On 28 December, seven ‘merry’ women and one ‘merry’ man set off to tackle Stages 4 (Crystal Palace Station to Lewin Road Streatham) and 5 (Lewin Road Streatham to Wimbledon Park Station) of the Capita Ring. It was great to have Karrie from St Mary’s WI on the Isles of Scilly (twinned with Catford WI) join us on the 9.5-hour walk.
We started at Crystal Palace Station, walking through Westow Park, Biggin Hill Wood and onto Norwood Grove. There is a Grade-2 listed building at Norwood Grove, built in 1840, as well as the Grade-2 listed Rookery Gardens. We walked onto Streatham Common, finishing the Stage 4 route at Lewin Road.
One ‘merry’ women less, the group continued on to Stage 5, walking past Tooting Bec Lido and through Tooting Common. We stopped for a lunch break at the Sam Remo Cafe on the common – the dull sky cleared and we had a well-earned cuppa under a bright blue sky. After lunch, we continued on to Wandsworth Common, passing Du Cane Court in Balham, built in the Art Deco period, Wandsworth Prison and Cemetery, then walked through Earlsfield, before finishing at Wimbledon Park Station.
