Petts Wood & Hawkwood, Bromley

I am posting this evening to share with everybody a recent addition to our ever-growing list of London walks. In fact, I had to think a little before deciding to share it, because it's such a quiet and peaceful spot that part of me didn't want anybody else to find out! But anyway, here it is. A few weekends' back we took a drive out to Petts Wood, Bromley, in south-east London. Just 13 miles (yes that's all) from the centre of London, I could not believe how tranquil a spot this really was. Birdsong followed us for just about the entirety of our walk - intercepted at times by some noisy parakeets.

Petts Wood has a fascinating connection to the changing of clocks in

autumn and spring - William Willett from Chiselhurst was the first

proponent of the idea. He published a pamphlet on daylight saving

years before British Summer Time actually came into force. You can see

a monument for William Willett in Petts Wood.

Many Londoners will have already heard of the place Petts Wood, but it seems fewer know about the National Trust site here. The Petts Wood site holds over 150 acres of 'semi' natural woodland - the site was up for development but saved by locals, much to our delight as keen walkers. To our surprise though, the Hawkwood site is largely made up of grazed pasture. Sheep in London, nobody would have guessed.

   The Hawkwood site joins to the Petts Wood site, giving some

nice variety for walkers who can pass from woodland to open green space.

We visited before spring crept up, so the place had a real autumnal feel, with leaves still covering the ground and the woodland creating a darkened space. There are still plenty of spots to picnic here though, whatever the weather. If you arrive from the Petts Wood entrance (following the postcode provided on the National Trust website) you'll find a board with a map of two trails. In reality, both trails are fairly short. The Green Walk is 2.7km around the woodland and the Yellow Walk is 3.9km around the Hawkwood Estate. This is a real plus point for those who fancy a short stroll rather than a long stretch, but for those who want to spend a bit longer out of doors it is more than possible to combine both routes, as they overlap in a few sections. 

Although the train links are evident, you really can almost forget

that you're technically still in the big city here.

The Green and Yellow walk are both really well signposted so you won't need to worry about bringing any maps - you can even leave your Smartphone at home. Just embrace this little glimpse of the natural world right in the heart of our capital. We will certainly be returning to do the same.