Walking with Keilyn: West India Docks to East India Docks... and beyond

Sunday April 13, 2025.

Another Sunday and another Walk with Keilyn.

We began our day with a walk to Watford Metropolitan station, with food, snacks and drinks all packed in my rucksack. We boarded the train and headed off towards London. We switched to a Jubilee line train, at Finchley Road, and continued our journey to Canary Wharf.

On exiting Canary Wharf station we began our walk by heading through Jubilee Park, checking out some of the Canary Wharf Public Art, and Easter Eggs, on our way to Wood Wharf.

Approaching Wood Wharf we could easily spot 'Whale on the Wharf (Skyscraper)', the latest piece to join the Canary Wharf Public Art trail. Standing at four-storeys, and made of 5 tonnes of recycled plastic, the whale towered over the crowds that come to see it. 

From here we continued eastward, along Branran Street and onto Lovegrove Walk, before we joined Preston's Road. From here we walked along Coldharbour, passing 'The Gun' public house and then Nelson House, before rejoining Preston's Road.

We then walked around, the now sealed, Blackwall Basin Entrance Lock, before rejoining the Thames Path North East Extension.

A compass, in the ground, was bisected by the Prime Meridian Line, so Keilyn could stand on both east and west of the line. 

We then continued along the path until we reached Virginia Quay and the Virginia Quay Settlers Monument.

With time getting on we stopped to eat our lunch, at East India Quay, enjoying the peace and tranquillity of the River Thames and the view across to the MillenniuM Dome.

Camley Street Natural Park, St Pancras

Having walked the length of the Regent's Canal and having visited Gasholders Park and Coal Drops Yard, on numerous occasions, I had seen Camley Street Natural Park from the canal towpath, but had never explored it. This had to be rectified.

So, it was while out walking with Keilyn that we decided to go for an exploratory of the park, to see what was there. Crossing the Regent's Canal, via the Somers Town Bridge, we headed through the giant iron gates and into the covered seating area of the park.

Walking around the cafe and learning centre we made our way to the entrance of the reserve and began our exploration.

The path was compacted and strong and bordered by low, wooden borders that separated the footpath from the wild meadows and ponds. Information boards, spread sporadically around the site, showed the fauna and flora that could be spotted throughout the year. Unfortunately, our visit took place at the beginning of March, so much of the wildlife was absent, giving the place a truly tranquil feel.

The path soon joined wooden walkways, which allowed water to flow beneath them from the interconnecting ponds and the Regent's Canal.

Seating area, either on the banks of the Regent's Canal or in small clearings gave ample space to sit and take in the peace.

We explored the ponds, seeing only coots, mallards and moorhens, while blackbirds, great tits, long-tailed tits, magpies, pigeons and robins flew between the trees.

The sound of skittering, through fallen leaves, could have been wood mice or other small rodents, but there was nothing that we could see.

Logs, piled up in various locations, and bug hotels seemed quiet, with their inhabitants buried in the soil or deep inside the rotting wood.

The ponds, with their crystal clear waters, seemed devoid of life, too.

Various ferns, planted in a stumpery, were still growing, while many other plants were yet to bloom.

Once we had seen everything that we could we made our way out of the park, promising to come back later in the year to see what wildlife may have taken up residence.

Paddington Bear

Paddington Bear statue at Paddington station.

This statue of Paddington Bear, at Paddington station, is a bronze sculpture by Marcus Cornish. Considering Paddington Bear has been around since 1958 the statue wasn't erected until 2000.

The origins of London's most famous 'fictional' bear, Paddington, began in 1958, when Michael Bond wrote 'A Bear Called Paddington'. He had been shopping and seen a lone teddy bear, in a London shop, "looking forlorn", and based Paddington on him. It took Michael Bond just 10 days to write the first story.

Michael Bond remembered watching newsreels of children being evacuated, during World War II, who had labels around their necks, carrying bags containing their possessions, which gave him the inspiration for the style.

Paddington Bear plaque at Paddington station.

The first story, 'A Bear Called Paddington', sees the Brown family arriving at Paddington station and discovering the bear, sitting on his suitcase with a note attached to his coat that read , 'Please look after this bear. Thank you'. The Browns are unable to pronounce the bear's name in its bear language, so, they call him Paddington, as that is where they found him.

Originally, Paddington was to have "travelled from darkest Africa", but, as his agent pointed out, there are no bears in Africa, so he changed it to "darkest Peru", where the spectacled bear comes from. It is Paddington's Aunt Lucy who sends Paddington to London, as a stowaway, after his uncle Pastuzo has moved to a Home for Retired Bears, in Lima. Paddington tells them, "I came in a lifeboat and ate marmalade. Bears like marmalade."

32 Windsor Gardens, from 'Paddington' (2014).

So, the Brown family, that includes the parents, Henry and Mary, and their children, Jonathan and Judy, take Paddington home to 32 Windsor Gardens.

Paddington was always polite, addressing everyone with their title, but hardly ever using their first name. He also had a capacity to innocently get himself into trouble, while trying so hard to do things right.

However, those who incurred his disapproval would be met with one of his special 'hard stares'.

Master Oak: The Oldest Tree in Middlesex

The Master Oak.

No one knows how old this ancient oak is, but it is believed to have been an acorn during the time of King Henry VIII (1491-1597).

During his reign many oaks were felled for the building of his warships, as timber for barns, barrels, furniture and for firewood. Oak smoke was also used to cure food as a way to preserve it.

It was certainly growing well in the late 17th century, when the Poet Laureate, John Dryden, rewrote a verse from Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales':

"The monarch oak, the patriarch of the trees,

Shoots rising up, and spreads by slow degrees.

Three centuries he grows, and three he stays

Supreme in state; and in three more decays."

The Master has a shape that shows that it probably had its branches and top removed to encourage growth. The pollarded wood was probably used for fuel.

'Time and Tide Bell' by Marcus Vergette

Attached to the sea wall of Trinity Buoy Wharf is this bell, designed by the sculptor Marcus Vergette.

The unique design of the bell, developed by Marcus Vergette and Dr Neil McLachlan, means the bell is rung by the river to mark each high tide. Uniquely, from just one strike the bell sounds different notes one after the other to form a melody.

"Fixed in space, rung by the power of nature, yet making ever-changing sounds, the bell symbolises the complex relationship between man and his environment. The Time and Tide Bell creates, celebrates and reinforces connections between our history and our environment. Here at Trinity Buoy Wharf Leamouth, it will serve as a powerful marker of sea level rise at the very heart of our maritime history." 

- Marcus Vergette

The Trinity Buoy Wharf Bell was launched at high tide on September 19, 2010.

Part of the 'Time and Tide Series', this 3 metre tall bell, cast in aluminium bronze, is third in a planned series of twelve bells, located throughout the United Kingdom. 

The first bell was installed at Appledore, North Devon, while the second was installed at Great Bernera, Outer Hebrides.