A Saturday Stroll

All the finest walks start with an industrial estate and this one was to be no different.

We set off from Erith, on the first litter-strewn section of the London Loop, and strolled along the Thames Path. We enjoyed a short diversion along the pier, admiring the scarred landscape of the opposite bank, before turning inland to wander through some factories.

Fortunately, the route soon took us back to the water where we found a kestrel - the symbol of the London Loop - hovering over its intended prey. There were also teasels in abundance, a range of concrete bunkers and an harras of piebald horses.

We were also rewarded with a view of the Dartford Crossing.

The Loop then led us alongside the River Darent, a tidal creek featuring a huge guillotine dam to prevent flooding. We soon made it to the end of the five-mile section that we had selected and stepped off the trail into the waste management site that is Slade Green.

And, as with all the finest walks, we ended the afternoon with a one mile march down a dual carriageway, to get back to the car.