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On the whole the signage on the LOOP is very good, meaning that you could probably find your way around this track for about 80% of the distance without a problem. However, for those areas where the signs are pointing in the wrong direction (for example, it seems the students have enjoyed realigning every single arrow in Kingston) or absent altogether (especially in wooded areas where multiple tracks cross) then this book proves invaluable. Sometimes the descriptions are a bit weird or arbitrary, or just outdated due to the restructuring of fields or the route itself, but even in these cases the Ordnance Survey maps will come to the rescue. I did the Heathrow stretch in the winter and one of the paths was totally flooded and impassable, but the maps allowed me to find a diversion on the streets without any difficulty.
It may be that there's an electronic route available using some kind of smartphone app, rendering even the maps useless. However, there's a wealth of detail included here that adds an extra dimension to the walk, over and above the information provided on the many LOOP or other information panels in various parks or riverside walks. Sharp provides little nuggets of history at relevant points, including interesting diversions to sights off the route that are worth visiting.
I really enjoyed this walk - and I'd recommend it to anyone living in London as a magnificent escape from the urban sprawl, as well as to gain insights into the city itself - and a great deal of that enjoyment was down to this book.
