The Capital Ring is a 78-mile (125 km) walking route encircling inner London that links the astonishing number of islands of green space – parks, woodlands, abandoned railway lines, towpaths and nature reserves – which still survive in the very heart of the city.

The Ring takes in many of London’s leading attractions – for example, the Thames Barrier, Eltham Palace and Richmond Park – as well as overlooked gems such as Oxleas Meadows, the Parkland Walk and Abbey Mills Pumping Station, and gives a close-up view of the ever-changing Olympic Park.

This guide divides the route into 15 sections, each starting and finishing at a public transport point, and is packed with a vast amount of information.