67-694: The London Outer Orbital Path —more usually the "London LOOP" —is a 150-mile (242 km) signed walk along public footpaths , and through parks, woods and fields around the edge of Outer London , England , described as "the M25 for walkers". The walk begins at Erith on the south bank of the River Thames and passes clockwise through Crayford , Petts Wood , Coulsdon , Banstead , Ewell , Kingston upon Thames , Uxbridge , Elstree , Cockfosters , Chingford , Chigwell , Grange Hill and Upminster Bridge before ending at Purfleet , almost directly across
134-455: A 'public path creation agreement') with a relevant landowner to create a footpath or bridleway over land in their area. The local authority has to consult any other local authority in whose area the path will be, but does not have to consult more widely. There is no provision for anyone else to be consulted or to object. The agreement must be advertised in the local paper, and the route is automatically maintainable at public expense. Section 30 of
201-500: A considerable rate of total brood failures; actually, few pairs that do manage to fledge offspring raise less than 3 or 4. Compared to their siblings, first-hatched chicks have greater survival and recruitment probability, thought to be due to the first-hatched chicks obtaining a higher body condition when in the nest. Population cycles of prey, particularly voles, have a considerable influence on breeding success. Most common kestrels die before they reach 2 years of age; mortality up until
268-428: A few weeks, during which time the young learn how to fend for themselves and hunt prey. The young become sexually mature the next breeding season. Female kestrel chicks with blacker plumage have been found to have bolder personalities, indicating that even in juvenile birds plumage coloration can act as a status signal. Data from Britain shows nesting pairs bringing up about 2–3 chicks on average, though this includes
335-589: A main prey item. Generally, invertebrates like camel spiders and even earthworms , but mainly sizeable insects such as beetles , orthopterans and winged termites will be eaten. The common kestrel requires the equivalent of 4–8 voles a day, depending on energy expenditure (time of the year, amount of hovering, etc.). They have been known to catch several voles in succession and cache some for later consumption. An individual nestling consumes on average 4.2 g/h, equivalent to 67.8 g/d (3–4 voles per day). The common kestrel starts breeding in spring (or
402-426: A population of prey animals. The common kestrel readily adapts to human settlement, as long as sufficient swathes of vegetation are available, and may even be found in wetlands , moorlands and arid savanna . It is found from the sea to the lower mountain ranges, reaching elevations up to 4,500 m (14,800 ft) ASL in the hottest tropical parts of its range but only to about 1,750 m (5,740 ft) in
469-555: A presumed deed that has been lost; known as the doctrine of "modern lost grant". Paths created by express dedication since 1949 are not automatically maintainable at the public expense as a result of s.49 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 . Section 25 of the Highways Act 1980 allows a local authority (that is, a district or county council, or a unitary authority) to enter into an agreement (known as
536-600: A proposal for a ferry to link the ends, and to link to riverbuses upstream at Woolwich , was shortlisted in the RIBA Forgotten Spaces competition. The full route is also mapped on OpenStreetMap and available on the Go Jauntly app, in partnership with Transport for London. Download coordinates as: Crayford station Rights of way in England and Wales In England and Wales , excluding
603-437: A public footpath normally only extends to walking (there may be other unrecorded rights as well), so there is usually no right to cycle or ride a horse on a public footpath. However, it is not a criminal offence to do so unless there is a traffic order or bylaw in place specifically: it is a civil wrong to ride a bicycle or a horse on a public footpath, and action could be taken by the landowner for trespass or nuisance by
670-472: A result of the burden of maintenance required by the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 , and so are now wrongly recorded on the definitive map. Definitive Map Modification Orders are needed to correct these errors. A byway open to all traffic (or BOAT) is a highway over which the general public have a right to travel for vehicular and all other kinds of traffic , but which
737-437: A right of way , and in addition, there is a general presumption of access to the countryside (" right to roam "). Private rights of way or easements also exist (see also Highways in England and Wales ). Definitive maps of public rights of way have been compiled for all of England and Wales , as a result of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 , except the 12 Inner London boroughs, which, along with
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#1732772435608804-482: A stopping up order) exists then the right of way is conclusive in law. Just because a path is not shown on that map does not mean that it is not a public path, as the rights may not have been recorded – the legal principle being "once a highway, always a highway". The Countryside Agency estimated that over 10% of public paths were not yet listed on the definitive map. The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 provides that paths that are not recorded on
871-529: A wingspan of 65–82 cm ( 25 + 1 ⁄ 2 – 32 + 1 ⁄ 2 in). The females is noticeably larger, with the adult male weighing 136–252 g ( 4 + 3 ⁄ 4 – 8 + 7 ⁄ 8 oz), around 155 g ( 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 oz) on average; the adult female weighs 154–314 g ( 5 + 3 ⁄ 8 – 11 + 1 ⁄ 8 oz), around 184 g ( 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 oz) on average. They are thus small compared with other birds of prey, but larger than most songbirds . Like
938-449: Is a path (which could be for walkers, riders, cyclists, or any combination) whose use is allowed by the landowner. It would normally be a path that is not at the time on the definitive map of public rights of way, but that does not prevent it from already being a public path for any or all of those user categories mentioned. For instance it might be a historic route fallen into disuse or it might have been used for twenty years 'as of right' by
1005-399: Is brown with black bars in females, and has a black tip with a narrow white rim in both sexes. All common kestrels have a prominent black malar stripe like their closest relatives. The cere , feet, and a narrow ring around the eye are bright yellow; the toenails, bill and iris are dark. Juveniles look like adult females, but the underside streaks are wider; the yellow of their bare parts
1072-453: Is derived from the French crécerelle which is diminutive for crécelle, which also referred to a bell used by lepers. The word is earlier spelt 'c/kastrel', and is evidenced from the 15th century. The kestrel was once used to drive and keep away pigeons. Archaic names for the kestrel include windhover and windfucker , due to its habit of beating the wind (hovering in air). This species
1139-417: Is not automatically maintainable at the public expense. Section 26 of the Highways Act 1980 allows a local authority (that is, a district or county council, or a unitary authority) to make an order to create a footpath or bridleway over land in their area. If there are no objections, the local authority can confirm the order themselves, so bringing the path into effect. However, where objections have been made,
1206-721: Is paler. Hatchlings are covered in white down feathers , changing to a buff-grey second down coat before they grow their first true plumage. In the cool- temperate parts of its range, the common kestrel migrates south in winter; otherwise it is sedentary, though juveniles may wander around in search for a good place to settle down as they become mature. It is a diurnal animal of the lowlands and prefers open habitat such as fields , heaths , shrubland and marshland . It does not require woodland to be present as long as there are alternative perching and nesting sites like rocks or buildings. It will thrive in treeless steppe where there are abundant herbaceous plants and shrubs to support
1273-509: Is part of a clade that contains the kestrel species with black malar stripes, a feature which apparently was not present in the most ancestral kestrels. They seem to have radiated in the Gelasian ( Late Pliocene , roughly 2.5–2 mya , probably starting in tropical East Africa, as indicated by mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data analysis and considerations of biogeography . A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2015 found that
1340-540: Is used by the public mainly as footpaths and bridleways are used, per Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 , section 15(9)(c), as amended by Road Traffic (Temporary Restrictions) Act 1991, Schedule 1. After the 2006 Regulations to the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 , BOATs should now more properly be referred to simply as byways. A road used as public path (RUPP) was one of the three types of public right of way (along with footpaths and bridleways) introduced by
1407-559: The City of London , were not covered by the Act. Definitive maps exist for the Outer London boroughs. Local highways authorities (usually county councils or unitary authorities ) are required to maintain the definitive map of all public rights of way in their areas, which can be inspected at council offices. If a path is shown on the definitive map and no subsequent legal order (such as
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#17327724356081474-501: The Downlands Countryside Management Project , a joint initiative by several councils, and is complete with signs and information boards, in addition to maps available from Tourist Information Centres. There is no way to cross the river between Purfleet and Erith to complete the loop, although there was once a ferry to Erith which was mainly used by pilgrims on their way to Canterbury . In 2011
1541-593: The European kestrel , Eurasian kestrel or Old World kestrel , is a species of predatory bird belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae . In the United Kingdom , where no other kestrel species commonly occurs, it is generally just called " kestrel ". This species occurs over a large native range . It is widespread in Europe , Asia and Africa , as well as occasionally reaching
1608-462: The National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 . The Countryside Act 1968 required all highway authorities to reclassify RUPPs in their area – occasionally as public footpaths but in practice generally as public bridleways – unless public vehicular rights were demonstrated to exist, in which case it would become a 'byway open to all traffic'. This process was slow as it involved research into historic usage and often public enquiries, and so
1675-689: The Thames from its starting point. Between these settlements the route passes through green buffers and some of the highest points in Greater London . The walk was first proposed at a meeting between The Ramblers and the Countryside Commission in 1990. It was given an official launch at the House of Lords in 1993. The first section was opened on 3 May 1996, with a ceremony on Farthing Downs , Coulsdon . Other sections followed at
1742-551: The subtropical climate of the Himalayan foothills . Globally, this species is not considered threatened by the IUCN . Its stocks were affected by the indiscriminate use of organochlorines and other pesticides in the mid-20th century, but being something of an r-strategist able to multiply quickly under good conditions it was less affected than other birds of prey. The global population has been fluctuating considerably over
1809-514: The "green" group in north-west London, and the "yellow" group in north-east London. The sections vary in length, from 3.8 miles (6.1 km) section 14 to 10 miles (16 km) section 16. Some sections start and/or end directly at public transport stops. However most sections have a further waymarked 'LOOP Link' to from their start and/or end to the nearest train or underground station. Additionally, there are waymarked 'LOOP Links' to train station midway along some sections. All these links are listed in
1876-456: The 12 Inner London boroughs and the City of London , the right of way is a legally protected right of the public to pass and re-pass on specific paths. The law in England and Wales differs from Scots law in that rights of way exist only where they are so designated (or are able to be designated if not already), whereas in Scotland any route that meets certain conditions is defined as
1943-596: The 20 years' use 'as of right' needed to establish its public status. These are precautions to prevent it becoming designated as a statutory right of way in relation to its permitted use. Under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 the public also has a right to walk away from rights of way on designated " access land ". This right is in addition to rights of way, and does not extend to horse-riders or cyclists. Access land may be closed for up to 28 days per year, whereas rights of way must remain open at all times, except in exceptional circumstances with special permission of
2010-481: The Highways Act 1980 allows a parish council (community council in Wales) to enter into an agreement with a relevant landowner to create a footpath, bridleway or restricted byway over land in their area or in an adjacent parish. The parish council is under no obligation to consult anyone: all they have to do is reach an agreement with the landowner. There is no provision for anyone else to be consulted or to object. The path
2077-440: The Highways Act 1980 is mainly used by the street works authority (county council or unitary authority) to declare a street to be a highway maintainable at public expense. The street works authority has to perform works on the route. Such street works need only be appropriate to the type of highway to which the notice relates. So for a potential bridleway, if the grass is cut, or a hedge cut back, this could constitute street works for
London Outer Orbital Path - Misplaced Pages Continue
2144-760: The Loop continues north of the river. Points of interest in these sections include: Bushy Park , the Shot Tower by the River Crane , the Grand Union Canal , the ancient woodland of Park Wood, Grim's Dyke and a cottage where David Livingstone once lived. Commencing at Cockfosters, the final third of the Loop heads south to its end at the Thames in Purfleet . Points of interest in these sections include:
2211-931: The New River, Forty Hall , Gilwell Park , Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge in Epping Forest, the Wellingtonia Avenue in Havering Country Park , the valley of the River Ingrebourne , the Upminster Windmill , Hornchurch Country Park , the Concrete Barges by the Thames at Rainham and the RSPB Centre by the marshes at Purfleet . Signposts, waymarks and information boards direct the walker along
2278-442: The bird spots prey animals moving by, it will pounce on them. They also prowl a patch of hunting ground in a ground-hugging flight, ambushing prey as they happen across it. They eat almost exclusively mouse-sized mammals . Voles , shrews and true mice supply up to three-quarters or more of the biomass most individuals ingest. On oceanic islands (where mammals are often scarce), small birds (mainly passerines ) may make up
2345-515: The bulk of its diet. Elsewhere, birds are only an important food during a few weeks each summer when inexperienced fledglings abound. Other suitably sized vertebrates like bats , swifts , frogs and lizards are eaten only on rare occasions. However, kestrels are more likely to prey on lizards in southern latitudes. In northern latitudes, the kestrel is found more often to deliver lizards to their nestlings during midday and also with increasing ambient temperature. Seasonally, arthropods may be
2412-513: The common kestrel characteristically hovers about 10–20 m (35–65 ft) above the ground, searching for prey, either by flying into the wind or by soaring using ridge lift . Like most birds of prey , common kestrels have keen eyesight enabling them to spot small prey from a distance. Once prey is sighted, the bird makes a short, steep dive toward the target, unlike the peregrine which relies on longer, higher dives to reach full speed when targeting prey. Kestrels can often be found hunting along
2479-481: The common kestrel's closest relatives were the spotted kestrel Falco moluccensis and the Nankeen kestrel Falco cenchroides . The rock kestrel ( F. rupicolus ), previously considered a subspecies, is now treated as a distinct species. The lesser kestrel ( F. naumanni ), which much resembles a small common kestrel with no black on the upperside except wing and tail tips, is probably not very closely related to
2546-490: The current binomial name Falco tinnunculus . Linnaeus specified the type location as Europe but restricted this to Sweden in 1761. The genus name is Late Latin from falx , falcis , a sickle , referencing the claws of the bird. The species name tinnunculus is Latin for "kestrel" from "tinnulus", "shrill". The Latin name tinnunculus had been used by the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner in 1555. The word "kestrel"
2613-507: The date on which Section 60 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act came into force; this deadline was 21 November 2007. Each highway authority is required to review their Rights of Way Improvement Plan at least every ten years. Common Kestrel About 10, see text Falco rupicolus Daudin , 1800 (but see text ) Falco tinnunculus interstictus ( lapsus ) The common kestrel ( Falco tinnunculus ), also known as
2680-399: The definitive map by 2026 and that were in use prior to 1949 will automatically be deemed stopped up on 1 January 2026. The highway right to use a right of way is restricted to passing and re-passing, associated activities, and the taking of 'usual accompaniments'. Bedford Borough Council mentions that walkers may Highways maintainable at public expense generally remain in the ownership of
2747-511: The east coast of North America . It has colonized a few oceanic islands, but vagrant individuals are generally rare; in the whole of Micronesia for example, the species was only recorded twice each on Guam and Saipan in the Marianas . The common kestrel was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under
London Outer Orbital Path - Misplaced Pages Continue
2814-448: The eastern Canary Islands is peculiar for nesting occasionally in the dried fronds below the top of palm trees , apparently coexisting with small songbirds which also make their home there. In general, common kestrels will usually tolerate conspecifics nesting nearby, and sometimes a few dozen pairs may be found nesting in a loose colony. The clutch is normally 3–7 eggs; more eggs may be laid in total but some will be removed during
2881-445: The first birthday may be as high as 70%. At least females generally breed at one year of age; possibly, some males take a year longer to maturity as they do in related species. The biological lifespan to death from senescence can be 16 years or more, however; one was recorded to have lived almost 24 years. The kestrel is sometimes seen, like other birds of prey, as a symbol of the power and vitality of nature. In "Into Battle" (1915),
2948-417: The landowner, but such highways are also vested in the local highway authority; vesting being a form or ownership so long as it remains a highway. Lord Jennings, in an 'obiter' statement (not a formal judgement) suggested that ownership might be from the surface of the route to the depth of "two spits", or approximately two spade depths. Collins M.R. seems to have defined it better: 'All the stratum of air above
3015-526: The laying time. This lasts about 2 days per egg laid. The eggs are abundantly patterned with brown spots, from a wash that tinges the entire surface buffish white to large almost-black blotches. Incubation lasts from 4 weeks to one month, both male and female will take shifts incubating the eggs. After the eggs have hatched, the parents share brooding and hunting duties. Only the female feeds the chicks, by tearing apart prey into manageable chunks. The young fledge after 4–5 weeks. The family stays close together for
3082-577: The local authority. A footpath, bridleway or restricted byway can be created by one of the following means. In England and Wales, a footpath, bridleway or restricted byway may be expressly dedicated by the owner as a public right of way. Furthermore, unchallenged use by the public, as of right, for at least 20 years, may give rise to a presumption of dedication under Section 31 of the Highways Act 1980 . A presumption of dedication may arise under common law after any appropriate period of time, by way of
3149-482: The male plumage. The common kestrels of Europe living during cold periods of the Quaternary glaciation differed slightly in size from the current population; they are sometimes referred to as the paleosubspecies F. t. atavus ( see also Bergmann's rule ). The remains of these birds, which presumably were the direct ancestors of the living F. t. tinnunculus (and perhaps other subspecies), are found throughout
3216-489: The order will need to be considered by an inspector from the Planning Inspectorate. Depending on the number and nature of the objections, he may consider the order after an exchange of written representations between the authority and the objectors, after holding a hearing, or after a public local inquiry. People who would like to use the path should submit letters saying why they need the path. Section 228 of
3283-424: The other Falco species , they have long wings as well as a distinctive long tail. The plumage is mainly light chestnut brown with blackish spots on the upperside and buff with narrow blackish streaks on the underside; the remiges are also blackish. Unlike most raptors , they display sexual colour dimorphism with the male having fewer black spots and streaks, as well as a blue-grey cap and tail. The tail
3350-494: The present species, and the American kestrel ( F. sparverius ) is apparently not a true kestrel at all. Both species have much grey in their wings in males, which does not occur in the common kestrel or its close living relatives but does in almost all other falcons. Eleven subspecies are recognised. Most differ little, and mainly in accordance with Bergmann's and Gloger's rules . Tropical African forms have less grey in
3417-462: The presumed ancestor of today's tundra vole M. oeconomus ), while yet again others seem to have gone entirely extinct without leaving any living descendants—for example Pliomys lenki , which apparently fell victim to the Weichselian glaciation about 100,000 years ago. The common kestrels measures 32–39 cm ( 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 – 15 + 1 ⁄ 2 in) from head to tail, with
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#17327724356083484-425: The public expense. Hampshire County Council has used this method for footpaths, and Essex County Council often uses it for new bridleways. Each highway authority in England and Wales (other than Transport for London , the City of London and Inner London boroughs) was required to produce a Rights of Way Improvement Plan under sections 60 to 62 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 within five years of
3551-509: The public, in both cases being a public right of way which is not yet shown on the definitive map. Some permissive footpaths and bridleways are shown on 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 scale Ordnance Survey maps. A permissive path is often closed on a specified calendar day each year (lawful only if it is not already a public right of way of some description), and clearly signed (e.g. signpost or waymark) as permissive. The act of so closing or signing it ensures that any future use of it does not count towards
3618-414: The purpose of this section, so enabling it to be used. The authority then places s.228 "Adoption of Streets" notices at each end of the route. Only the owner of a street (or if more than one, the majority of the owners) has the power to object. If there is an objection, the street works authority can either discontinue, or it can go to a magistrates' court. A path created by this method will be maintainable at
3685-582: The rate of two or three per year as signs were installed and leaflets for individual sections published, the route becoming fully walkable in 2001. Following the election of Ken Livingstone as Mayor of London , the London Loop became one of his key routes, along with its sister route, the Capital Ring . The route is divided into 24 sections in three groups: the "blue" group in South London ,
3752-408: The right to cycle exists even though it may be difficult to exercise on occasion. Cyclists using a bridleway are obliged to give way to other users on foot or horseback. Public bridleways are shown on Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 maps, but many public bridleways (as well as "roads used as public paths", "byways open to all traffic" and "restricted byways") were recorded as footpaths only, as
3819-411: The route. In countryside locations the waymarks consist mostly of a simple white disc mounted on a wooden post, with a directional arrow and flying kestrel logo in blue and text in green. However, local authorities are responsible for funding these signs, so the quality varies from one borough to the next, with some sections not signed at all. The 54-mile blue route from Erith to Kingston is maintained by
3886-399: The sides of roads and motorways, where the road verges support large numbers of prey. This species is able to see near ultraviolet light, allowing the birds to detect the urine trails around rodent burrows as they shine in an ultraviolet colour in the sunlight. Another favourite (but less conspicuous) hunting technique is to perch a bit above the ground cover, surveying the area. When
3953-526: The sky. I caught this morning morning's minion, king- dom of daylight's dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon, in his riding A kestrel is also one of the main characters in The Animals of Farthing Wood . Barry Hines ’ novel A Kestrel for a Knave - together with the 1969 film based on it, Ken Loach 's Kes - is about a working-class boy in England who befriends a kestrel. The Pathan name for
4020-409: The start of the dry season in the tropics ), i.e. April or May in temperate Eurasia and some time between August and December in the tropics and southern Africa . It is a cavity nester, preferring holes in cliffs, trees or buildings; in built-up areas, common kestrels will often nest on buildings, and will reuse the old nests of corvids . The diminutive subspecies dacotiae , the sarnicolo of
4087-529: The surface and all the stratum of soil below the surface which in any reasonable sense can be required for the purposes of the street, as street' In England and Wales a public footpath is a path on which the public have a legally protected right to travel on foot. In some areas public footpaths form a dense network of short paths. It is probable that most footpaths in the countryside are hundreds of years old. The majority of footpaths are shown on Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 maps. The right of access on
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#17327724356084154-723: The table below. The Loop officially begins by the River Thames in Erith . Points of interest in these sections south of the Thames include: Hall Place , the memorial to William Willett (advocate of summer time), the Wilberforce Oak, Shirley Windmill , Happy Valley , Farthing Downs , the Mayfield Lavender Farm and the Coronation Stone in Kingston. Having crossed the Thames at Kingston Bridge
4221-730: The then-unglaciated parts of Europe, from the Late Pliocene ( ELMA Villanyian / ICS Piacenzian , MN16 ) about 3 million years ago to the Middle Pleistocene Saalian glaciation which ended about 130,000 years ago, when they finally gave way to birds indistinguishable from those living today. Some of the voles the Ice Age common kestrels ate—such as European pine voles ( Microtus subterraneus )—were indistinguishable from those alive today. Other prey species of that time evolved more rapidly (like M. malei ,
4288-495: The user. A public bridleway is a way over which the general public have the following, but normally (unless otherwise according to Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 s56(1)(b)) no other rights: Note that although Section 30 of the Countryside Act 1968 permits the riding of bicycles on public bridleways, the act says that it "shall not create any obligation to facilitate the use of the bridleway by cyclists". Thus,
4355-436: The war poet Julian Grenfell invokes the superhuman characteristics of the kestrel among several birds, when hoping for prowess in battle: The kestrel hovering by day, And the little owl that call at night, Bid him be swift and keen as they, As keen of ear, as swift of sight. Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844–1889) writes on the kestrel in his poem " The Windhover ", exalting in their mastery of flight and their majesty in
4422-410: The years but remains generally stable; it is roughly estimated at 1–2 million pairs or so, about 20% of which are found in Europe . There has been a recent decline in parts of Western Europe such as Ireland . Subspecies dacotiae is quite rare, numbering less than 1000 adult birds in 1990, when the ancient western Canarian subspecies canariensis numbered about ten times as many birds. When hunting,
4489-502: Was not completed by the time the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 was passed. This reclassified all remaining RUPPs as 'restricted byways' on 2 May 2006. On 2 May 2006 the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 reclassified all remaining roads used as public paths as restricted byways . The public's rights along a restricted byway are to travel: A permissive path, permitted path or concessionary path
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