Capital Ring: Trail Journal

7 days, 135 kilometres, 1,385 metres of elevation gain. I section-hiked the trail between January and April 2025: here’s the journey, day-by-day.

Thinking about tackling the trail yourself? Check out my Capital Ring: How-To post.

The Stats

Trip Summary

Start date: 31 December 2024
Days hiked: 7
End date: 13 April 2025

Distance & Elevation

Total distance: 135.57 km
Average distance / day: 19.37 km
Total elevation gain & loss: + 1,385 m / – 1,313 m
Average elevation gain & loss / day (ex zeros): + 198 m / – 188 m

Time & Pace

Total moving time: 27h 40m
Average moving time / day: 3h 57m
Average moving pace: 12:14/km
Average speed: 4.9km/hr

Budget

I haven’t included a budget here, since it will largely depend on where in London you’re travelling from, and whether you eat out along the way or bring food from home. And ok, I confess: I couldn’t be bothered to crawl through my banking history to put it together.

Trail Journal

Day 1 – 31 December 2024: Woolwich to Falconwood

Distance: 9.52 km | Elevation gain: 183 m | Moving time: 1h 59m | Average pace: 12:30/km | Average speed: 4.80km/hr

London has emptied out for the holidays, my friends all fleeing for warmer, more festive places. But my high from completing the Malerweg a few days ago hasn’t quite worn off, so I decide to start a new trail: a new project for the new year.

Arriving at Woolwich I grab second breakfast from M&S and then step onto the trail in peak London winter: flat grey light, biting cold, the Thames beside me. Everything along the first stretch feels dormant, sleepy. When the trail finally enters the parks, it’s just me and a couple of other brave people walking their dogs.

I plod slowly through the cold, slowly growing tired; maybe I’ve started this project a little too soon post-Malerweg. At Falconwood I bail and head home for a proper English restorative: a hot cup of tea.

Day 2 – 11 January 2025: Falconwood to Crystal Palace

Distance: 20.99 km | Elevation gain: 235 m | Moving time: 4h 36m | Average pace: 13:09/km | Average speed: 4.56km/hr

Back on trail, it’s my favourite kind of London winter day: crisp air, low negatives, brilliant blue sky. Frost glitters all along the path. A friend joins me to help speed along the kilometres as we gossip.

I manage to immediately lead us astray, into a forest, but the detour rewards us with a frozen lake and frost covered grass that shimmers under the weak sunlight, so neither of us are mad about it.

It’s a good thing we know today’s stage ends at Crystal Palace, because Capital Ring markers are few and far between. We admire Eltham Palace from a distance, then pass frozen fields where horses and donkeys roam. It’s hard to believe we’re still well within London: zone 3, or 4 at most.

Arriving at Crystal Palace we take a detour to admire the dinosaur statues on the way to the high street, where we inhale pizza to fuel us for the journey home.

Day 3 – 19 January 2025: Crystal Palace to Wimbledon Park

Distance: 17.57 km | Elevation gain: 166 m | Moving time: 3h 58m | Average pace: 13:33/km | Average speed: 4.43km/hr

As I meet up with the same friend the weather has reverted to the London default: oppressive grey. We make up for it by re-doing Crystal Palace, taking advantage of the markets that are on to stock up on motivational baked goods.

This section turns out to be heavy on the road walking: much of it is along loud, busy streets where we can’t hear each other’s chatter. Maybe it’s the traffic, or the weather, but the day feels a little flat. Eventually, quieter streets usher us toward Wimbledon Park, where we happily bundle into a cafe to warm up over a late lunch.

Day 4 – 25 January 2025: Wimbledon Park to Greenford

Distance: 25.86 km | Elevation gain: 197 m | Moving time: 5h 3m | Average pace: 11:43/km | Average speed: 5.12km/hr

Today’s weather feels like a gift: clear sky, bright light dancing on the bare trees as the trail sends me through Wimbledon Park. It then draws me through Wimbledon Common, and then Richmond Park; its glorious to be in such a wide open space on a beautiful day like today.

Soon I’m spit out along the Thames, joining throngs of Londoners out basking in the rare sunlight. Then it’s onto easy kilometres of towpath along the Grand Union Canal, where I overshoot waymarkers a couple of times and have to backtrack.

The daylight dwindles faster than my enthusiasm for the trail does, and I reluctantly call it a day at Greenford.

Day 5 – 1 February 2025: Greenford to South Kenton

Distance: 10.09 km | Elevation gain: 150 m | Moving time: 2h 14m | Average pace: 13:17/km | Average speed: 4.52km/hr

My flatmate joins me for this stretch, beneath yet another blanket of grey that threatens rain. We follow the Grand Union Canal, loop around Horsendon Hill, and suddenly pop out in Harrow on the Hill.

Neither of us were expecting it: it’s unbelievably gorgeous, clearly fancy, and here we are in hiking gear. We wander through the school grounds with our jaws basically on the pavement. The sports fields alone are clearly in a different tax bracket. We stop for coffee, promptly get lost afterwards, and just as we approach South Kenton station the drizzle begins and we head for home.

Day 6 – 12 April 2025: South Kenton to Drayton Park

Distance: 26.61 km | Elevation gain: 305 m | Moving time: 5h 12m | Average pace: 11:43/km | Average speed: 5.12km/hr

Months have passed: I’ve been to Australia for several weeks, and these remaining kilometres have been quietly hanging over me.

Spring has arrived, and the green feels almost fluorescent compared to the winter, and the Australian landscape. Trees bloom spectacularly; their pink and white confetti makes the long road sections pass by pleasantly.

The Parkland Walk is the star of today’s section: it’s a leafy tunnel buzzing with runners, walkers, dogs and cyclists. It deposits me in Finsbury Park, which then shows me the peaceful New River Path. Finally, I arrive in Clissold Park: my flat isn’t far from here, so I head home, looking forward to tomorrow’s final push.

Day 7 – 13 April 2025: Drayton Park to Woolwich

Distance: 24.93 km | Elevation gain: 149 m | Moving time: 4h 38m | Average pace: 11:09/km | Average speed: 5.38km/hr

It’s another gorgeous day, but I have a deadline: I’m meeting a friend this afternoon. I still stop for coffee after traversing the beautiful Abney Park Cemetery, though: it feels rude not to.

Springfield park is stunning in its spring colours, all soft clouds, green grass, dancing blossoms. I follow the River Lee through the marshes as grey clouds slowly overtake the sky once more.

The Greenway seems more functional than scenic, surrounded by construction that ultimately demands a long detour around a closed section. Beckton District Park eventually appears, and I enter a more industrial fringe around London City Airport.

I’m tempted to shortcut around Gallions Reach, but the purist in me protests. When I arrive, though, I find the official trail impassable and have to double back. I make it up to myself with a toasted sandwich.

Finally, I reach the foot tunnel, and walk beneath the Thames to pop out back in Woolwich, where it all began. Capital Ring: done.

Want More?

Curious about the practical side of the trail? Check out my Capital Ring: How-To post for route info and planning tips.

One response to “Capital Ring: Trail Journal”

Capital Ring: How-To – Thru Horizons

12 Dec 2025

[…] between January and April 2025. For a closer look at the on-the-ground experience, head over to my Capital Ring: Trail Journal post for my stats, photos and […]

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