Tower Bridge to Canary Wharf completed

The finish is even closer now as I've passed half way, although I actually feel further away than ever as Route 5 turned east to Canary Wharf. Looking on the map we are nearly level with our starting point at Blackheath - making The Mall seem a very long way away.

It was disappointing not to walk Saturday 23rd but my legs were not really up to it and the trains were full of football fans going to Wembley. I thought it would be nice to walk then as we'd be able to see some of the signs set up for the marathon, but there were still some barriers around on Saturday.

I did enjoy watching the London Marathon on tv last Sunday, what an amazing bunch of people - congratulations to everyone who completed the course and sincere condolences to David Seath's family. It is so heart warming how so many have donated since and walked their own 3.2 miles in his honour - Just Giving David Seath is the donations page set up by his comrades.

                            ...........................................................................................................

After the recent mixed weather it was great to see sun when we got up Saturday morning. Virgin Trains have been so kind yet again providing tickets for our journey. We had added interest this time as in Nuneaton Station was an old diesel train with old carriages ready to set off up north on a tour.

87002 ROYAL SOVEREIGN on the Pines Express
heading to Manchester

Arriving in Euston we took a stroll to Euston Square to take the Underground to Towerhill. That was easier than getting the Underground from Euston and making a change - each trip and route we complete we certainly cover more than the three miles.

An amazing view greeted us as we stepped out of Towerhill Station - the Tower of London - and a little further to the right was The Shard, it's becoming quite a symbol to me.

Tower of London

The Shard

Route 4 finished north side of Tower Bridge, it was certainly a better day this time although a little cloudy the bridge did look beautiful in the sun.

Starting Route 5 

As we set off along The Highway the Royal Mint Court was on our left. It's not such an impressive building but looks official with it's large solid closed gates. Coinage was struck here back in the 13th Century with many changes since, the Royal Mint is currently at Llantrisant South Wales.

Royal Mint Court 

The Highway cuts across from Tower Hill to Limehouses in a fairly straight line, where as the Thames curves away leaving docks in between. The first of these is St Katherine's Dock, a place we've visited many times to see the array of yachts. It was quite spectacular for the Queen's Jubilee; full of sails, masts and flags. These beautiful gates, with their symbolic elephants, lead down to the dock and Ivory House built in 1852 with its impressive clock tower.

Beautiful gates to St Katherine's Dock

There are old dock buildings all along The Highway, either having been or are being converted into apartments.


The buildings are quite beautiful with their distinctive windows and cranes used for loading and unloading cargo.

Small streets and old warehouses dominate most of this area, Wapping, between the Thames and The Highway. It's had a varied past, including being bombed during the war and latterly being associated with newspapers and the press.


The Highway is an ancient thoroughfare, its age and place in history being told in

the variety of buildings including St Paul's church where Captain James Cook was amongst the congregation and John Wesley a preacher.

St Paul's Shadwell built in 1656

Air shaft for Rotherhithe Tunnel (south)

Air shaft for Rotherhithe Tunnel (north)

The Rotherhithe Tunnel passes underneath although you would not know apart from two air shafts one either side the road.


We passed the tunnel entrance on Route 4 and it felt quite strange to be now walking over the top of it going the other way.



There has been so much history on our walks, so many things we didn't know and now want to find more about. I think we will be revisiting parts of our walks again, at a slower pace and with more time as there is so much more to see. One such area being Tobacco Dock with it's events, shops and restaurants.

The Highway ends where the new Limehouse Link tunnel starts. Here the marathon route turns south following the Thames Path along Narrow Street which looks like the original continuation of The Highway. It was almost like stepping back in time with rows of warehouses with their painted signs. It's now a road of apartments, some owned by the rich and famous. Sir Ian McKellen lives in this street and is the Landlord of The Grapes, our rest stop.

Limehouse Link tunnel

Our right turn clearly signposted. 

Narrow Street

Sir Ian McKellen's pub 

The pub dates back to 1583

A small, traditional pub with its
age on display all around.

It was really good to sit a while, definitely a slow walk this time with sharp pins and needles in my feet making some steps quite painful. We decided to have a lunch, sharing a triple sandwich and a bowl of superb chips. Along the wall ran a long bench seat, the original that had evidence of the pubs visitors over time - the seat cured with a dip made from the many posteriors having perched there. I wonder if Samuel Pepys or Charles Dickens had sat in my seat - I expect those benches could tell some stories.

The Grapes is quite a narrow pub with very steep stairs to the upper floors. It sits directly on the pavement out the front and directly on the water side at the rear. There is a small wooden area built on stilts which offers amazing views up and down river - views of Route 4 on the south bank, Route 5 as walked so far and the way to go.

On the wooden deck taking a rest. W

Looking west towards Tower Bridge (Route 4 was along the left bank)

Looking east towards Canary Wharf and the final part of Route 5 

Set in the shore close to The Grapes is a statue of man on a wooden plinth, entitled Another Time (or Old Father Time depending on what you read) it was sculpted by Antony Gormley and though to have been bought by Sir Ian. It was impressive at low tide and must be quite a sight when the tides high.

Another Time on the shore of the River Thames 

Rest over we set off on the final part, along to Westferry before turning down Westferry Road past Canary Canary Wharf to our finishing point at Millwall Outer Dock. Just outside the Grapes was a small park area with an unusual sculpture - a two foot high herring gull.

This area was a hive of activity in the past with many trades. Limehouse gets it's name from the lime kilns that were here as lime was used in plaster for making wattle and daub. The road names give clues as to the trades in the area - Ropemakers Fields, Barleycorn Way, Kiln Street and Three Colt Street.

Herring Gull statue

Warehouses along Narrow Street

Turning the corner we were suddenly in back in modern London, right next to Westferry DLR station. The Docklands Light Railway runs above the road at a busy road junction with red London buses appearing every few minutes, very different from the quiet back in time Narrow Road.

The next bit was a little tricky as on marathon day the roads are closed whereas we have to go by path and pavement. Our route now involved a long flight of steps to get up to the island at Westferry Circus, not the best sight for me at this stage but I made it to the top one step at a time.

Beautiful views on what was a very sunny day. From here we could see up the Thames with Rotherhithe (Route 4) on the left and our mornings route on the right - it certainly looked a long way. Such a skyline too with The Shard dominating the left and many distinctive skyscrapers in the centre.

Looking towards Central London from Canary Wharf

Having gone up to Westferry Circus, after walking round we of course had to come down .... but there was a lift which certainly made me smile. It felt a long way down Westferry Road to our finish. Millwall Outer Dock is another example of how life used to be in this area of London, huge expanses of water that would have been busy with ships importing and exporting goods. Two large cranes still stand next to the dock but it is now mainly a residential area with Docklands Sailing and Watersports Centre using the inland water.

Millwall Outer Dock looking towards Canary Wharf

Docklands Sailing and Watersports Centre based at the dock

 It was lovely to get to the finish as I really was tired this time. We had planned to have a sit down and drink at Canary Wharf but the DLR station was quite a walk so we decided to hop on a bus, well slowly walk on really.

Finish of Route 5 having just walked down the
very long Westferry Road

As I was feeling tired we stopped at a pub for a drink, just sparkling water for me, no celebration wine this time. We decided to return home so I could rest and caught the train from Euston just after 5pm. A lovely day, a hard walk with so much to see.

Huge thanks to my Hubby Nick whose support in doing this has been amazing - I'm sure he'd rather walk a little faster and go a little further. Without his support, especially his arm, I certainly would not be able to do this Challenge.

Route 6 is from the Docklands Sailing and Watersports Centre to the tip of the Isle of Dogs, back up to and around Canary Wharf, finishing at Aspen Way - as yet I'm unsure on a date, I need to see how my legs are - maybe end of May before our holiday or early July once we're home.

Thank you to everyone who has donated - the current total is £457.50 which is an amazing amount.