. We appreciated the friendly vibe, so we vowed to come back another time and rushed off to Duke's Brew & Cue, the birthplace of Beavertown Brewery (right). The staff was nice enough to let us enjoy our final drinks of the night, a Quelle saison for me, as they performed their closing-time ritual, which involved cleaning vigorously while dancing wildly and singing loudly to '80s R&B.

Having already exhausted most of the brewery hotspots in town, I had to opt for the Wapping Pub Crawl when TJ came for another holiday. We started at the Town of Ramsgate, which likely was the original site of a Execution Dock for pirates, before we proceeded to The Captain Kidd (top left), named after the famous Brit who switched from a battler of buccaneers to a raider himself -- and who was later executed near Wapping Old Stairs. Further down the high street, The Prospect of Whitby (top right) has re-created the former Thameside gallows (bottom left). We ended the night with some great conversation and an even better meal -- of a pint of whitebait and fishcakes -- at The Grapes (bottom right).

 

Sometimes, I manage to talk someone else into coming with me on an ale adventure. Another weekend, I asked a colleague who also had an out-of-town spouse to accompany me to the Cuddington Beer Festival. We turned it into a true outing by hiking to the festival. On the way, we strolled through the wildflower-flush grounds of Kingston Cemetery (top left) and along greenery-overgrown Hogsmill River, where Sir John Everett Millais is said to have envisioned his famous Ophelia painting (top right). The festival was a true community event, held at a Scout Group headquarters (bottom left) with members exchanging tastes for tokens and grilling up burgers for a good cause (bottom right). 

On another occasion, I went with a group of friends to the Great British Beer Festival, the near-exact opposite of the Cuddington festival, as it is held in the humongous Olympia exhibition center (left). My most deliberately chosen item was a "Trouble" pork and beef burger, with Lutenica sauce, from Bulgarian Grill. Otherwise, I just bounced from stand to stand, plopping down pounds as if I were slipping them blindly into pokie machines. I remember that I tried Wibblers Brewery's Crafty Stoat stout, Dartmoor Brewery's Three Hares honey ale, and Palmers Brewery's Colmers pale ale, but the only taste that left a lasting impression was Saltaire Brewery's Triple Chocoholic stout (right). 

Their idea of the three R's is a little bit different (146Cong.Rec.H8206)

Quite a while ago, I devoted a no-plans three-day weekend to the three R's: a run, ramble, and ride. The run was just a little jaunt around the neighborhood, but for the other two R's, I headed outside of London. For the ramble, Sage and I caught a train to Ashtead station to do the eastern loop of this circular walk, which was pretty similar to a circular route provided by The Star, a pub a little ways off the trail. (I, for one, encourage all pubs to follow suit in drumming up business with good walk guides.)

Sadly, I didn't get to patronize the pub because we arrived at the trail early in the morning, well before many of the area walkers and runners were out (left). By the time we got to the three-quarters point, the pub wasn't even open yet. But to go back to the beginning, we set off from the Woodfield entrance to Ashtead Common (right). It, along with adjacent Epsom Common, combine as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, because their varied habitats are host to rare breeds of birds and beetles, among other species.

 

Most animals I saw were other dogs on the trail, but when we passed by Stew Pond, which dates from medieval times, I saw a few people fishing for aquatic lifeforms (left). And I suppose that the geese swimming in the pond might have been feeding on some of those rare beetles (right).

As we rounded the bend to the lane running along Rushett Farm (left), I could spy some domestic fauna in the distance. In my opinion, the flora -- in particular, the many stalks of foxglove -- were much more impressive (right).

The final stretch of the loop was the heavily rutted Concession Road, which provides access to livestock pens within the common. Trenches made by tires turned into mud pits that Sage enjoyed splashing through. When we got back to the train station, I had to do some pretty good scrubbing to get us presentable enough for public transport. 

The next day, I picked a ride from a wonderful book given to me by a departing colleague: Lost Lanes. So far, I hadn't done much long-distance cycling, so I picked one on the shorter side: ride 10 "Windsor Great Park." Sage stayed at home, but my bike and I disembarked at Egham and made our way (after a few wrong turns) to Windsor Great Park through the Savill Garden entrance.

The first part of the ride skirted along Virginia Water (top left). It was a lovely day, so lots of families were out with their strollers, making for some tough navigation on speedier wheels. But once I climbed the hill past Cascade Waterfall (top right), I had more of the path to myself. There were surprisingly few people at the Leptis Magna ruins, a temple constructed of columns and stone brought over from a fallen Roman city in Libya (bottom left). And by the time I crossed the Five-Arch Bridge (bottom right), I had a near-carless road to work with.

 

That road took me past the Guards Polo Club grounds, where unfortunately no matches were taking place (top). Across from the fields sits the Prince Consort Statue, which I later nearly confused with The Copper Horse, a monument to King George III (bottom left). That statue is at the peak of Snow Hill, on one end of the The Long Walk. Looking the other way, one can glimpse Windsor Castle (bottom right). I couldn't get a closer look because no bikes are allowed on the paved run-up to the castle.

Eventually, I exited the park and headed back toward the train station. Along the way, I stumbled upon the Commonwealth Air Forces Memorial (left), which was just a short distance away from Cooper's Hill Woods (right). At the woods, the route turned into dirt track, and despite my minimal mountain-biking skills, I managed to stay astride my bike for the whole descent back into Egham.