Jill’s Guidebook
Walks - no car required
First Outing to London. Get the train from Ewell East to London Bridge. London Bridge station is under The Shard, so start your sightseeing/orientation straightaway. Use Google Maps to find the walk along the Thames (maybe put Tate Modern as your destination), you'll walk past the Cutty Sark, Southwark Cathedral, Shakespeare's Globe within the first 15mins, it's a great intro to London. When you get to Tate Modern choose between going inside, walking across the Millennium Bridge to St Pauls, or continue along the river to The Royal Festival Hall area. Wahaca (Mexican street food) is a good, inexpensive place to eat.
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South Bank
First Outing to London. Get the train from Ewell East to London Bridge. London Bridge station is under The Shard, so start your sightseeing/orientation straightaway. Use Google Maps to find the walk along the Thames (maybe put Tate Modern as your destination), you'll walk past the Cutty Sark, Southwark Cathedral, Shakespeare's Globe within the first 15mins, it's a great intro to London. When you get to Tate Modern choose between going inside, walking across the Millennium Bridge to St Pauls, or continue along the river to The Royal Festival Hall area. Wahaca (Mexican street food) is a good, inexpensive place to eat.
The King's Cross area of London has been transformed in recent years, especially now that Google and Youtube have their HQ there, which means that it is young and edgy with good restaurants and bars. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/jul/28/google-commits-to-vast-london-office-despite-rise-of-remote-working.
There's a direct train from Sutton station to King's Cross/St Pancras (The service is called City Thameslink). Once you have explored the area around the stations find the canal and walk along for as long as you like - it runs quite some distance and passes by Camden Lock with the street market and London Zoo.
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Regents Canal Walk
City RoadThe King's Cross area of London has been transformed in recent years, especially now that Google and Youtube have their HQ there, which means that it is young and edgy with good restaurants and bars. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/jul/28/google-commits-to-vast-london-office-despite-rise-of-remote-working.
There's a direct train from Sutton station to King's Cross/St Pancras (The service is called City Thameslink). Once you have explored the area around the stations find the canal and walk along for as long as you like - it runs quite some distance and passes by Camden Lock with the street market and London Zoo.
Neighbourhoods
Local Places of Interest
Easy to get to, Borough Market is known for as a destination for foodies. It's a 5min walk from London Bridge station
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Borough Market
Borough High StreetEasy to get to, Borough Market is known for as a destination for foodies. It's a 5min walk from London Bridge station
Good for clothes shopping with nice riverbank area for eating/drinking afterwards
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Kingston upon Thames
Good for clothes shopping with nice riverbank area for eating/drinking afterwards
A 15 min walk into Ewell village. There are two supermarkets, a baker, delicatessen, chemists, barbers and beauty salons.
The best pub is The Spring Tavern, the food there is good.
The Neapolitan Kitchen is a decent Italian restaurant.
Other pubs and restaurants are okay - nothing special but at least it's walkable!
Ewell
A 15 min walk into Ewell village. There are two supermarkets, a baker, delicatessen, chemists, barbers and beauty salons.
The best pub is The Spring Tavern, the food there is good.
The Neapolitan Kitchen is a decent Italian restaurant.
Other pubs and restaurants are okay - nothing special but at least it's walkable!
Cheam is a 20-30 min walk, we tend to cut through Nonsuch Park which is a nice route. Nonsuch was built by Henry 8th as a hunting lodge, sadly nothing remains of the house, but the park is lovely (especially popular with dog walkers).
Cheam has some nice pubs and restaurants, my favourite pub is the Red Lion which has a great selection of gins and locally brewed beer. https://www.classicinns.co.uk/yeolderedlioncheam
Visit Whitehall (opposite Waitrose), lovely free local museum with a cafe. https://whitehallmuseum.wordpress.com/
Cheam
Cheam is a 20-30 min walk, we tend to cut through Nonsuch Park which is a nice route. Nonsuch was built by Henry 8th as a hunting lodge, sadly nothing remains of the house, but the park is lovely (especially popular with dog walkers).
Cheam has some nice pubs and restaurants, my favourite pub is the Red Lion which has a great selection of gins and locally brewed beer. https://www.classicinns.co.uk/yeolderedlioncheam
Visit Whitehall (opposite Waitrose), lovely free local museum with a cafe. https://whitehallmuseum.wordpress.com/
Closest decent sized town, Epsom has a theatre, cinema and a selection of shops and restaurants.
https://www.odeon.co.uk/cinemas/epsom/?
https://www.epsomplayhouse.co.uk/
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Epsom
Closest decent sized town, Epsom has a theatre, cinema and a selection of shops and restaurants.
https://www.odeon.co.uk/cinemas/epsom/?
https://www.epsomplayhouse.co.uk/
Walks - car required
Epsom Downs is the large open space overlooking Epsom, which also includes the famous Epsom Downs Racecourse where the annual Derby is held. It also includes the new Woodland Trust wood - Langley Vale.
A large area of chalk grassland and woodland swathes make this an ideal habitat for wildlife. Visitors can enjoy walking, cycling and horseriding across the Downs which offer spectacular views right across to London where key London landmarks can be viewed.
Epsom Downs
Tattenham CrescentEpsom Downs is the large open space overlooking Epsom, which also includes the famous Epsom Downs Racecourse where the annual Derby is held. It also includes the new Woodland Trust wood - Langley Vale.
A large area of chalk grassland and woodland swathes make this an ideal habitat for wildlife. Visitors can enjoy walking, cycling and horseriding across the Downs which offer spectacular views right across to London where key London landmarks can be viewed.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/headley-heath
A wonderful mix of open heathland, woodland and chalk downland
Headley Heath has a wide network of tracks to explore, and stunning views to rival any of its neighbours - the perfect place to enjoy the countryside, whether walking, cycling or horseriding.
The Heath is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its rich, varied, and sometimes rare, wildlife, made up of a wonderful mosaic of open heath, chalk downland slopes and mixed woodland.
There's always something new to see, from fragrant, bright yellow gorse and breathtaking purple heathers, to deer, badgers and dragonflies.
During the warmer months Headley Heath is alive with bird song from rare birds like stonechats, linnets, meadow pipits and woodlarks.
National Trust - Headley Heath
Headley Common Roadhttps://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/headley-heath
A wonderful mix of open heathland, woodland and chalk downland
Headley Heath has a wide network of tracks to explore, and stunning views to rival any of its neighbours - the perfect place to enjoy the countryside, whether walking, cycling or horseriding.
The Heath is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its rich, varied, and sometimes rare, wildlife, made up of a wonderful mosaic of open heath, chalk downland slopes and mixed woodland.
There's always something new to see, from fragrant, bright yellow gorse and breathtaking purple heathers, to deer, badgers and dragonflies.
During the warmer months Headley Heath is alive with bird song from rare birds like stonechats, linnets, meadow pipits and woodlarks.
Amacebiso ngesixeko
Ukuhamba-hamba
Travelling into London
The Annex is a 12minute walk to Ewell East station, which is served by Southern Railways with two routes; one into London Victoria and one to London Bridge. Journey time is 30-45 minutes depending on the route. There are two trains per hour into each station.
Ewell West is serviced by South West Trains and runs into London Waterloo. The Covid pandemic has reduced commuter traffic, with more people working from home and the service has been reduced from 4 trains per hour, to 2.
I prefer the Ewell East service, the trains are nicer, less crowded and the walk at the end of the day is shorter.
Ukuhamba-hamba
Make sure you download transport apps, plus Uber for Back-Up
https://citymapper.com/london?lang=en
https://moovitapp.com/london_and_south_east-2122/poi/en-gb
These are the two apps I use most of the time to get around London.
One quick tip - if you are in London late at night, the trains may be slow so get the Northern Line (underground) to Morden and pick up a taxi there. An Uber will cost around £12 from Morden to Howell Hill Close.