Stanwell Moor

Introduction

My parents go for a monthly walk with some relatives; the walk has to be very short and near a pub for lunch. Mum had been wondering about a walk around Stanwell Moor, near Staines. So she and I walked out there to investigate the prospects.

Staines Masonic Hall (originally built as a wine storeroom).
1/1000 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 51°25′58″N 0°30′40″W

Staines Moor

After visiting the greengrocer‘s stall in the town market, we entered Staines Moor by the cattle bridge from Moor Lane, which crosses both the current railway and the disused line.

I like the way the graffiti looks like it’s double-exposed.
1/500 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 51°26′25″N 0°31′4″W

We walked across the moor to the edge of a reservoir and then into Stanwell Moor. (Confusing names here: Staines Moor is an actual moor, Stanwell Moor is a so-called village.)

River Colne.
1/500 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 51°26′34″N 0°30′59″W
The burnt-out Land Rover is harder to spot than in winter.
1/500 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 51°27′7″N 0°30′43″W
Bridge over troubled scum (by King George VI reservoir).
1/500 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 51°27′29″N 0°30′15″W
Scum seen from bridge.
1/125 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 51°27′29″N 0°30′15″W

Stanwell Moor

Stanwell Moor is a small cluster of streets squeezed between the M25, Heathrow Airport, and some reservoirs. It isn‘t completely devoid of amenities, the most unusual of which is an amateur pipe organ museum that Mum is planning to visit with the aforementioned relatives. We first located the relevant road for that, and then went to look at the nearest pub.

The Hope Inn.
1/1000 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 51°27′34″N 0°30′8″W
Not much hope of a meal here.
1/60 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 51°27′34″N 0°30′8″W
Don‘t know how long ago it closed.
1/250 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 51°27′34″N 0°30′8″W

Giving up on that, we next went to a footpath that runs beside the Colne and some old gravel pits, which are now used for fishing.

Shadows from overhead cables.
1/500 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 51°27′34″N 0°30′18″W
Fishing point on river.
1/125 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 51°27′35″N 0°30′26″W

This was actually a pleasant walk, visually, although planes taking off over us every minute made conversation periodically impossible.

Trees and a plane.
1/500 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 51°27′52″N 0°30′19″W
Fence across river.
1/125 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 51°27′53″N 0°30′17″W

We left the footpath and made our way to the high street.

Kind of a village green area, with very loud sheep.
1/250 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 51°27′45″N 0°30′7″W

There is a still-functioning pub, which serves Thai food - but not on Monday lunchtimes, which is what they‘re after.

More moor

We returned across the moor by a different route.

Footbridge over Colne.
1/1000 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 51°27′0″N 0°30′55″W
Clumps of brambles.
1/2000 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 51°27′2″N 0°31′11″W
Exceedingly well fenced area crossing the disused railway.
1/125 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 51°27′2″N 0°31′15″W

We walked a little way on a bridleway beside the M25. Hand-painted signs on a fence by a field to our left prohibited, among other things, ‘fly grazing’. I didn‘t even know that was a thing.

The path by the motorway is certainly lovely, but when we had the opportunity to take a side path that cuts off a corner and runs beside the river instead, we took it.

Split tree.
1/250 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 51°26′52″N 0°31′26″W
Root circle.
1/60 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 51°26′49″N 0°31′25″W
Tree.
1/250 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 51°26′46″N 0°31′24″W

The path was a little overgrown, especially toward the end, with nettles taller than me. We soon discovered why: it ends at a railway crossing, which has helpfully been closed (supposedly temporarily and supposedly for safety reasons). So we backtracked a little and took a side path leading back to the moor.

Which led to this bridge full of horses.
1/125 at f4, 23mm, ISO200 51°26′45″N 0°31′20″W

As we approached, the horses helpfully blocked our way. They didn‘t seem inclined to move (possibly because there‘s a foal there) so we gave up and returned all the way to the motorway path.

Giving us another view of this yard area.
1/1000 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 51°26′49″N 0°31′24″W

There weren‘t any more mishaps; we made it to Moor Lane and back into Staines.

Staines

Here’s a quick couple of pics from a walk in the rain on the next day.

Weir at Penton Hook, now blocked (mostly) by the steel gate shown.
1/30 at f8, 23mm, ISO200
VW Beetle with a framed photo of VW Beetles in the back.
1/125 at f8, 23mm, ISO200

All images © Samuel Marshall. All rights reserved.