Friday July 3, 2026.
Sunny with a high of 27°C (80.6°F).
As I had the day off work, I had arranged to visit London with my uncle Martin in an attempt to "walk around the world".
I made the short walk to my uncle's house, from where he drove us to Croxley station to catch our Metropolitan line train. Unfortunately, there was a points failure near Wembley Park, so our train would terminate at Harrow-on-the-Hill, from where we would have to board a different train to complete our journey.
We only had to wait for two minutes at Harrow-on-the-Hill station for the next southbound train, which whisked us onwards to Finchley Road, where we boarded a Jubilee line train to complete our journey.
On leaving our destination station, we purchased coffee from the 'Nonna Anna' kiosk, just outside Canada Water station, before beginning our epic trek around the world.
Canada
We entered Deal Porter Square and headed to Canada Water, where we traversed this body of water via the newly installed Rafter Walk boardwalk, which winds along its western edge. In its heyday, Canada Water, then known as Canada Dock, was almost three times the size of what it is now, with much of it being filled in during the regeneration of the area.
We then joined Surrey Quays Road, with Canada Pond and Quebec Pond, now filled in, to our left, before we joined Redriff Road, crossing the border from Canada to Greenland via the Greenland Dock Bascule Bridge.
Greenland
Greenland Dock, in contrast to Canada Water, is the largest body of water left in the Surrey Commercial Docks. But it wasn't always that way. The Greenland Dock that we see today is over double the size of its original construction, with its western end incorporating the smaller Commercial Basin and the Quebec Yard South.
We continued south along its western edge before turning east along Greenland Quay. It was remarkably quiet, with cormorants, swans, geese, coots, moorhens, and the like making the only noise. A little further on, two children were sailing across the still water, while the occasional jogger passed us by.
We eventually joined Rope Street and saw a small brick building, which looked out of place alongside the newer builds. This was a Yard Office, erected in 1902, and is a survivor of the Surrey Commercial Dock Company. We then found ourselves by the South Dock, which is now the South Dock Marina, hosting a plethora of boats and barges.
Swedish Quay took us to Rainbow Quay and South Sea Street, where we visited the Lock Keeper's Cottage and the Tide Gauge House, before exploring the hydraulic sluice, lock gate, and swing bridge mechanisms, which are all still in situ.
Norway
Next, we crossed the border into Norway. We walked along the northern edge of the dock before crossing Finland Street and visiting Norway Dock. The dock is now a private residential area called 'The Lakes'. We then made our way back to Greenland Dock and continued westward to see the bust of James Walker, who engineered the construction of Greenland Dock.
Close to the bust is a sculpture of a woman and a man, while next to this is a sculpture of a cormorant standing on a bicycle. The woman is Phyllis Pearsell, who created the first A-Z map of London after walking 23,000 streets of 1930s London. The man is Michael Caine, who was born in the area, while cormorant and bicycle represent Barry Mason, a local cycling campaigner and birdwatcher
Russia
From here, we headed along a path that runs below Redriff Road and entered Russia Dock Woodland. Russia Dock Woodland is a 34.5-acre linear park and Local Nature Reserve, established in 1980 by infilling Russia Dock, Island Dock, and Surrey Basin, which had all closed in the 1970s.
Winding paths took us through mature trees, with an abundance of wildlife as company. Along the edges of the woodland, you could still make out the giant stone boundary of the great Russia Dock, with chains and moorings still in place. Metal ergonomic seats were placed at regular intervals, allowing us to sit and take in the peaceful surroundings.
Various bridges to our right linked the sunken woodland with the path which runs along the eastern edge of the former dock. These were the Alfred Salter Bridge, St John's Bridge, and Redriff Bridge.
Stave Hill
Eventually, we headed west towards Stave Hill, making our way around its base to the 59 steps that led to its summit. I had been here before with Keilyn, but Martin hadn't, so I was looking forward to seeing his reaction when he reached the top. It is safe to say that he was astounded by the view that Stave Hill offers.
Reaching the viewing platform, you are immediately met with a spectacular view of Canary Wharf, with its shiny towers and always-changing skyline glinting in the morning sun. As you take in the vista and begin to look around, it is amazing how far and how much you can see. The Crystal Palace transmitter towers, Nine Elms, Battersea Power Station, The Shard, BT Tower, the Monument, the City of London, Tower Bridge, Whitechapel, Bow, Limehouse, and more.
At the centre of the viewing area is a relief map, designed by Michael Rizzello, showing the Surrey Commercial Docks as they were in 1896.
Back to Russia
Once we had taken plenty of photos and videos, we made our way down the steps and headed back into the Russia Dock Woodland. We continued walking east, left the woodland via the Redriff Bridge, and joined Holyoake Footpath. This footpath pretty much runs through the centre of what was once Acorn Pond. In its heyday, Acorn Pond had Lady Dock to its south, which linked with Norway Dock, and Lavender Pond to its north. All of these, like much of the rest of the Surrey Commercial Docks, are now infilled.
Soon we were passing above Salter Road, via the Poet's Bridge, before finding ourselves near Durand's Wharf on Rotherhithe Street.
Rotherhithe
From here, we headed north where we stopped at Tesco Express to buy some lunch and drinks, which we ate in Pearson's Park, once a piece of Acorn Pond.
Fully refreshed, we headed up to Old Nelson Dock before continuing north, passing Nelson House, the Old Dock Columbia Wharf, and The Blacksmiths Arms. The street then began its turn westward, skirting what was once the enormous Lavender Pond. The juxtaposition of late Victorian terraced homes with 1990s architecture and later builds created a fascinating timeline of the area's history.
The Salt Quay pub was soon in sight, located close to the eastern side of the Surrey Basin inlet, with the Surrey Basin Bascule Bridge ahead of us. To our left, the Surrey Basin Lock led to Surrey Water and the listed Rotherhithe Gas Holder.
We continued until we reached the Brunel Museum, which Martin had never visited. I had visited with Keilyn a few years ago and suggested that we step inside. Martin kindly bought us tickets, and we set about exploring this historical marvel.
Our starting point was the Grade II* listed Tunnel Shaft, a subterranean structure that originally served as the grand entrance to the historic Thames Tunnel. We descended the stairs to the bottom of the shaft, with the sound and vibration of the Windrush line trains rising up from beneath our feet. The soot from the steam trains that used this line from 1869 onwards still covered much of the walls, which I couldn't resist running my fingers across.
We then headed back up the staircase and entered the museum, which is housed in the original Boiler House used during the construction of the Thames Tunnel between 1825 and 1843. For a small museum, it has a lot to tell. The mezzanine level is devoted to the Thames Tunnel, complete with a truly knowledgeable volunteer who knew everything about the project and the Brunels' achievements.
The lower level has a timeline of the Thames Tunnel on one side, while the other is devoted to Isambard Kingdom Brunel's SS Great Eastern, the largest ship ever built at that time.
On leaving the museum, I showed Martin the Old Watch House and Fire Engine House buildings on Saint Marychurch Street, before heading along Railway Avenue to Rotherhithe station.
We passed through the ticket barrier and headed down to the northbound platform, patiently waiting for the Windrush train that would take us through the Thames Tunnel to Wapping.
Wapping
The two-minute journey was unremarkable, as it is impossible to see any of the architecture of the tunnel as you zoom by. However, arriving at Wapping station, you get to see the entrance to the tunnel in all of its glory. We then clambered up the stairs of the northern shaft of the Thames Tunnel and came out onto Wapping High Street.
We began this stretch of our walk by following Wapping High Street to Wapping Rose Gardens. We walked through them, eventually joining Meeting House Alley. This straight pedestrian path brought us to Turner's Old Star pub, one of my favourite pubs in this area, where we ordered some refreshments. We took these outside, sitting in the shade of the trees to enjoy the breeze.
Suitably refreshed, we returned the glasses to the bar and headed along Tench Street. We passed the Turk's Head, which has an interesting history that I will have to write about at a later date, and the second charity school building of the day, before rejoining Wapping High Street. Continuing westward, we were soon approaching Hermitage Basin and St Katharine's Way.
St Katharine's Docks and Marina
We followed St Katharine's Way, passing HMS President, and entered St Katharine Docks and Marina in search of a Spanish Galleon. Usually, when a galleon visits St Katharine's Dock, it is berthed in the Central Basin. On this visit, however, it was moored on the western side of the West Dock. So, we made our way through the docks, taking photos of Nao Victoria from various vantage points before we arrived at the northwestern tip of the dock.
Not wanting to go aboard, we made our way along the slipway, getting as close as possible to the vessel. The Nao Victoria is the world's only floating replica of the legendary Spanish carrack that completed the first-ever global circumnavigation between 1519 and 1522, commanded by Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastián Elcano.
Tower Hill
Having seen our fill, we headed south along St Katharine's Way to Tower Wharf, where we sat outside the HM Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, taking in the atmosphere. Languages from across the world floated on the breeze, while cameras snapped and tour guides spouted their scripted lines.
We then headed to the Tower of London gift shop, where Martin purchased a raven ornament, before we headed up to Byward Street to take some photos. It was here we had to decide where to go next. As time was getting on, we decided to head along the north bank of the River Thames toward London Bridge.
River Thames and London Bridge
Leaving the Tower of London behind us, we also seemed to leave the crowds behind. Three Quays Walk wasn't as busy as usual, which was surprising on such a beautiful day. We passed the Custom House, stopping to take some photos of Tower Bridge, HMS Belfast, The Shard, and the surrounding architecture, before continuing to London Bridge. The stairs leading up to the bridge were quite busy, as this has become a popular vantage point for photos, but the bridge itself was fairly deserted.
Some of the sights that we had seen from Stave Hill were once again visible to us, like the BT Tower and the Monument, as we made our way south along the bridge towards London Bridge station. A quick stop to grab a cold drink, and we were soon descending into the depths of the station, heading for the Jubilee line platform to catch a train to Baker Street.
There was no hope of us getting on the first train that pulled in. It was packed to the brim with shoppers returning from Stratford, tourists, business types, and a massive group of girls wearing fluffy cowboy hats, glittered faces, and colourful outfits, all heading to Wembley to see Harry Styles.
Exactly one minute later, another train arrived that we were able to board, riding the six stops to Baker Street. At Baker Street, we got caught in the rush of people heading to the Metropolitan line platforms, many obviously heading to the concert.
Baker Street
A highlight video of the day.
The information boards showed trains heading to Amersham, Chesham, and Uxbridge, but not Watford, likely due to the earlier line fault. Consequently, we boarded a semi-fast Uxbridge-bound train that raced us to Finchley Road, then Wembley Park (where the majority of the concert-goers alighted), before zipping us straight to Harrow-on-the-Hill station.
Here we alighted and, just three minutes later, boarded a Watford-bound train that would return us to Croxley. The journey was, thankfully, uneventful; I think we were both a little tired from the miles and the heat. According to Uncle Martin's step count, we completed just over 10 miles, though my Google Maps location history calculated it at 8.5 miles. Either way, it was a fantastic day out with excellent company, seeing new places, revisiting old haunts, and always learning something new.
Distance travelled:
- Bus - 0.0 miles (0.0 kms)
- Cable Car - 0.0 miles (0.0 kms)
- Car - 3 miles (4.72 kms)
- DLR - 0.0 miles (0.0 kms)
- Ferry - 0.0 miles (0.0 kms)
- Overground - 507 metres (1,664 feet) Windrush line
- 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 - 41.4 miles (66.62 kms)
- Walking - 8.5 miles (13.67 kms) - Martin's data: Walking - 10.25 miles (16.49 kms)
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