The plan had been for Keilyn and myself to go for a walk in London, while Emma visited her mum and dad, in Chesham. However, Keilyn kept changing her mind as to what she wanted to do.
Emma booked a taxi, which we clambered into, which whisked us through the deserted streets to Watford Underground station. Erin was staying home, as she was dog-sitting for Alysha, later in the day.
We boarded the waiting train and were soon trundling through Croxley towards Moor Park station. I was still unsure if Keilyn was going to change her mind, again, and come with me. But, no, Keilyn decided to change to a Chesham-bound train with Emma, while I continued on to Baker Street.
Arriving at Baker Street I exited the station and made my way north, along Baker street, and entered Regent's Park. The Park wasn't too busy, at this time, with there being more joggers and runners than people walking through. I walked along the path, beside the Boating Lake, before joining the Outer Circle. I then passed the London Central Mosque, before passing the gates to Winfield House, which is the official residence of the United States ambassador to the United Kingdom.
I then crossed the road and dropped down onto the Regent's Canal towpath, which I found to be almost deserted, with just the occasional cyclist zipping by. Bluebells lined the grassy banks, carpeting the floor with their unique colour and foliage. At one point there was more traffic on the canal than the towpath. As I passed beneath the 'Blow up' bridge, my friend Dyan messaged to say that she would be heading to London, following a hospital appointment. I explained where I was, where I was heading to and what time I expected to arrive there. Dyan said that she would make her way to King's Cross and then message me to find out where I was. It was a sound plan.
Soon, I could hear the voices of the visitors to London Zoo, across the canal to my right, while I could see more people crossing the bridge to visit Monkey Valley in the Snowdon Aviary. As I looked up I could see some of the Eastern black-and-white colobus monkeys, sitting on perches.
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.
Having taken a few days off work, Emma and I took Keilyn to London, while Erin was staying with friends.
We set off, via taxi, to Watford Metropolitan station to board a train to Finchley Road and from there a Jubilee line train to Waterloo.
On leaving Waterloo station we crossed Waterloo Road and headed for the Bus Cafe, for a spot of lunch. Full English breakfasts were ordered and devoured, washed down with coffee and tea.
With our bellies full we left the bus garage and headed along The Cut and onto Union Street. We passed the Embassy Tea House and the London Fire Brigade Headquarters, before crossing Southwark Bridge Road. We then passed the old Tram shelter, which is now a gourmet burger restaurant, and the Mint & Gospel Lighthouse Mission building, before turning up Redcross Way beside Crossbones Graveyard.
Redcross Way brought us to Dirty Lane and the arches beneath the mainline railway of Cannon Street station. This eventually brought us to Clink Street. Keilyn's face lit up when she discovered that we were going into the Clink Prison Museum, a place she had wanted to visit for ages.
"The Clink": the prison that gave its name to all others.
We descended the stairs, paying our dues at the booth, before entering the site of the original Clink Prison. The prison that gave its name to all others.
Information boards told the history of the prison from its earliest inception, in 1144, to its closure in 1780. Manacles, locks, swords, torture implements, chastity belts and much more were on display, many of which could be handled, allowing you to feel the weight of the chains, giving a sense of how it would feel to be manacled for days on end.
There was also information on Crossbones Graveyard and the Winchester Geese, the Liberty of the Clink, the Bishop of Winchester and a brief mention of the other five prisons that were in Southwark.
"Off with his head!"
As we walked through the Clink Keilyn was keeping an eye out for the 'ghosts' that had been hidden around the museum. These 'ghosts' were small puppets and, should you find all ten, you received a sweet on leaving the gift shop. Of course, Keilyn spotted all ten and received her lollipop as we left the prison.
We continued along Clink Street and joined the throng of tourists, passing the Golden Hinde and turned onto Cathedral Street and then Montague Close, where we sat in Minerva Square to rest our legs and have a drink. We then continued along Montague Close and joined Tooley Street, before turning along St Olaf Stairs and joining The Queen's Walk along the River Thames. Countless wooden sheds were in various stages of being built and painted, ready for the Christmas season, while the old City Hall is in the middle of a major refurbishment, with much of its glass having been removed.
A Victorian era postbox.
We looked at the Royal Mail Penfold Postbox, a relic of the Victorian era, before we turned south along Duchess Walk to Queen Elizabeth Street. After buying an ice cream, for Keilyn, and some more refreshments and snacks, we walked along Tower Bridge Road and headed for our hotel... Premier Inn London Tower Bridge Hotel.
The view from our hotel room.
After checking in, Keilyn grabbed the room key and took the lift to the top floor, all the while we were hoping for a room with a view. And we were not disappointed. We could just make out the top of the London Eye and half of the dome of St Paul's Cathedral, but we had a clear view of The Shard, which was perfect.
