Walk 15 : Coulsdon South Circular

Standard Walk: 14.2km (8.8 miles), four hours thirty minutes walking time. For the whole excursion including trains and meals allow 6.5 hours.

Via alternative start from Riddlesdown: 16.8km (10.4 miles), five hours walking time

Short walk: Starting at Coulsdon South: 10.0km (6.2 miles), three hours walking time. Starting at Riddlesdown: 12.5km (7.8 miles), or four hours walking time

OS Landranger 187 OS Explorer 146 (and 161 for part of Riddlesdown start).

4 out of 10 (5 out of 10 via Riddlesdown)

Considering that it starts in the suburbs of London (and within the boundaries of London Transport Travelcard zone six), this walk passes through some remarkably unspoilt countryside. Farthing Down, Kenley Common, Riddlesdown and Cousldon Commons are all ancient grazing lands, lovingly preserved as part of the London Greenbelt, and offering a delightful series of woods and open spaces. In spring the area is famous for wild flowers, including several bluebell woods, while in autumn it is a riot of golden colour. This is also a fine walk for a brisk winter's day, and in summer offers numerous idyllic spots for a picnic.

By using the short cut to Chaldon Church at the point indicated in the text 1.7km after the Fox pub, you can cut 4.3km (2.6 miles) off either of the two main walks.

If you want to finish the walk at the Fox pub, there is a regular 466 bus service from the end of Fox Lane to East Croydon Station (journey time: 25 mins; Tel 020 8673 6109 for timetable information) with frequent trains into London. Alternatively London Transport bus 404 also goes hourly from Monday to Saturday from the Fox to Coulsdon South Station till 7pm. Tel 020 7222 1234 for exact times.

From point [5] in the text, you can take bus 540 on Mondays to Fridays to Caterham or Merstham stations. Both these stations are out of zone six, however. For details call North Downs Motor Services on 020 8640 6668 or Skinners of Oxted on 01883 713 633

The original walk starts at either South Coulsdon or Riddlesdown. The 2 alternate starts join up the Fox (lunch pub), and then loop back to South Coulsdon.

Riddlesdown or South Coulsdon to Kingswood

These directions provide a new ending in Kingswood, making a linear walk from Riddlesdown to Kingswood

New start from Riddlesdown

An update to the moring section of walk from Riddlesdown to The Fox (lunch pub).

England was once covered with commons - common grazing lands for a particular village. Many were lost to private landowners in the Enclosure movement in the 18th century, and others have reverted to woodland for lack of management or become farmland. The preservation of Farthing Down, Kenley Common, Coulsdon Common and Riddlesdown on this walk is due to the forward thinking of the Corporation of London (the local authority for the City of London), who in the 1880s started to acquire land in and around London to promote good health and give Londoners a place of recreation. These particular commons were purchased in 1883, and the decision was a popular one. In the 1900s thousands of day trippers would come to picnic on the commons on summer weekends, and visit Gardner's fairground on Riddlesdown. All four commons are particularly rich in wild flowers in spring, and are the habitat for many birds and insects. The Corporation still owns some 10,000 acres of land, which is all managed for the public good at no cost to the taxpayer

Happy Valley is different from the other commons in that it was only turned into an open space in 1937 and 1938, when various local farms were bought by Coulsdon Council as part of the London Greenbelt scheme, which sought to limit the spread of London by preserving a ring of open countryside around the city. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its flora and as a habitat for ground nesting birds such as larks.

Chaldon Church has a wall painting dating back to the Middle Ages.

Take the train nearest to 10.15am from London Bridge or London Victoria to Coulsdon South (trains serve Coulsdon South from either station). Journey time 30 minutes. This journey is covered by a London Transport zone six travelcard. Otherwise, get a day return to Coulsdon South. For the Riddlesdown start, take the train nearest to 9.30am from Victoria. Journey time here is also 30 minutes. This journey is also covered by an LT zone six travelcard. Otherwise a day return to either Coulsdon South or Riddlesdown will probably be acceptable, though the two routes actually diverge at Croydon East.

This is one walk which really is better reached by public transport. Coulsdon South is easily and quickly reached from Central London by train, and there are direct trains also from Redhill, Gatwick, Crawley and Horsham. By contrast, the small car park at Coulsdon South station is for season ticket holders only, and the area around the station is not otherwise parking-friendly: even the residential streets on the east side of the stations have parking restrictions from Monday to Friday, and are mainly reserved for residents parking at weekends. It is slightly easier to park at Riddlesdown, but to get back to it from Coulsdon South involves travelling up to East Croydon and changing. There is no direct bus route between Coulsdon South and Riddlesdown.

The Fox pub (tel 01883 330401) on Coulsdon Common serves food all day from noon and has a large seating capacity both inside and in the garden. Family menu. It is 3.7km (2.3 miles) into the walk if starting at Coulsdon South, and 6.2km (3.9 miles) from Riddlesdown.

If starting from Riddlesdown, a slightly earlier alternative is the Wattenden Arms, just past Kenley Common. Smaller than the Fox, but with a certain cosy charm, this serves a moderately inventive menu from 12pm to 2.30pm Monday to Saturday and 12pm to 3pm on Sunday.

Picnic spots are not hard to find on this walk, with each of the commons offering several charming spots, and often strategically placed benches.

options are somewhat limited: this is perhaps a good walk to bring a thermos flask, as Farthing Down and Happy Valley both have benches with fine views for a picnic tea. Otherwise, in Farthing Down car park there is a refreshment trailer on weekends or fine summer days, though it shuts at around 4pm. If you call the manager (Carol tel 07815 314846), in advance she will usually stay open for groups, however. Alternatively try the café in Coulsdon Memorial Ground which is opposite Reddown Road and a five minute walk to Coulsdon South station. Once again this is seasonal, open on fine days in summer until about 5pm.