This 13 km route can be made slightly longer if you choose to ride around inside the different parks and/or ride the same route back. This route follows the National Cycle Route 21 along quieter roads and through green patches. Enjoy the scenery along the way and enjoy a walkabout in Greenwich Park after walking through the National Maritime Museum and Queen’s House. You can use Parkopedia to find parking spots near you before and after your journey. Also, see this website for more information on bicycles on public transport and this website for bike hire at major stations.
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Route overview
This route begins at Crystal Palace Park. The park is undergoing a regeneration plan by the Crystal Place Park Trust which signed a 125-year lease. The Trust is now responsible for the caretaking of the park as well as any restoration efforts. The £52m Regeneration Plan is well underway with the restoration of a Grade II listed subway close to completion.
Crystal Palace Park. Credit: Maggie Jones, 2023
Ride around the park as you please and once you’re fully warmed up, head towards High Street from Crystal Palace Park Road.
Part 1 of Crystal Park Cycle Route
Turn left at Barnmead Road then at the end of the road, turn left again and right into Plawsfield Road. Continue down the road when it becomes Station Approach.
Part 2 of Crystal Park Cycle Route
Turn right into Kings Hall Road then immediately left into Aldersmead Road along Cator Park (you can ride through the park if you prefer). At the end of the route, turn right into Lennard Road then the first left down the cycle path.
Part 3 of Crystal Park Cycle Route
When you exit the cycle path, turn right into Kangley Bridge Road.
Part 4 of Crystal Park Cycle Route
Turn right into Westerly Crescent then left into the green area.
Part 5 of Crystal Park Cycle Route
Continue straight down Fambridge Close and over the main road into the next green area.
Part 6 of Crystal Park Cycle Route up Fambridge Close
Continue on all the way through to the end (after going underneath the arch of a bridge) and follow the sign for “Catford”.
Part 7 of Crystal Park Cycle Route
When you reach the main road, turn right.
Part 8 of Crystal Park Cycle Route
When you see stairs leading up to a bridge, turn left to go through the short tunnel under the bridge to get onto Adenmore Road.
Part 9 of Crystal Park Cycle Route
Continue straight until you reach an archway with the cycle sign for “Ladywell Lewisham” and turn left. Keep slightly left and continue to follow the sign for “Ladywell Lewisham”.
Part 10 of the Crystal Palace Cycle route
Cycle through the park until you reach a large green staircase where you will turn left over a small bridge into Malyons Road.
Part 11 of the Crystal Palace Cycle Route
At the end of the road, turn right into Ladywell Road then left into Algernon Road and right to continue down Algernon Road.
Part 12 of the Crystal Palace Cycle route
Turn right into Marsala Road then eventually right into Ellerdale Street which becomes Elmira Street.
Part 13 of the Crystal Palace cycle route
Part 14 of the Crystal Palace Cycle route
At the end of the road, turn right passing the cycle sign for “Catford”. Just before the colourful building on your right, turn left into Thurston Road.
Part 15 of the Crystal Palace cycle route
When you reach the intersection at Jerrard Street, turn right following the cycle sign for “Deptford Greenwich”.
Part 16 of the Crystal Palace Cycle route
On the other side of the bridge, just after the car park, turn right into Armoury Road then left into the next car park. The “Deptford” cycle path is behind the buildings on the left. Follow this path until you reach the cycle sign for the “Waterlink Way” and turn right.
Part 17 of the Crystal Palace cycle route
Continue towards Brookmill Park following the “Deptford Greenwich” cycle sign again.
Part 18 of the Crystal Palace Cycle route
Cycle through the park until you reach the glass-walled building where you turn left to exit and immediately right onto the allocated cycle path.
Part 19 of the Crystal Palace cycle route
Follow the road from inside Brookmill Park. As you exit, turn right sharply to cross over a short bridge then ride along the pathway under a bridge. As you exit, follow the cyclist markings on the road and continue straight over the main intersection into Greenwich High Road.
Part 20 of the Crystal Palace Cycle route
Continue straight until you see Greenwich University then cycle to the left of the university on the pathway. Cross the road into the garden area and follow the paths. You will pass the National Maritime Museum.Continue all the way straight to turn right at the end onto Park row straight into Greenwich Park. You will need to walk your bike inside the park.
Part 21 of the Crystal Palace Cycle route
The National Maritime Museum is free to enter but it is recommended you book the free tickets in advance. There’s lots to do including an exhibition on space photography from the competitors in the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. Additionally, you can find out a bit more about your family history if you have ties to people on the ships or in the Royal Navy.
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
Just next door is the Queen’s House., which hosts some of the most famous artworks. Annually from November to January, the Queen’s House opens its open-air ice rink with stunning views all around. Be sure to admire the stunning artworks, architecture, and views of the Old Royal Navy College. Tickets need to be booked in advance.
Queen’s House, Greenwich on a rainy day.
Greenwich Park has a history dating back to the 16th Century. Once the hunting ground for Henry VIII then a Baroque landscape designed by the same landscape architect as the Palace of Versailles; how regal! Much of the landscape has been on the decline over the years due to tree diseases and 5 million annual visitors. Fortunately, a “revival” plan is in place to restore the landscape to its former glory during Charles II’s reign. Do visit the Royal Observatory which is home to the Prime Meridian where east meets west at exactly Longitude 0°.
Feel free to follow the same route back to the start.
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Resources:
If you enjoyed cycling through these parks, check out our Royal Parks route.
Remember to download our app
Download the GPX file of this route here.
This route was curated in collaboration with the Penge Cycle Club. Feel free to contact them if you would like to join one of their group cycle sessions or events.
Information from various sources including wikipedia.org.