Walking alone: Bromley-by-Bow to Aldgate... and beyond

Bow Creek & The River Lea (left) and Limehouse Cut (right).

Wednesday March 11, 2026. 

Clear skies, with light winds, 13°C (55°F).

Having spent the four days exploring York I was eager to get back to exploring London. 

Up early I accompanied Keilyn to school and then continued on to Croxley station, where I boarded a semi-fast Aldgate-bound train. As we zipped through the countryside and then into London's outer suburbs I was still deciding on where to go. With so many options running through my mind I finally settled on changing to a Hammersmith & City line train, at Moorgate, which I took to Bromley-by-Bow. I had picked this as a starting point as I had never been there before, but I also knew that there would be some interesting things to discover.

Alighting from the train and exiting the station I made my way through the underpass, where I stopped at a convenience shop to purchase a drink, before heading south along the Blackwall Tunnel North Approach and turning onto Twelvetrees Crescent.

Bromley-by-Bow Gasworks Memorial Gardens.

I passed over the River Lea and Bow Creek, with Bow Locks to the south, while ahead of me I could see the seven Grade II listed gasholders that are carefully being preserved. To the north of these gasholders lies the Channelsea River and Prescott Channel, where some of the stones from the Euston Doric Arch were disposed of. 

As the road turned south I noticed a lawn, surrounded by trees at the centre of which were white stone memorials, a statue and a gas lamp. This is the Bromley-by-Bow Gasworks Memorial Garden. Considering I was pretty much in an industrial park, with lorries trundling by, it was very peaceful.

Looking north along Bow Creek.

After taking some photographs I headed back to Twelvetrees Crescent and decided to drop down onto the River Lea path, heading south along the Limehouse Cut. I followed the river as far as Upper North Street, where I decided to leave the towpath as I have visited Limehouse on countless occasions.

Upper North Street became Bow Common Lane and I continued following its route until I reached Cantrell Road and what was Tower Hamlets Cemetery. So, I headed in to explore. The cemetery opened in 1841 and was one of London's 'Magnificent Seven' Cemeteries. The cemetery remained in use until 1966, when the Greater London Council bought it, with the intention of turning it into a park. Many of the monuments and trees were removed, but, following a public outcry, it became a nature reserve and urban woodland.

Today, nature has reclaimed the land with trees, shrubs and planted bulbs growing between the gravestones, tombs and memorials. The only sound was from various birds flitting through the tree canopy. It is a wonderful place that is a great place to relax and contemplate life.

A funeral coach on Mile End Road.

I left the cemetery park, via the main entrance, on Hamlets Way, and headed westward. Hamlets Way brought me to Mile End Park which I crossed, before I turned north and joined Mile End Road. Here the traffic along the eastbound stretch was jammed up as a funeral coach made its way along the road. I followed Mile End Road through Stepney Green and on into Whitechapel, where Mile End Road became Whitechapel Road. 

The White Chapel in Altab Ali Park.

Eventually I reached the Whitechapel Church Bell Foundry and, then, Altab Ali Park. Here I stopped to take some photographs of the site of the original White Chapel, which stood here from 1250 until 1286. It was this chapel after which the area was named. The church was rebuilt and renamed many times over the following centuries, but nothing of the original one remains.

The Passmore Edwards Library building.

I left the park and joined Whitechapel High Street and continued west onto Aldgate High Street, heading into the City of London. Fenchurch Street brought me to Lombard Street where I turned north, along Princes Street, and joined Lothbury and then Gresham Street.

I crossed St Martin's Le Grand and headed along Angel Street, turned north along King Edward Street and passed by Postman's Park until I reached Little Britain. I then walked along Grand Avenue between Smithfield Market and along Cowcrsoss Street towards Farringdon station. Here the streets were beginning to fill, as workers left their offices in search of lunch, while tourists and groups of school children exited the station as part of a school excursion.

Greville Street brought me to Hatton Garden, London's jewellery district, which was busier than I had ever seen it, so I headed south to Holborn and continued westward to High Holborn. Eventually I reached Southampton Row, which I followed north, passing Russell Square and Tavistock Square. It was at Tavistock Square, on July 7 2005 that a bomb exploded on a route 30 bus, killing 13 passengers.

Some of the memorabilia inside The Doric Arch pub.

I continued north and, after crossing Euston Road, made my way to 'The Doric Arch' pub, as I was feeling a little thirsty. I have passed 'The Doric Arch' on many occasions but I have never been inside. 

I passed through the glass doors and was immediately white tiles emblazoned with 'London & Birmingham Railway', while old railway signs adorned the tiled columns. As I made my way upstairs to the bar I noticed that the entirety of the walls were adorned with railway memorabilia. There were photographs of the Euston Arch, a model steam locomotive, railway signage and so much more to inspect as I drank my beer.  There is even a departure board that customers can check for updates, while they sip their drinks.

A small piece of the Euston Doric Arch.

The staff were friendly and I got talking to the manager who told me that she had a piece of the original Doric Arch, or part of one of the screens from either side of it, behind the bar. A few moments later she produced for me to hold and photograph. Although a small fragment of stone it had some weight to it. It felt strange holding this piece of Yorkshire Bramley stone, that was once part of a long lost icon of London. 

I thanked the manager and descended the stairs, ready to continue my walk. For the briefest moment I thought of catching a Lioness line train, from Euston, but decided to carry on westward. So, I rejoined Euston Road and followed it to Marylebone Road, where it passes through the private Park Crescent Garden and Park Square, which are linked by a small subway beneath the road. The Royal Academy of Music and Madame Tussaud's, were to my right, while St Marylebone Parish Church and the University of Westminster were to my left.

Metropolitan Railways monogram at Baker Street station.

Finally I reached Baker Street station and descended the stairs, passed through the ticket barriers and descended more stairs to platform 1. As I reached the bottom of the stairs the Watford-bound train pulled out of the station. However, a few minutes later a Chesham-bound train pulled in, so I climbed aboard and changed to a Watford-bound train at Harrow-on-the-Hill.

Arriving at Watford I left the station and walked the short distance home, thinking about the places that I had seen and the history that I had held in my hands.

Distance travelled:

• Bus - 0.0 miles (0.0 kms)
• Cable Car - 0.0 miles (0.0 kms)
• Car - 0.0 miles (0.0 kms)
• DLR - 0.0 miles (0.0 kms)
• Ferry - 0.0 miles (0.0 kms)
• Overground - 0.0 miles (0.0 kms)
• River Boat - 0.0 miles (0.0 kms)
• Taxi - 0.0 miles (0.0 kms)
• Train - 0.0 miles (0.0 kms)
• Tram - 0.0 miles (0.0 kms)
• Underground - 39.5 miles (63.56 kms)
• Walking - 12.38 miles (19.92 kms)