Donna's Diary

Several of our members are intending to do every stage of the Capital Ring with us and one of them, Donna McSorley, has agreed to keep a diary and post some pictures from each stage.

Capital Ring - Wimbledon Park to Osterley Lock (Sections 6 & 7)

A very sporty start to sections six and seven of the Capital Ring in Wimbledon Park, with tennis, football, runners, horse riding and sailing all around us.

On to Wimbledon Common, home to the only remaining example in Britain of a hollow post mill.

A sprightly spring morning to help us on our way to the next green expanse of Richmond Park. The park is steeped in history from King Edward’s reign in the 13^th century to King Charles 1, who brought his court to Richmond to escape the plague devastating London in 1665. Famous for its wildlife, the park is home to hundreds of red and fallow deer, who roam freely.

We then stop for lunch in affluent Richmond, sitting by the River Thames watching river boats sail by, a perfect way to rest before heading towards our final park of the stage, Syon Park.

Designed by architect Robert Adam in the 1760s, Syon House in the park is home to the Dukes of Northumberland, built on the site of a convent where the nuns took the name from Mount Zion which overlooks Jerusalem.

This part of the Capital Ring trail has been my favourite so far as it includes plenty of green spaces, historical houses and wildlife.