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London - across by canal paths

May 2023 - April 2024
Walking across London and its suburbs via the Grand Union Canal, the Regent's Canal and the River Lee Navigation Read more
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  • TravelerLondon - across by canal paths
    Day 1

    Grand Union Canal; Slough Arm

    May 10, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    The Grand Union Canal is the principal navigable waterway between London (River Thames) and the Midlands (Birmingham and Leicester); it has six main branches, usually termed 'arms', and heading north from the Thames these are (in order) -

    Paddington Arm / Slough Arm / Wendover Arm / Aylesbury Arm / Northampton Arm / Saltisford Canal Arm, Warwick.

    Since this trip runs across London from west to east, we start in Slough at the Slough Arm.

    The Slough Arm is a short 5 mile canal branch from Slough to the Grand Union Main Line, and was originally opened to serve the brick-making industry (the last commercial traffic was carried in 1960, but it was re-opened in 1975 and has remained in use since).  Anthony and I start at the Wexham Road Bridge (number 12); there are some business units and rural developments near the canal along the outskirts of Slough, but it is still pleasant walking, especially as we reach and pass through the Colne Valley Regional Park.  After passing under the M25 London Orbital Motorway to enter what is now known as Greater London (formerly Middlesex), we cross three rivers via aqueducts- Colne Brook, River Colne and Frays River, seeing pill boxes that used to guard them.  We reach the Packet Boat Marina (a packet boat used to carry passengers from here to Paddington) and then the junction with the Grand Union Canal at Cowley Peachey, crossing over it by a roving bridge to the tow path on the east side of the canal.

    We walk along the Grand Union Canal, passing through the West London areas of West Drayton and Hayes; it is more built up here, but still good walking.  After about 1.5 miles, we reach the outskirts of Hayes and the junction with the Paddington Arm at Bull's Bridge.  From here, we turn east towards  Paddington and Central London.     Read more

  • TravelerLondon - across by canal paths
    Day 1

    Grand Union Canal; Paddington Arm

    May 10, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    The Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal is 13.5-miles long, lock free, and runs from Bull's Bridge in Hayes to Paddington in central London; its only junction is with the Regent's Canal at Little Venice towards its end.  The Paddington Arm was opened in July 1801 to give boats access to central London rather than via the River Thames and encouraged the establishment of many well-known firms along its route.

    From Bull's Bridge, the canal towpath is shared with the Hillingdon Trail for the first couple of miles as it passes through Southall to Northolt; Northolt is the home for Engineer’s Wharf with its pricey moorings and adjacent Grand Union Village, which was built on the site of an old brick works.  The route passes through a long stretch of open countryside as it goes through Horsenden and Alperton - Greenford, Perivale, and Ealing are a little further south.  A large aqueduct takes the canal over the busy North Circular road (A406) before we pass through an area where Wormwood Scrubs open space is on our right and then the huge Kensal Green cemetery, resting place of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, is on our left. 

    We pass the outskirts of North Kensington and Maida Vale; Trellick Tower, a Grade II listed tower block on the Cheltenham Estate in North Kensington with a separate access tower and abutting plant house, is an example of the so-called "Brutalist architecture" of the 1960s.  We are getting close to Paddington now and finally reach Little Venice - it has been a long day, an almost 21-mile walk (along the flat).    Read more

  • TravelerLondon - across by canal paths
    Day 157

    Little Venice and part of Regent's Canal

    October 13, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Little Venice, a prime residential area of London, is centred around Browning's Pool, a triangular shaped basin around the junction of the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal, the Regent's Canal, and the entrance to Paddington Basin; there is a small island in the middle.  We walk along the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal, along an edge of Little Venice enjoying the views, and then join the Regent's Canal, but have to walk above it for a short while as the canal passes through the Maida Hill Tunnel; we re-join the canal tow path at Crocker's Folly, formerly an opulent Victorian pub but now a Lebanese restaurant.  

    We rejoin the Regent's Canal; there are many moored narrowboats along this stretch of the canal, until we pass along the edge of Regent's Park and see some very fine buildings on the other bank, in the Park.  We reach Macclesfield Bridge, also known as Blow Up Bridge; this is because in 1874 a barge exploded right underneath it, destroying both itself and the bridge - the bridge was rebuilt like for like, but with the pillars swivelled meaning that rope grooves are visible on both sides.  London Zoo is in Regent's Park, and we see some of the outskirts of the zoo as we carry on towards Camden Town.    Read more

  • TravelerLondon - across by canal paths
    Day 157

    Regent's Canal to St Pancras Lock

    October 13, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Ant and I reach Cumberland Basin, where there is a large Chinese restaurant boat, and reach the Camden Lock area in the heart of Camden (it is actually Hampstead Road Lock). Camden Market is here, and there are many interesting buildings, shops, and stalls.

    It is a pleasant walk as we reach Gasholder Park, a redeveloped area of King's Cross, where the wrought iron columns from the Old Pancras Gasworks were used as frameworks for apartment blocks. A little further on is St Pancras Lock, with a traditional canal lock cottage sitting on a small island; behind this is an ornate Victorian water tower and the Camley Street Nature Park. We leave via Canal Drops Yard,    Read more

  • TravelerLondon - across by canal paths
    Day 176

    Regent's Canal to Mile End

    November 1, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Back to St Pancras Lock and we carry on walking east along the Towpath reaching the Islington Canal Tunnel; this takes the Regent's Canal 960 yards (878 m) under Angel, Islington, the longest such tunnel in London.  We access the Eastern portal after a diversion via Islington High Street, and enjoy great views before passing Sturt's Lock and on to Haggerston Bridge - where there are sharks!  The Haggerston Sharks are a controversial art installation that has been changed several times to suit local council demands.

    Then we reach another installation; this time, the conversion of the Bethnal Green gasometer to very nice and expensive residential apartments (much like those at the Kings Cross Gasholder Park).  We soon reach Victoria Park, a large park in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets (formerly the traditional East End); we visit the southern part of the park and see the Dogs of Alcibiades (guardians since 1912) and the Chinese Pagoda (a folly on an island in the Western Boating Lake).  We leave Victoria Park and follow the Towpath to reach the Mile End Lock to end this leg of the walk and have lunch.    Read more

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