Walking with Keilyn: Aldgate to the City of Westminster... and beyond

Friday October 10, 2025.

Keilyn and I had worked out that we hadn't visited London, together, in quite a few weeks, which was a shock.

So, as soon as I had finished work and Keilyn had got home from school, we both got changed, grabbed some snacks and took a taxi to Watford Metropolitan underground station. An Aldgate-bound train was waiting at platform 2, which we hurriedly boarded, grabbing seats near the centre of the train. Within minutes we were on our way.

Pulling into Harrow-on-the-Hill station we were informed, by our driver, that the train pulling in beside us would be leaving first. So, a mass exodus of travellers, including us, crossed the platform and boarded the other train. A ridiculous thing to do, really, as this would only shave a few minutes from our journey time. Sure enough, though, we were soon moving again.

We exited Aldgate station and headed west, turning down Fenchurch Street until we reached Fen Court, where we stopped to look at the 'Gilt of Cain', which is a sculpture that commemorates the abolition of the slave trade. 

It is a remarkable piece. Composed of a granite podium, with steps, and columns that are shaped like sugar cane acting as a congregation. Each column is etched with lines from the poem 'Gilt of Cain', by Lemn Sissay.

We then made our way towards Fenchurch Street station, where we purchased some hot food, which we ate on the benches on Fenchurch Place. 

Suitably filled with energy we made our way back to Fenchurch Street and turned down St Katherine's Row and through French Ordinary Court. This eventually brought us out onto Crutched Friars and, then, Savage Gardens which brought us to Trinity Square. I do love the City of London's street names.

Crossing Tower Hill we stopped to take some photos of His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, spotting some of the poppy installation flowing down the wall of the Medieval castle.

From here we headed down to the River Thames and onto Three Quays Walk. The light was fading as we reached the river, making Tower Bridge really stand out, with its lights illuminating its profile. Sugar Quay Jetty offered the perfect place to grab some photos of the bridge, HMS Belfast and The Shard.

Approaching Grant's Quay Wharf we noticed that the top of The Shard had lights running up its uppermost levels, signalling the time was now 19:00.

London Bridge, like the rest of the bridges we would see, was illuminated with coloured lights, reflecting off the turbulent waters of the outgoing tide.

Coal Duty Posts

The next time you're driving, cycling, or walking in the outskirts of Greater London, keep an eye out for a humble, often white, cast-iron post. It might look like just another boundary marker, but these fascinating objects, known variously as Coal Posts or Coal Tax Posts, are silent sentinels of a centuries-old story of taxation, reconstruction, and London's booming growth.

The story of the Coal Posts begins long before they were erected. Since medieval times, the Corporation of the City of London had the authority to levy duties on goods, including coal, brought into the city. But it was a catastrophic event that truly put the coal duty into high gear: the Great Fire of 1666.

To fund the massive rebuilding effort, including iconic structures like St Paul's Cathedral, Acts of Parliament were passed, imposing additional duties on coal entering the Port of London. The revenue stream was vital, and over time, it was used for more than just immediate reconstruction. Funds from the coal and wine duties financed significant public works, such as the building of the Thames Embankment, Holborn Viaduct, and even the purchase of toll bridges to make them free for the public.

For centuries, collecting the tax was relatively straightforward. Coal came into London primarily by sea, docking at riverside wharves, where the tonnage could be easily measured and the duty collected.

However, the 19th century brought rapid change: the explosion of canals and railways. Suddenly, coal was entering London from all directions, bypassing the traditional wharves. The City of London needed a clear way to mark the inland boundary where the duty became payable.

London Stadium, Stratford

Walking around Stratford, today, it is hard to imagine that, up until twenty years ago, this was an area of London that was in dire need of regeneration.

Much of the area was derelict industrial wasteland, part of which was radioactive due to Queen Mary College's Department of Nuclear Engineering, having a small nuclear reactor onsite. Something needed to be done.

In 2001, following China's successful bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games, London put in a bid for the 2012 Olympic Games. Two plans were short-listed: 

1. West London - Based around Wembley and the construction of a new National Stadium to replace Wembley Stadium.
2. East London - Involving the regeneration of an area stretching from the Isle of Dogs, through Stratford, and on into the Lower Lea Valley.

The second plan won unanimously and so became the pitch for the London bid.

In May 2005, London won the bid to host the 2012 Olympics.

Construction

In May 2008, after the 'bowl' of the stadium had been excavated and the area cleared, construction of the stadium began. It was due to be completed in May 2011, but was completed in March of 2011, coming in under budget and ahead of schedule.

The foundation consists of 5,000 piles, driven to a depth of 20 m (66 ft)

In October 2011, the athletics track was laid. The track-and-field area is surrounded by 25,000 permanent seats, built using concrete.

Spectators and visitors enter the stadium at the podium level, which is inline with the top of the permanent seating. This upper tier was built from lightweight steel and concrete and accommodated another 55,000 spectators. The upper tier is 60 m (197 ft) in height.

Surrey Commercial Docks, Rotherhithe

Greenland Dock.

Walking around Rotherhithe it is hard to imagine that, just 40 years ago, this was a completely different area. Almost every part of it would have been docks, basins and cuts, rather than what now greets people. Housing estates, schools, shops, business centres, a farm, green spaces, ecology parks and, at its centre, Stave Hill Viewpoint have now replaced the docks that once covered this entire area. 

Of course, some small areas of water can be found, like Globe Pond Nature Reserve, Lavender Pond Nature Reserve and Surrey Water. Then you have some of the original docks, such as Canada Dock, Greenland Dock, Norway Dock and South Dock.

Brief History

Located in Rotherhithe, on the Surrey side of the River Thames, this area had been a hub of commercial activity since the 17th century.

The Howland Great Wet Dock was built between 1695 and 1699 and was the oldest of London's riverside wet docks. In 1763 the dock was sold and renamed Greenland Dock, due to the amount of whalers that used it. Greenland Dock became the central hub for the Surrey Commercial Docks.

During the 1800s expansions and improvements resulted in the formation of the Surrey Commercial Docks Company. These docks were part of the larger Port of London, which handled a significant amount of commercial shipping trade to and from the UK.

This is how the area once looked.

Many docks were named for what they imported or from where the products derived, while others had simpler names. There were docks named Albion, Canada, Greenland, Island, Lady, Lavender, Norway, Russia and Stave. Plus, the South and West Docks.