On 15 and 16 September, Londoners will be given the opportunity to become a tourist in their own borough with free guided walks being run as part of Transport for London’s first ever London Walking Weekend.
Currently two out of five Londoners make regular journeys of less than two kilometres by a means of transport other than walking – a distance that can easily be walked by most people in around 20 minutes.
London Walking Weekend aims to get Londoners to take a fresh look at their travel habits and discover the many easy walking routes around the capital that take in London's famous – and not so famous – sites along the way.
Karen Pierce-Goulding, who will be the Walking Guide for Lewisham’s free walk, said: “London Walking Weekend will introduce Londoners to the many beautiful, historic and intriguing sites that have probably been sitting right on their doorstep, undiscovered, for years.
“On the free guided walk on Sunday 16th, we’ll begin at Forest Hill Railway Station at 2.00 p.m. and make our way up Forest Hill to spectacular views of the city. We’ll then continue towards The Horniman Museum and the beautiful Horniman Gardens. Permanent exhibitions at the museum include African art, taxidermy and musical instruments. The museum also has an aquarium and restaurant. To continue your voyage of discovery, why not try walking a route that you usually travel by car - you’ll probably be amazed at what you see when you take the time to look around.”
Walking ‘2k a day’ takes around 20 minutes at an average pace and has the added benefit of burning off 75 calories. So if every Lewisham resident included just one two kilometre walk as part of their daily travel around town, together we’d burn off the equivalent of 26.2 million chocolate bars a year.
Jenny Jones, The Mayor's Green Transport Advisor, said: "We all make trips by car, bus, or tube that we could easily walk. It is vital that we all remember just how enjoyable walking is, and discovering the best bits of your local area on foot is a great place to start."
"If London is to become one of the world's most walking friendly cities, then we must also do more to encourage Londoners to go on foot every day. This includes giving pedestrians a safe walking environment with high quality crossings, creating more 20mph zones, removing unfriendly one-way systems, providing excellent signs and maps, and maintaining walking facilities for the long term."
James Bidwell, Chief Executive of Visit London said: “London is the number one city destination in the world. One-third of the capital is green space and from iconic attractions to hidden gems, the best way to discover the capital is on foot. Walking Weekend is a fantastic initiative and I would urge Londoners and visitors alike to take part in this great experience.”
To join your local London Walking Weekend walk on Sunday, meet at Forest Hill Railway Station at 2.00 p.m. Your guide will be easily identifiable – just look out for the person carrying a 'Why not walk it?' branded umbrella.
In addition to the free walks in every borough, Transport for London is hosting a ‘Why not walk it?’ marquee at the Mayor’s Thames Festival, including a walking treasure hunt for children and i-move pledges for Londoners to sign in exchange for a free pedometer. See the Transport for London website for further details, by following the links on the right.
Top tips from TfL on how to get your ‘2k a day’
Incorporate walking into your daily commute and other regular journeys with the help of Transport for London’s journey planner, which now automatically provides a walking option for any journey that is under 30 minutes walk in length.
Ensure that walking is included as part of a longer journey by using the advanced options to:
- increase the amount of time you’re prepared to walk
- opt to ‘walk if it makes my journey quicker’
- select your walking speed to get a more accurate idea of how long it will take
- deselect the methods of transport you don’t plan to use – for example, if you usually take the bus part way but want to walk instead
- or deselect all other methods of transport for a walking route for the whole journey.