Healthy Ride, Feb 22nd 2020, Ride Report by Bruce

18 riders at Peckham Square for this ride on a dull, mild, but breezy February day. Took a flat route to Brookmill park by swinging north to Cycleway 1 then back south. Plenty water in the Ravensbourne River – not surprising given all the recent rain. Over the ramped footbridge at Elverson Road DLR Station and on to the new development close to Lewisham Station. Here the point where the Quaggy joins the Ravensboutne has been landscaped and a little lookout constructed right on the junction (see photos). Next continued along the course of the Quaggy up Lewisham High St, across to Clarendon Rise then along quiet streets to Manor Park. The Quaggy is close by on this route, but invisible. In Manor Park you can finally see, and get close to, the river. By this time we were running a bit late and the return route would be into the wind with some significant uphills. So decided to skip Manor House Gardens and head back. Left the Quaggy and rode round to Cornmill Gardens next to Lewisham Leisure Centre where we crossed the Ravensbourne. Cycled up via quiet roads (even quieter than usual – half term effect?) to the north edge of Hilly Fields then down to Brockley Station. Over the footbridge, up St Asaph Rd to Nunhead then lovely downhill run in to Peckham to finish. Back 10 minutes early as everyone had ridden very steadily despite gradients and wind. tnaks to David, Simon and Mike for backmarking.

Information about the Quaggy on the web site of QWAG (Quaggy Waterways Action Group, https://qwag.org.uk/river-quaggy/) whose “goal is to demonstrate, using the Quaggy, that rivers can be major assets to an urban environment.”

Route at https://goo.gl/svHy65 ; gpx file below