A 34-mile walking trail across London from north to south will take place for the first time on May 4.
The route, created by Walking Post, starts in Cockfosters and ends in Carshalton Beeches.
The route is 75% off-road and is divided into five sections of between six to eight miles long each, and is being launched this year.
Walking Post founder and creator of this route Lucy Maddison said: “I always wanted massive scissors and a ribbon!
“We will have a big group of people and some surprise guests, so we will cut the ribbon, take some photos and I would imagine have a drink at the end.”
The Walking Post was co-founded by Streatham based web-designer Maddison and Greenwich based content writer Emily Morrison who joined forces to share walking routes around London and the south-east.
Emily said originally they wanted to promote the idea of being able to get out of London by train.
She added: “It’s amazing how quickly you can feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere.”
Wandsworth based Duncan Cowper, who will be participating, said of the two-day event: “This is very accessible because it starts from tube stations, it’s easier for people to get to and I think it will give people a different perspective on London than what they are used to.
“Most people’s way of navigating the city is normally quite urban focused, such as road and the Tube.
“This is more about finding a green way through London.”
Cowper spoke about the bonding experiences people can have via this mode of travel.
He said: “I think the great thing with walking is that just by nature of the pace that you’re going you get proper time to chat to people so you can really make a connection.
“I do some cycling and some running and you don’t make the same kind of connections with people in those situations just because of the speed you’re going at.”
Basic human connection is increasingly becoming a need for people.
A survey conducted in 2023 by Nextdoor in partnership with Marmalade Trust showed 85% of UK adults had experienced loneliness in the last year and 44% felt chronically lonely.
Lucy said: “I would say compared to most walking groups, it’s really friendly and everybody wants to talk to everybody.
“It’s really a social thing and we go to nice places, that’s what it’s about”
The route will take walkers past landmarks like Alexandra Palace, Regents Park, Buckingham Palace and Battersea Power Station.
On the two-day opening event Lucy said: “People can drop out at any stage.”
“We are in London, you are never more than a mile from some kind of public transport.”
In 2019 according to Sport England 9.7 million adults in England walked recreationally.
The route is available on The Walking Post website and can be found here.
Featured photo credit: The Walking Post
