Introducing the Capital Ring

The Capital Ring is an urban walk in a smaller and more central loop around London than the London Loop, staying within 10 miles of Big Ben. Officially opened in 2005, it crosses the Thames at Richmond in the West and Woolwich in the East, and takes in many of the city's open spaces including Crystal Palace Park, Syon Park, Highgate Woods, Finsbury Park and Hackney Marshes.

The Capital Ring was originally set up by the London Walking Forum. It was maintained for some years by Transport for London but is now the responsibility of the boroughs through which the sections pass.

Ramblers volunteers, we call Ring Rangers, monitor all sections of the Ring with the aim of ensuring that they are properly maintained and improved for the public to enjoy.

Download your free walk guidance here

Click on the title of a section, in the table below, to download the pdf file of walk guidance with maps. Note that the distances include the station links at the start and finish of each walk.

During 2021, Ramblers Ring Rangers revised the walk guides, the maps and the details about transport and other facilities in the pdf files for all 15 sections of the Ring - based on versions originally on the TfL web site. All the files were rechecked in 2022 and republished here in January 2023 in a form that can be accessed by screen readers to help walkers with impaired vision. The overview maps are now included in these files.

You can download a certificate to show that you have completed the whole Capital Ring from the TfL web site.

Check up on any short term issues affecting your route

We report any short term changes that make it difficult to walk any of the sections of the Capital Ring on another page of this web site.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.if you come across any challenges that make it difficult to complete a section of the Ring - including a photo if that is possible.

Give us your feedback - please

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.if you think that there are places where we need to update the guidance you have downloaded from this site. This helps us to keep the guidance up to date.

Further information

In 2021 someone planning a walk for charity asked us how accessible the Capital Ring is to wheelchairs. Click on the link to download our guide dealing with this issue.

See the guidebook by Colin Saunders for further background information about the Ring and alternative walking guidance.