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London walks | ||
Limehouse Basin to The Houses of Parliament following the Thames path Click on or thumbnails for photos, click on links for more information. Walk starts: Limehouse Basin Nearest stations Limehouse underground or Docklands light railway. From Limehouse station walk south down Horseferry Road to join the Thames path just to the west of Limehouse basin (the initial route is: Narrow Street - Wapping Wall - Wapping High Street - St Katherine's Way). (follow "Thames path" signs, it is difficult to get lost, if in any doubt just follow the river. Alternatively buy "The Thames path" guide) About 5 miles. Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland. The Regent's Canal meets the Thames at Limehouse Basin. The Regents canal is really an arm of The Grand Union, main artery of the canal system, linking London and Birmingham. However, only a few narrow boats brave the Thames this far down stream, the Regents canal allowing boats to move from the river Lea to the Grand Union without negotiating the Thames. (Once on the river front turn west (right) upstream into Wapping Wall and Wapping High Street) When
I was young I used to drink in the "Prospect". In those days Wapping High
Street was a place where the local youths would ask for money to "look
after" parked cars. Now the 19th century warehouses have been largely gentrified
into accommodation for the well heeled workers of the financial district.
but it still oozes atmosphere. The "Prospect
of Whitby" (view from)(view
of)formerly
"The Devils Tavern" was frequented in his day by the infamous Judge Jeffries,
who sent 300 men to the gallows at the infamous "Bloody
Assizes".
(St Katherine's Way) Within a few hundred yards the walk enters St. Katherine's dock, upmarket moorings containing some beautiful old ships. The path passes under the end of Tower Bridge and past The Tower of London. Across the river is the new City Hall on the south bank along with HMS Belfast. Detour: Across London Bridge to Borough Market (Friday and Saturday) and The George. The George is on the left (77 Borough High Street) and the market on the right. If coming from the north bank note that the carriageway on top of London Bridge is reached through a small gateway beneath the bridge and up a narrow stairway. If you choose to stay on the south bank you will pass City Hall, HMS Belfast and the "Golden Hind", before arriving at the recreated Globe Theatre, opposite the Millenium Bridge. (Lower Thames Street - Wharfside - Upper Thames Street - Millennium Bridge) The
path stays on the riverfront apart from a detour round one or two office
blocks shamefully allowed to be built right up to the river until it reaches "The
Millennium Bridge".
Cross
over the bridge (known as "The Wobbly Bridge" due to its habit when first
built of shaking when too many people walked over it) to Tate
Modern art gallery
(housed in Bankside power Station) and the reconstructed Shakespeare's
Globe Theatre
with it's good restaurant (moderately expensive) with views of the river
and St Paul's Cathedral .
Three ships are moored on the opposite bank, HMS President, HMS Chrysanthemum and HQS Wellington, which is now the floating Livery Hall of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners. It
is worth walking up onto Waterloo Bridge for excellent panoramic views of
London. Cleopatra's Needle can be seen on the north bank upstream of the
bridge.
At Hungerford Bridge note the two elegant new pedestrian bridges that mask the railway bridge leading into Charing Cross station. (Riverside Walk) Next
to County Hallis
the London Eye,
well worth a trip. Easily missed here is a small memorial in Jubilee Gardens
near County Hall to those who fought in The
International Brigade.
Finish: Across Westminster Bridge for Westminster tube station is on the west bank of the river by the clock tower containing "Big Ben" It
would be prefectly feasible to connect the Limehouse Basin end of this
walk to the Greenwich "stroll" by walking
along the north bank of the river and crossing through the Greenwich foot
tunnel (2 1/2 miles)
Starting
in Trafalgar Square
opposite the imposing National Gallery, head down Whitehall towardsThe
Cenotaph until opposite Horse Guards Avenue, assuming the Guard isnt
actually being changed, walk through into Horse
Guard's Parade where Trooping
the Colour takes place. The imposing buildings surrounding you are
The Admiralty, The Foreign Office and the Treasury. Downing Street, home
to the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer (and The
Cabinet War rooms) are to your left. Walk across into St James's
Park and walk up the right hand (north) edge of the lake, admiring the
waterfowl as you go. At the end of St. James's Park cross over to The Victoria
Monument and Buckingham
Palace, if the Queen is at home the Royal Standard will be flying above
it. Now backtrack slightly into The Mall and turn left up Queen's Walk
on the edge of Green
Park. When you emerge into Piccadilly, carefully cross and turn left,
pass three side roads and turn into White Horse Street for Shepherd's
Market. Cross Curzon
Street into Queen Street and via Charles Street (look out for the uniquely
named pub on the corner of Hays Mews) into Berkeley Square, where perhaps
you will hear the famous nightingale? Berkeley Street will bring you back
into Piccadilly. Turn left and cross over into St James's. (Jermyn Street
(pronounce "german"), home of quality menswear and other smart shops, as
well as the pipe museum, is on the left). At the bottom of St. James's
is St. James's
Palace and Marlborough
House (which will probably be guarded by a Guardsman in his bearskin
(not busby). Pall Mall will take you to Waterloo Place where you can turn
right and down the steps at The Duke of Yorks column to get back into The
Mall, through Admiralty Arch and back into Trafalgar Square.
London
walk 3 : Legal London
Middle Temple Lane - Royal Courts of Justice - Fleet Street -Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese - Chancery Lane (Prince Henry's Room) - Carey Street - Old Curiosity Shop - Lincoln's Inn - James Smith & Sons Umbrellas - British Museum The walk starts on Victoria
Embankment near Temple "tube" station. The Temple can be accessed either
from the east end of Temple Place or into Middle Temple Lane from the Embankment.
(The gardens are strictly private but you may walk up the pathways through
the offices and flats of the legal community clustered around Middle Temple
to Strand, where you will find yourself opposite The Royal Courts of Justice.
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