Colin Saunders

The Capital Ring is a 78-mile (125 km) walking route encircling inner London that links the astonishing number of islands of green space - parks, woodlands, abandoned railway lines, towpaths and nature reserves - which still survive in the very heart of the city.<br/><br/> The Ring takes in many of London's leading attractions - for example, the Thames Barrier, Eltham Palace and Richmond Park - as well as overlooked gems such as Oxleas Meadows, the Parkland Walk and Abbey Mills Pumping Station, and gives a close-up view of the ever-changing Olympic Park.<br/><br/> This guide divides the route into 15 sections, each starting and finishing at a public transport point, and is packed with a vast amount of information.

The North Downs Way is the official guide to the National Trail that follows the North Downs, from the Hog's Back in Surrey all the way to the white cliffs of Dover.