Lionel Stanhope Run - Completed

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You may have seen my previous posts about running to all the Lionel Stanhope railway signs in London. Unfortunately on the run to the south I made it all the way to South Croydon but was unable to locate the sign.

Having 'collected' all the others I was adamant that I find it and so headed again to renew my search. I had studied some maps of the area and noticed a few other roads that crossed the line further south of the station. Maybe it was hiding there.

As I had started a new challenge - the London A-Z - and was on G, I took a circuitous route via Grove Park. This initially took me to the south-east and past the huge Hither Green cemetery. Once through Grove Park I turned and aimed for the tower blocks of Croydon on the horizon.

This took me through Downham Fields and the beautiful Beckenham Place Park. I passed through Beckenham, then Elmer's End and Addiscombe before reaching the outskirts of Croydon. I managed to find a finicky little route through to South Croydon avoiding the main roads and came out by the station.

I recognised a few of the bridges I had searched last time and passed under them heading south. I turned a corner a street away from where I had given up last time and there it was. For the sake of a couple of hundred yards last time I had now run 11 miles and would now have to return. I didn't care. I was delighted to have found it and completed the set.

Rather than retrace my steps I headed north through Croydon itself and set my sights on the giant radio tower ahead of me at Crystal Palace. On the way I took a couple of detours into green woodland which I can never resist. These turned out to be Grangewood Park and Westow Park with it's precipitous incline!

When I arrived at Crystal Palace Park I skirted around the dinosaur lake, through Sydenham and then took the Ravensbourne River route back into Catford. A quick loop of Ladywell Park and I was back home. 22 miles and challenge completed until Lionel paints another one. Watch this space...

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