I walked to Hounslow

I am trying to keep to the rules of Lockdown 3 and if that means only one exercise walk a day then it has to be a long one, and this was a long one - 33 km in almost seven hours.

There was a plan, of sorts, but the final route and duration was due to a combination of last minute decisions and mistakes.

The first part of the journey did go according to the original plan. I have a standard route that takes me through Bushy Park to Hampton where I got my first coffee and cake of the day from regular haunt Paws for Coffee.

From there I went through Fulwell to join River Crane.

I followed London Loop as far as Hounslow Heath but instead of turning in there I avoided the mud and kept on the main road, that's the straight line on the left.

At that point it was a question over which bridge to aim for, Richmond or Kew, and I ambitiously chose Kew. Almost immediately I went wrong and took the U shaped loop in the middle. I realised my mistake quickly and from the base of the U I followed the Duke of Northumberland's River to the Thames, a route I had taken and enjoyed before.

It felt like I was home then, among familiar streets, though there was still a ling way to go as I continued north-east towards Kew Bridge and a second coffee at the Costa there (Brentford seems to be devoid of bijou coffee shops).

From Kew Bridge it was an almost straight line south home and while my weariness suggested that a 65 bus was a good plan I felt good enough to walk all the way and to complete the circular route.

The walk was a successful mix of pretty known places and interesting new ones, such as this mosque in Hounslow.

The minimal plan worked this time so I will try it again on my next long walk, I just hope that I find some interesting cafes along the way.