Get out and about and enjoy the fresh air with our guide to 5 scenic walks in Bromley, Beckenham and Downe.
Walking is one of the best ways to enjoy the local wildlife and experience the vast green spaces that we are lucky enough to have on our doorstep around the borough of Bromley. In the words of Pythagoras “Leave the road, take the trails.”
Walking doesn’t just cut our carbon footprint and improve the environment; it is also great for our physical and mental health. You don’t need to travel far to enjoy a bit of fresh air, here in Bromley we are surrounded by large parks and country walks. Why not add one of our suggested walks to your list of future adventures?
A circular walk from Chislehurst Station, heading through Petts Wood, taking in several memorials and on to the remains of Scadbury Moated Manor. There are a number of inclines and declines, however nothing strenuous. The paths are mostly through woodland and therefore they will get muddy after periods of rain (in the summer trainers normally suffice).
This is a beautiful walk which is very popular, so can get busy. But you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how rural it feels once you are off the roads and away from the train station.
Explore this 4.3-km loop trail near Downe, just up the road from Chelsfield and Farnborough Village. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 1 h 11 min to complete. This is a popular trail for hiking, running, and walking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day.
Whilst you are there, why not check out Downe House, the historical home Charles Darwin. You can even follow in the footsteps of Darwin himself and take a stroll down the “thinking path” past bountiful vegetable patches and enjoy fragrant flower beds.
Crofton & Sparrow woodland is an area of Site of Special Scientific Interest It is a rare wet woodland habitat in London which supports a wide range of plants, wild animals and birds, as well as butterflies and moths.
The area includes a well-used walking commuter route for the surrounding population to get to school, work, shops and Petts Wood station. There is a popular children’s playground, playing fields, and easy walks into the extensive woodland (although very muddy in winter).
Some of the area has been woodland for at least 400 years. Some was arable land until the end of the 20th Century.
Over the 19th Century there were many disputes between area occupants, with animals straying to others’ areas, and boundary disputes. It has been woodland and fields for hundreds of years and has never had a grand house on it. The land was broken into smaller field-sized pieces, with the result of many owners of one or more piece, and they often then rented to tenants.
High Elms is a beautiful park right on the edge of the borough, near Farnborough Village. 250 acres of countryside to explore combined with a 150-acre golf course, which together form the High Elms Estate, originally the country home of the Lubbock family. Visitors to the estate can enjoy the woodlands, nature centre, ice well, formal gardens and wildflower meadows.
The park is very dog friendly, and has a lovely café (the most picturesque café in Bromley!). We can particularly recommend the cooked breakfasts at the Green Roof Café! The Café makes an ideal starting point before setting out, or an ideal place to relax at the end of your excursion. There is plenty of free parking, which allows you time to relax and enjoy the tasty food and stunning scenery.
This local route winds its way through the attractive Beckenham Place Park, partly on grounds formerly used for a public golf course. Take a gentle stroll along Ravensbourne River and follow the route along through open meadows. You can then cross the railway line into the westerly part of the park, famous for its bluebell displays in season. Recent major investments in the landscaping of the park include new features: A Mounded Garden, a Wet Woodland, a Wild Swimming Lake and the replanted Ornamental Garden with its beautiful café in the former homestead of the mansion.
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