LONDON LOOP STAGE 9
Uxbridge to Moor Park
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I walked this section on the 11th June 2005. A short walk through Uxbridge town centre leads to the Grand Union canal, photos one and two, where the London loop path is rejoined. The path London Loop path follows the canal for a while, passing Denham lock, photo 3, There then is a short diversion away from the canal through the Frays Valley nature reserve, photos four and five, before the canal path is rejoined for another mile or so, passing Black Jacks lock which can be seen through the bridge in photo six.
Eventually the path turns East and leaves the canal and riverside walking that has been followed most of the way from Bulls Bridge. After a brief road walk and a short uphill stretch through the trees of Park wood, photo 7, the path heads out across farm land the whole scene looking very rural , photo eight.
The one black point of this stage is then reached, a stretch of road walking that is necessary along a fairly busy road that does not have a footpath beside it before the path heads off to the left towards Bishops Wood County Park.
Not long after the canal had been reached at the start of this stage the signposting of the London Loop had stopped again. While there was little chance of getting lost on the canal, apart from possibly following the wrong bank, later navigation got a bit trickier. As well as not being signposted on the ground, the London Loop path is also not shown on my version of the ordnance survey explorer map 172 that covers the area and thus I was relying on the excellent London loop guidebook for directions. Approaching Bishops Wood for the first time on the walk I got slightly lost. I say slightly lost because I was actually on the right path, I just did not realise it at first, turned round and walked back, and then had to walk back again when I was sure there was no other path. Photo twelve shows the London Loop path entering the wood.
Near Batchworth Heath the path was very overgrown, photo 13, but at least it was dry. From this point it is only a short distance further to Moor Park tube station.
I had a long wait for a tube at Moor Park due to earlier signal problems but once a train turned up it was a relatively quick journey back into central London. The GPS made this stage, including the links to the stations and my wandering around in Bishops wood, 10.0 miles long.
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