Walks you can reach from Lewisham by train
MapA day hike is just a simple train journey away — plan your next day of green.
Chelsfield Circular via Down House (Kent)
30 minutes direct from Lewisham.
Recommended
Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.
Down House: home of Charles Darwin.
Time: 4h30–9h
4 lunch spots: Downe (3h–6h in) — Down House café, the George and Dragon, or Rajdoot of Downe; plus the Blacksmith's Arms (2h–4h in)
4 end-of-walk rewards: the Rose and Crown, the Royal Oak, the Queens Head, or the Chelsfield
Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).
Knockholt to Otford (Kent)
30 minutes direct from Lewisham.
Wooded hills, steep ridges, hidden downland valley, bluebell woods, beech and sweet chestnut woodland and fields.
Warnings: Descents can be slippery.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
London Bridge Circular (Surrey)
8 minutes direct from Lewisham.
A walk through London's history around the square mile, past the Tower of London, St Paul's Cathedral and the Guildhall.
Time: 2h30–5h
Warnings: Two thirds urban. Several sets of steps, cobbled streets and narrow alleys.
Walk details: Walking Post (tips, photos and local insights).
Petts Wood Circular via Scadbury Moated Manor (Kent)
15 minutes direct from Lewisham.
Suburban woodlands, wide woodland tracks, heathland, valleys, moated manor ruins and open green spaces.
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Hayes Circular via Hayes Common (Kent)
30 minutes direct from Lewisham.
Three commons, coppiced woodland, open heathland, gorse, ponds, riverside paths and suburban road crossings.
Warnings: Busy road crossings.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Dartford Circular via Dartford Marshes (Kent)
30 minutes direct from Lewisham.
Circular around Dartford Marshes beside the meandering River Darent towards the Thames, with wading birds and the ruins of the Wells fireworks factory.
Walk details: Kent Downs National Landscape (tips, photos and local insights).
Knockholt Circular via Downe (Kent)
30 minutes direct from Lewisham.
Rural fields with wildflowers, bluebell woods and several village churches.
Time: 5h30
Warnings: Numerous stiles throughout.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Blackheath to Canary Wharf (Kent)
3 minutes direct from Lewisham.
Leafy Georgian avenues, open heath, parkland, Royal Observatory hill, riverside Thames Path, Docklands waterfront and financial district.
Time: 2h30
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Blackheath to Deptford (Kent)
3 minutes direct from Lewisham.
Urban London, genteel residential streets, Georgian and Victorian estates, large open heathland, well-kept parks, river valleys, Victorian cemeteries and green hilltops with panoramic city views.
Time: 5h
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Hayes to Knockholt (Kent)
30 minutes direct from Lewisham.
Fields, woods, valleys, heathland, commons and London Green Belt countryside.
Warnings: Can be waterlogged.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Dartford to Greenhithe (Kent)
30 minutes direct from Lewisham.
Flat riverside paths, flood defences, marshland, industrial edge-land and wide Thames estuary views.
Time: 1h30–3h
Warnings: Follows a busy road for a fifth of the walk. Flood risk — check warnings.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Whyteleafe to Hayes (Surrey)
30 minutes direct from Lewisham.
Gently rolling countryside, shady footpaths and bridleways, open valleys, woods, chalk downland and quiet rural hamlets near the London/Surrey border.
Time: 4h
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).