Green Chain Fragment

Sarah Adams explaining some woodland features

Yesterday I went on a walk round a small part of the Green Chain, starting on Burnt Ash Lane and going round Sundridge and Mottingham woods, though most of it was not woody at all.

Ths Green Chain is a series of paths that link up parks and green areas in the south of London. So this was interesting, but not nearly so enjoyable as a walk in the real countryside. The pathways linked though several stretches of actual roads, and when they went through green areas there were sometimes railways or cemeteries, or big spikey galvanised fences on both sides.

An odd sculpture in
Mottingham Wood

So, nothing like the country, but not bad for the suburbs. There were some interesting spots, like a stretch of the Quaggy at Chinbrook Meadow, where a stream that had previously been channeled in concrete has been opened up into a pleasant little meander, and the woods at Mottingham where the local friends group has created some sculptures out of the standing deadwood. The sculptures were an odd mix, some very twee, some looking like at attempt at native American.

So it was worth going. The Green Chain is very well signposted, and a lot of the newer small posts (like the one in the photo) are made from recycled plastic, which is supposed to be longer-lasting and more damage resistent than wood.

The walk had been planned by Ewa Prokop, a very knowledgeable member of BCS, but I was sorry to hear that she is unwell. I bet she would have had a lot to say about the things we saw. Which is not to disparage Sarah, who led this walk in Ewa's absence; Sarah knows her stuff too, but she was not the one who had prepared the walk and so would not know what specific facts Ewa had researched.

I'm just starting to get the hang of this .. I need more photos, I think!