TRAVEL|WRITING|CREATIVE WRITING

Walking London’s Capital Ring

Falconwood to Grove Park

Please, name this tree (all photos by author)

Initially I intended this post to be part of the monthly challenge. But since I have placed the word “walking” in pole position in the title, there’s no escaping the fact that I “walked” the second section of the Capital Ring instead of “hiking” it.

It is, however, interesting that the difference between both activities is minimal. Type of terrain, duration of one’s trek, and amount of sweat involved are all factors. By that measure, a traipse up Alexandra Palace would be considered a hike and not just a walk. The terrain is uneven and sweat abundant. The mind boggles.

Yet, as I mentioned in my comment when the challenge was announced earlier this month, a writer like Iain Sinclair (arguably the person who coined the term “psychogeography”) would scoff at the notion that his perambulations around Londontown are of the ambling variety. I’ve never met this longtime Hackney resident, but I’m pretty sure he would consider himself an “urban hiker”.

It’s awright, Iain. We don’t mind the term” walking”.

We started our walk where we left off last time, outside Falconwood train station. After some toing and froing trying to find the right path, on which we’d already set, only to…