The Wonders of a Croydon Tramlink Walk

[toblerone3]

Has anybody got any suggestions for a walk based around the beautiful but little explored parks, woods, curiosities and good places to eat along the routes of the Croydon Tramlink. Looking to devise a one-way walk using the tram as a link to access and perhaps link up mutiple walking stages. But I don't know these parts of wildest south London very well.

Really enjoyed a London Loop based walk in the Addington Hills area and Coombe Lane tram station and the amazing views, paths and nice Chinese restaurant there. I was wondering if there were other hidden gems I could explore

 

[toblerone3]

 

[TopCat]

Try getting off at Belgrade Walk and have a wander along the river Wandle.

 

[TopCat]

Mitchum junction is a good place to get off and have a look.

 

[toblerone3]

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I don't take the tram, but go running a lot around a few trammy areas. There is some surprisingly nice countryside beyond Coombe lane.
At New Addington (Yikes) you are not too far away from Hutchinsons bank.
Addiscombe Railway park near Blackhorse Lane (probably not interesting enough in itself).
Arena and Harrington Road have South Norwood Country park.
From Mitcham Junction you can walk the nature reserve trail through the bottom end of Mitcham common, past the bird sanctuary and then through beddington park (then follow the wandle river back to wandle park where you are back on the tram.

 

[RubyToogood]

Phipps Bridge takes you to Morden Hall Park, which is a favourite spot.

 

[Callie]

I think if you wanted to do a big wander something from Addington hills, Shirley hills, coombe woods, Lloyd park down through a residential bit to addiscombe railway park, through to ashburton park, maybe ashburton playing fields along, through the little oak wooded but that I can't recall the name of (?long lane?) Then into South Norwood country park.... Then I'm sure you could go on but I get lost after that

 

[Callie]

Most of that is not hugely interesting but it would be a reasonable bimble!

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I've run (pretty much) beside the tram line from new Addington to Mitcham junction, but does anyone know if there are any pedestrian paths alongside it further along to Wimbledon? It goes a bit pear shaped after therapia lane just wondered if the footpaths kick in again afterwards.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

not entirely my patch, but this blogger has done some tramlink walks

Croydon Tramlink – trainwalkslondon

Posts about Croydon Tramlink written by trainwalkslondon

trainwalkslondon.wordpress.com

I've run (pretty much) beside the tram line from new Addington to Mitcham junction, but does anyone know if there are any pedestrian paths alongside it further along to Wimbledon? It goes a bit pear shaped after therapia lane just wondered if the footpaths kick in again afterwards.

not so sure - that bit was a railway line before it became tramlink (although so was west croydon to mitcham junction) so not sure there would have been room to put paths alongside

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

not entirely my patch, but this blogger has done some tramlink walks

Croydon Tramlink – trainwalkslondon

Posts about Croydon Tramlink written by trainwalkslondon

trainwalkslondon.wordpress.com

not so sure - that bit was a railway line before it became tramlink (although so was west croydon to mitcham junction) so not sure there would have been room to put paths alongside

Ah that Wimbledon Walk looks like the best bet, but as suspected it isn't as straightforward as just following a path by the track. it will be fine when I get used to the route, but I think I'll be a bit lost at first (which is a bit of a bummer for such a distance).
I might try getting the actual tram to Wimbledon and finding my way back from there for my first run. I can later add more scenic routes (I tend to run through mitchham common and beddington park rather than follow the tram).

It's a shame all train lines don't have walkways and cycle lanes beside them, because they are generally the best routes. What ends up happening is that they become no go areas for pedestrians and cyclists who then have to hit the roads, which tend to divert and disrupt them even more.