Turn right out of Birkbeck Tramlink along Elmers End Road and turn right through the main entrance of Beckenham Cemetery.
Go past the cemetery office, turn immediately right along the path and, having passed the grave of William Ford Stanley on the left, veer left and keep ahead along the grass path, passing the Celtic Cross. A little way along on your left is the gleaming white cross-topped grave of W G Grace. Retrace your steps along the grass path and go right on the main path, passing the chapel to your left. Keep ahead and continue through the cemetery.
At the end of this tarmac drive go through the cemetery gates and cross the Tramlink line (taking care!). Keep ahead past the fence, then go left along a footpath to cross back over the Tramlink line and enter the unmarked South Norwood Country Park. After a few more steps, turn right after a footbridge and keep straight along the path passing on the right a Pitch and Putt golf course, children's playground and Visitor Centre (open to the public on weekends noon to 2pm).
Just before another Tramlink level crossing, turn left to join Public Footpath No. 21. Follow this parallel to the tram line.
Turn left at a fork leading to the top of the earth mound. (From the top you can see the giant transmitter aerials of both Alexandra Palace and Crystal Palace, Shooter's Hill and Croydon.) To continue, turn right downhill to rejoin the path and walk down some steps.
Turn left, ignore the next set of steps and carry on ahead, ignoring small side paths, until you reach a left-hand fork. Keep ahead, over the crossing of paths, and follow the long, straight path. There are drainage ditches on each side, though these are heavily overgrown and only wet in winter.
Continue along the path, over a footbridge, beside a stream. Just after the path swings to the right is a five-path junction. Turn right and cross the bridge (there is a sports centre on the right). Ignore the first path on the left, continue as the path bends and take the left fork. After 50yds (46m) or so, there is a jetty overlooking the lake.
Continue along the path for a few paces and turn right to leave the park. Turn left along Elmers End Road, past Beckenham Cemetery, to reach Birkbeck Tramlink where the walk began.
You don't need to be a fan of cricket to enjoy this walk. The South Norwood Country Park is well worth a visit for its delightful paths (some of which run alongside a stream and a lake) and for its prolific bird life. But many people come to this area to pay their respects to W G Grace, the man who... probably did more for the game of cricket in his lifetime than any other. Days of Grace William Gilbert Grace, or 'W G' as he became known, was born in Bristol in 1848. He first began playing cricket at the age of 16 before training to become a doctor. He was a good, all-round sportsman; he also played golf and bowls but it was cricket that made him a national hero. He was such a keen player that, after visiting a house where two children were in bed with a fever, it is said that he told the mother to call him again if their combined temperatures reached two hundred and ten for two! However, he was never a professional player, despite his incredible record for promoting the game of cricket. He played for Gloucestershire for many years before moving to southeast London. His scores could be seen as even more remarkable considering the state of the pitches in the 19th century compared with the ones of today. Outstanding innings In an era when a batsman scoring 100 runs in a single innings was a comparatively rare event, Grace scored 2,739 first class runs in 1871 and he dominated the game for more than 20 years. As well as exceptional stamina, he had an ability to see the ball early and judge its length. He was the first player in modern cricket to score two centuries in the same match. At the Oval in 1878 he threw a cricket ball more than 116yds (106m) and on his test debut there in 1880 he made 152 runs. Even at the age of 46 he scored over 1,000 runs in a season. Grace was also a formidable figure: he had a very high front elbow and was an excellent fielder, making 887 catches, the second highest number taken by anyone in their career. Sixty not out Although Grace stopped playing first-class cricket in 1908 – in his 60th year – he continued to play in less-important matches. During his very last match, in 1914, he managed to score 69 runs with the bat and was not out. He died from heart failure at his home in Eltham the following year. Marking the 75th anniversary of his death, journalist Christopher Martin-Jenkins said: 'W G paved the way for the golden age... the hallmark of which was the beauty and brilliance of the batting, and especially the amateur batting'.
Greater London is one of the world’s largest urban areas; 33 boroughs stretching north to Enfield, south to Croydon, east to Havering, west to Hillingdon and with central London at the heart of it all. Greater London contains a multitude of parks and green spaces, from the six Royal Parks to other huge open spaces like Hampstead Heath and Clapham Common.
Turn right out of Birkbeck Tramlink along Elmers End Road and turn right through the main entrance of Beckenham Cemetery.
1 of 8
Go past the cemetery office, turn immediately right along the path and, having passed the grave of William Ford Stanley on the left, veer left and keep ahead along the grass path, passing the Celtic Cross. A little way along on your left is the gleaming white cross-topped grave of W G Grace. Retrace your steps along the grass path and go right on the main path, passing the chapel to your left. Keep ahead and continue through the cemetery.
2 of 8
At the end of this tarmac drive go through the cemetery gates and cross the Tramlink line (taking care!). Keep ahead past the fence, then go left along a footpath to cross back over the Tramlink line and enter the unmarked South Norwood Country Park. After a few more steps, turn right after a footbridge and keep straight along the path passing on the right a Pitch and Putt golf course, children's playground and Visitor Centre (open to the public on weekends noon to 2pm).
3 of 8
Just before another Tramlink level crossing, turn left to join Public Footpath No. 21. Follow this parallel to the tram line.
4 of 8
Turn left at a fork leading to the top of the earth mound. (From the top you can see the giant transmitter aerials of both Alexandra Palace and Crystal Palace, Shooter's Hill and Croydon.) To continue, turn right downhill to rejoin the path and walk down some steps.
5 of 8
Turn left, ignore the next set of steps and carry on ahead, ignoring small side paths, until you reach a left-hand fork. Keep ahead, over the crossing of paths, and follow the long, straight path. There are drainage ditches on each side, though these are heavily overgrown and only wet in winter.
6 of 8
Continue along the path, over a footbridge, beside a stream. Just after the path swings to the right is a five-path junction. Turn right and cross the bridge (there is a sports centre on the right). Ignore the first path on the left, continue as the path bends and take the left fork. After 50yds (46m) or so, there is a jetty overlooking the lake.
7 of 8
Continue along the path for a few paces and turn right to leave the park. Turn left along Elmers End Road, past Beckenham Cemetery, to reach Birkbeck Tramlink where the walk began.
You don't need to be a fan of cricket to enjoy this walk. The South Norwood Country Park is well worth a visit for its delightful paths (some of which run alongside a stream and a lake) and for its prolific bird life. But many people come to this area to pay their respects to W G Grace, the man who... probably did more for the game of cricket in his lifetime than any other. Days of Grace William Gilbert Grace, or 'W G' as he became known, was born in Bristol in 1848. He first began playing cricket at the age of 16 before training to become a doctor. He was a good, all-round sportsman; he also played golf and bowls but it was cricket that made him a national hero. He was such a keen player that, after visiting a house where two children were in bed with a fever, it is said that he told the mother to call him again if their combined temperatures reached two hundred and ten for two! However, he was never a professional player, despite his incredible record for promoting the game of cricket. He played for Gloucestershire for many years before moving to southeast London. His scores could be seen as even more remarkable considering the state of the pitches in the 19th century compared with the ones of today. Outstanding innings In an era when a batsman scoring 100 runs in a single innings was a comparatively rare event, Grace scored 2,739 first class runs in 1871 and he dominated the game for more than 20 years. As well as exceptional stamina, he had an ability to see the ball early and judge its length. He was the first player in modern cricket to score two centuries in the same match. At the Oval in 1878 he threw a cricket ball more than 116yds (106m) and on his test debut there in 1880 he made 152 runs. Even at the age of 46 he scored over 1,000 runs in a season. Grace was also a formidable figure: he had a very high front elbow and was an excellent fielder, making 887 catches, the second highest number taken by anyone in their career. Sixty not out Although Grace stopped playing first-class cricket in 1908 – in his 60th year – he continued to play in less-important matches. During his very last match, in 1914, he managed to score 69 runs with the bat and was not out. He died from heart failure at his home in Eltham the following year. Marking the 75th anniversary of his death, journalist Christopher Martin-Jenkins said: 'W G paved the way for the golden age... the hallmark of which was the beauty and brilliance of the batting, and especially the amateur batting'.
Greater London is one of the world’s largest urban areas; 33 boroughs stretching north to Enfield, south to Croydon, east to Havering, west to Hillingdon and with central London at the heart of it all. Greater London contains a multitude of parks and green spaces, from the six Royal Parks to other huge open spaces like Hampstead Heath and Clapham Common.
