Mitcham Common did not hold reat appeal after much rain earlier this week and the5 who gathered at Mitcham Junction station instead opted to follow the first part of Walk 273 (Mitcham Junction to Colliers Wood) through Beddington Farmlands as far as Carshalton, and it seemed fitting to finish at The Hope in Carshalton, one of Gavin Robinson's favoured pubs. The nature reserve at Beddington Farmlands is still work in progress but the birds have settled in and there are signs of the new paths being built through the centre. It was dark by the time we reached Beddington Park, where we visited the Dove Cote and chatted to some people awaiting bell ringing practice at the church and we were later accompanied by the sounds of their bell ringing later as we made our way across the park. The Hope in Carshalton is a friendly community owned pub and provided tasty food and a selection of real ales at reasonable prices.

I forgot to mention the weather. It was a dry coldish evening

Tried to join u at the end but the crown was empty and the ravensbury seemed a bit too upmarket for us :)

Well Andrew, you may have been there waaayyyy before we got anyway near there...

All other known walkers (actual and attempting) today were travelling down on the Thameslink train from Farringdon, Blackfriars or Elephant & Castle. Unfortunately, one of the trains immediately in front of the posted train was stricken and blocking the route somewhere around City Thameslink (a passenger alarm had been activated, I think), so after endless waits and frantic sms between suspected walk attendees, the 2 Elephant punters tried to get onto the much delayed train, knowing that 3 others were already on it. To no avail. It was so grotesquely overcrowded, in 27 years in London I haven't seen worse. Small consolation: that train was then short stopped at Streatham anyway and 3 of us only got to MJ on the next one anyway, eventually arriving 49 minutes behind schedule.

The other 2 had stayed on the original train but gave up upon the short stopping at Streatham and returned home they way they came. So, 3 plus maybe the webmaster + 1 ???

We had an uneventful but nice time on the walk (compared to the journey to it), under some Serious Moonlight, which meant that - with the High Priestess of moon walking amongst us - headtorches were kind of 'Verboten' and used only very sparingly.

We did dine at The Ravensbury which is not posh at all (the footie was on the tellie) but served really good Indian dishes, we thought. The (delayed) 22.04 was the train that we did catch back to London.

warm for the time of year

The good thing about managed expectations is that one can easily be nicely surprised, and so were we today. Yes, some roads, a common rather than a manicured park. But clear paths, varied trees, some fine clearings, a very fine pond, a couple of modest hills with surround views, no rubbish strewn about, no dangerous dogs (or people), not many people at all really. We liked it. The sparse directions and the gpx didn't always follow the same route, but it is difficult to get lost, as (see above) there are lots of roads around the Common, giving you a grid within which to stay.

Near the end, we turned into The Ravensbury for a drink and a chat.

3 walkers off 3 different trains on a pleasant summer evening .