26th May 2022
Unfortunately I had to work so couldn’t make it to the opening of the CrossElizPurpLineRail central section on 24th May 2022.Two days later, a day off so why not see what all the fuss was about nearly 4 years after my previous visit. I’d seen Lesnes Abbey mentioned a few times in videos by the great writer and film maker John Rogers. Abbey Wood takes its name from Lesnes Abbey and Abbey Wood station is now less than two hours away by train. Two birds, one stone and all that.
#PurpleTrain
My GWR train arrived into platform 1 at Paddington, convenient for the new Elizabeth Line entrance. Poor old Paddington Bear has been moved, presumably so as not to obstruct the increased flow of passengers around platform 1 and he’s now languishing next to the Cornish Nasty shop next to the Praed Street smokers’ ramp.
Paddington Elizabeth Line entrance.
Paddington platform level.
I went straight through to Abbey Wood and as advertised it took just 29 minutes. It will certainly bring East London “closer” for me. Later on my way back I hopped off at some of the intermediate stations for a nose around, the 5 minute train frequency makes this simple, no hanging around waiting for the next departure. It is an impressive railway line, the stations are huge, the new Dean Street entrance is dead handy for Soho. I like it. At some point changing trains will no longer be necessary at Paddington although for me that will actually make for a longer (time wise) journey so I’ll most likely continue to get a non-stop GWR service from Reading.
Tottenham Court Road new Dean Street entrance.
Lesnes Abbey
About half a mile walk from Abbey Wood station (pro tip: come out of the Harrow Manorway exit not the other one like I did) in a public park lie the ruins of Lesnes Abbey. Lesnes Abbey, as it is now known, was founded by Richard de Luci, Chief Justiciar of England, in 1178. This may have been in penance for the murder of Thomas Becket, in which he was involved. The former London County Council purchased the the ruins in 1930 and opened them to the public as a park in 1931. Since 1986, the site has been the property of the London Borough of Bexley. It seems odd to find an ancient ruined abbey in what’s now a south east London suburb. It's a really nice place, well kept, and free to enter, with public toilets and a cafe. (Imagine what English Heritage Ltd. would want to charge you for something like that.) The sun came out too although it was a rather gusty afternoon. And the cafe provided good coffee and cake.
A little oddity spotted on the way back to the station was these finger posts pointing the way to “Abbey Wood Cross Rail Station”. Cross Rail as two words has never been correct. I wonder if they’ll get changed to Elizabeth Line at some time?
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