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Walking the London Loop, Section 9 Hatton Cross to Kingston Bridge via Hounslow and Bushey Park, west London, England, 3rd October, 2010
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Walking the London Loop into Essex (part 1)
Section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex
(Photos/words © urban75, Sunday 2nd January, 2011)

Over twenty of us managed to drag ourselves out of London to walk the last section of the London Loop, a short and flat walk around 5 miles, taking in - it has to be said - some rather bleak landscapes.

An Essex walk along the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

The meet up point was Fenchurch Street railway station. It's the only London main line terminus not connected to the London Underground network, so we walked from nearby Bank station (Tower Hill is close too).

First opened in 1841, the station retains its attractive 1854 facade, although the four elevated platforms prove to be rather charmless modern affairs, with all natural light blocked out by the office blocks built above the running lines.

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet,Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

Our train took us as far as Barking, Essex, where we had to do a swift platform change to pick up the Rainham line.

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet,Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

It has to be said that the scenery from Barking to Rainham is a never-ending, concrete gray, grim procession of industrial buildings, abandoned warehouses and electric pylons.

Here's the less-than-encouraging view from the station platform.

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

There's no shops or housing around Rainham station, just a broken phone.

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

Crossing the lines to pick up the London Loop.

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Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

Nice.

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

A row of birds line an industrial structure.

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

Some sort of sculpture on a traffic island.

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

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Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

A companion sculpture on the opposite side of the flyover.

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

Frozen river and bulrushes.

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

Coldharbour Lane, Rainham. No relation to Brixton!

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

Curiously graphic warning sign.

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Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

The walk took us part an extensive landfill site, and there was enough of a lingering whiff in the air to suggest that this is a walk best done in the winter.

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

The walk joins up with the Thames, flanked by the aromatic heaps of the landfill site.

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

Abandoned ferro-concrete barges used during the D-Day Landings of the Second World War.

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

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Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

Part of the waste transfer station

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

Partially submerged barge. On the other side of the Thames lies Erith, the starting point for Section 1 of the London Loop. Unfortunately, the old cross river ferry has long since stopped working.

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

'The Diver:Regeneration' sculpture by John Kaufman (see: official site)..

Described as the only sculpture standing in the River Thames, The Diver is made of galvanised steel bands on a steel frame and stands 15 feet (4.6m) tall and approximately 6 feet (1.8m) wide.

We're not so sure about its claim to be the only sculpture in the Thames, seeing as Anthony Gormley's Quantum Cloud Sculpture stands outside the Millennium Dome.

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

The sculpture is partly-submerged every high tide and totally submerged by spring and neap tides.

Sadly, Kaufman fell ill and died soon after the sculpture's competition in 2002, with a wake being held at the location of the sculpture with family and friends.

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

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Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

Walking the London Loop, section 24, Rainham to Purfleet, Essex, Sunday 2nd January, 2011

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