Southbound

ROUTE 1066 – Day 12: Friday 13 November 2026 – SOUTHWARK to KINGSTON-UPON-THAMES (16 miles)

A bridge over troubled water: this morning looking north over London Bridge

Well, I left everyone in suspense yesterday, and William barricaded from London and pondering his next move at the southern end of London Bridge, whilst his army ravaged and burned Southwark and the nearby settlements on the south bank of the Thames. As I explained, with the only bridge over the river well defended and a significant Anglo-Saxon force behind the barrier on the north side, the Normans could not risk a full-on assault in such confines, and nor could they cross the water in small stolen boats, as the invaders would be easily slaughtered before they could land. So William decided upon the alternative course – one of effectively besieging London. This strategy comprised two parts: the first an encirclement of the capital to cut off the principal highways and supply lines, and the second a campaign of terror – laying waste to the towns, villages and countryside along the way. Additionally the Norman army was lacking in logistical back-up, and it had to keep moving in order to purloin the food and supplies needed to sustain itself. Hence William’s forces headed south-west from Southwark, stealing, killing and burning as they went. The records do not specify William’s precise route (though his men would have spread out to either side, wreaking their havoc), but it is thought that the army rode and marched to Dorking and on to Guildford. So that is where I am now headed.

My walk this morning headed south-west from London Bridge, through Borough, Elephant and Castle, Vauxhall, Battersea and Wandsworth . . .

. . . before the gentle ascent to Putney Heath and Wimbledon Common for a few fabulous miles, and then finishing along the streets of New Malden to Tolworth on the south-eastern extremity of Kingston.

Waking up this morning at my home in Berkhamsted, and to blue skies, was most welcome, even if there was a sharp frost on the ground and in the air. We were up early, and I was soon re-packed (it has become second nature now), and after breakfast Rachel took me to the station for the 0815 train back to London. I emerged at London Bridge an hour later suitably attired for a clear and crisp day that was perfect for walking. Here is how I got on.

A view of St Paul’s behind Southwark Bridge

Looking back up Borough High Street as St George’s greets The Shard

The towers at Vauxhall, where I rejoined the Thames Path . . .

. . . for views back downstream, as far as the London Eye . . .

. . . and ahead to Battersea Power Station

. . . and shouldn’t this read ‘Battersea Power Station Station’?

After cutting through Battersea for a couple of miles I rejoined the river once more – looking forward to Wandsworth’s Bridge . . .

. . . and a backward glance to Battersea Bridge

. . . and the long but gentle climb up West Hill out of Wandsworth . . .

. . . that led me to the delights of Putney Heath

. . . and plenty of side-paths to explore

A detour to find Caesar’s Camp, a 2,500-year-old Iron Age hillfort – evidenced here by just a few low mounds amongst the trees . . .

. . . but a little more clear on the golf course, where this fairway follows the contours of the ancient earthworks

. . . and a final stretch along the Hogsmill River in Tolworth . . .

. . . as the sun set on another super day of walking!

My original plan was to head for the centre of Kingston, but the availability of reasonably-priced overnight accommodation in the area was very limited; and so I chose a different course – heading slightly to the east of the town, and walking a couple of miles to the comfort and good value of the Tolworth Premier Inn – and in the process also giving myself something of a head-start tomorrow morning as I head for Dorking. My day involved a fair amount of hard pavements through the inner London suburbs, but the fabulous autumn colours of Putney Heath and Wimbledon Common and the short stretches along the Thames Path and the Hogsmill River made this leg of my ROUTE 1066 trek really quite memorable.

Stage 3 of my **ROUTE 1066** walk takes me south from London Bridge to Dorking, before turning west then north in an arc through Guildford, Fleet and Reading, to Wallingford

I have had a lot of views and new subscribers to this Blog since I started walking, and thank you all for following William’s story, and my walk. Please stay with my journey via these daily posts and feel free to pass on the details of my website and this Blog to family, to friends, and to anyone you know who might be interested. And let us see if together we can reach my optimistic sponsorship target of 250 plots of Castle Fields over the next few weeks as my ROUTE 1066 walk progresses – perhaps a plot might make an excellent Christmas present that can be dedicated with an appropriate comment on the SAVE CASTLE FIELDS website when sponsoring a square of land. Thank you all!

Thank you for following my ROUTE 1066 journey – re-tracing the steps of William the Conqueror in 1066 on his 360-mile campaign trail from Pevensey Bay, via Berkhamsted, and on to Westminster Abbey. If you are following my Blog, enjoying the ramble, and would like to help us to SAVE CASTLE FIELDS for future generations by pledging £39 to sponsor a 3×3-metre square of the land, then please click on this link:

‘Sponsor A Square’ on the SAVE CASTLE FIELDS Website

THANK YOU ALL FOR SUPPORTING MY ROUTE 1066 WALK, AND FOR HELPING TO PRESERVE THE LEGACY OF CASTLE FIELDS

Enjoying the autumn sunshine on Wimbledon Common

My Blog heading today ‘Southbound’ borrows from the title of a single by US country artist Carrie Underwood from her 2018 album ‘Cry Pretty’. This upbeat country track celebrates blissful summer days, which is a theme somewhat at odds with a long cold November march. Not to worry – the song is a welcome and uplifting addition to my ROUTE 1066 playlist.

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