Tracking the Tube: Central Line 05: Liverpool Street to Leytonstone

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Weather: Sunny intervals and Warm
Distance Walked: 13.71 km
Distance By Tube: 10.45 km
Stations Visited: 6
Fantastic Place:The Hub Cafe in Victoria Park

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This walk took me out of "My London" into the East London Badlands! Some bits were familiar from the Capital Ring while most of the route was new. A walk of two halves, the first two thirds through interesting streets with lots of art, and large open parks. The last third a bit of a trudge through dull repetitive suburbs.

 

The Six Stations On The Walk

The walk started out in bright sunshine and the narrow canyons of financial London. There were some interesting sculptures near the old market buildings of Spitalfeilds; a goat and a family of elephants.

 This part of the walk and the whole of the leg to Bethnal Green is part of London I don't know at all, and I've lived in the city for 2/3 of my life. It is colourful and vibrant with a mix of buildings old and new. Lots of street art as well. This street scene is not far from the modern financial district with all the concrete and glass. Also at this point I'd like to say that Douglass Adams was wrong. In the Hitch-hiker's Guide series of books he postulated a Shoe Shop Intensifier ray that meant that shoe shops proliferated everywhere. He was wrong. It is coffee shops.

 

 

On almost every corner in this part of town there is a coffee shop, then a few doors down another one. And not just the chains, lots of cool, hip people sitting in small independent shops as well.

Possibly my favourite coffee shop name

 

 

 

Bethnal Green station is one of those that is totally below ground and was the site of one of the worst civilian tragedies during the war when 173 people including 62 children were killed in a crush when attempting to enter the unfinished station which was being used as an air-raid shelter.

A striking memorial with the names of the victims is at the entrance to a nearby park. The walk soon reaches a bridge over the Regents canal and the next stretch follows the canal south through the Mile End Park. This is a very pleasant spot with lots of birds on the water along with many colourful canal boats.

Crossing the busy Mile End Road via a green bridge I found Mile End station then turned back north following the east side of the park until I reached the Hertford Union canal - which joins the Regent Canal near this point. A smaller but no less attractive waterway. Waterways, be they natural or man made do add an air of calm to an city and I'm so glad many of them are being improved in London (though having been trapped by an enthusiast at an event near the Cotswold canal they can talk the hind legs off of a donkey!).

 

Victoria Park is a classic London Park. Big with lots of mature trees, wide paths and places for people to relax and children to play. Most importantly it has an awesome cafe at the centre ideal for hungry walkers to refuel before heading off on the next leg of the journey.

The next leg follows the Greenway which I last walked on the Capital Ring. It sits on the embankment that contains Joseph Bazalgette's Northern Outfall Sewer. Even if you didn't know this you could guess as there was a very strong stench of sewage in the air as I strolled along.

 

The last time I walked this the Olympic Stadium was being constructed for the 2012 Olympics. They have been and gone and now the stadium is home to West Ham. 

 

 

Building works caused a detour from the planned route here and a very tiresome walk alongside main roads towards Stratford Stadium. Lots of the Olympic arenas still stand and are used for sports and other events. Stratford station is very busy with lots of different lines converging and a major shopping mall. 

 

The walk from here through Leyton and Leytonstone was very dull, lots of very samish Victorian and Edwardian terraces and I was quite glad to see the last station on this leg. Even more pleased to see it had a water fountain so I could fill up my bottle as I had got quite thirsty.

 

Leytonstone station has a number of mosaics commemorating the films of Alfred Hitchcock who was born in Leytonstone.

The Birds

Rear Window

 

One feature of the walk I've not mentioned was the amount of vibrant street murals decorating buildings, even on quite grubby side streets. Here is a selection.

Also cats!

 

 

 

 

Tracking the Tube: Central Line 04: Queensway to Liverpool Street

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Weather: Sunny and Very Warm
Distance Walked: 12.37 km
Distance By Tube: 7.68 km
Stations Visited: 11
Fantastic Place:Grosvenor Square

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Stations on this walk

 

 

I wasn't particularly looking forward to this leg of the walk as I assumed that I would be trudging along the length of Oxford Street - the Central Line runs underneath it for some way. Also the crowds would make walking, and taking shots of the stations hard. Thirdly this was a part of London I know well, shops and galleries we often visit so there wouldn't be any surprises. 

I was wrong.

The walk started in the wide open expanses of Hyde Park. I have lived and worked in London for almost forty years and for some reason have not frequented this huge open space much during that time. The start of the walk took me down to the round pond and the Watts statue of Physical Energy.

Physical Energy

The Round Pond

 

We recently visited the Watts Gallery in Surrey a few weeks ago and saw the model for this and other sculptures by Watts so this was an interesting coincidence. The pond was full of birds, swans, geese, ducks etc, most with young in tow (unlike our ponds at work where the swans kill the other young waterfowl).

From here the path took me to the Serpentine, another large lake. At the north end of the water is a fine Italianate garden with fountains. Very busy with tourists but still on a warm sunny day a relaxing place to stop.

Italianate Gardens

 

Italianate Gardens

 

There are some interesting sculptures in the park at quite varying scales. The statue of Physical energy, a Henry Moore arch and a smaller scale carving of insects. 

 Leaving the park at the busy Marble Arch, which is being refurbished at the moment due to water getting in and rusting the iron supports, I entered the frenzied chaos of Oxford Street. Whatever day of the week, which ever season of the year, no matter the time of day, it is busy. Also no matter which way I am walking there always seems to be more people coming towards me than walking in the same direction. How does that work? It has got worse since the wide use of mobile phones as everyone is glued to them (despite Oxford street being a phone snatcher's paradise) so you always have to be aware to make a last minute side-step to avoid walking into someone.

 

I was glad to turn off the main drag and drop south to Grosvenor Square, former home of the American Embassy. This has now moved down to Nine Elms and the former building is now being converted into posh apartments it seems.

 

Statue of Eisenhower Outside the Former Embassy

 

The gardens are due to be refurbished soon but it was still a nice place to pause and take a water break. There are other statues in the gardens as well as a memorial to the 67 victims of the 9/11 attacks.

 

My route took me briefly back to Oxford Street for the next few stations (Bond Street, Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road) and in between each following the winding narrower streets south of the main shopping streets. 

 

Heading south towards Holborn I crossed the viaduct that carries the road over the now hidden Fleet River.

 From the viaduct you get a good view of the former meat market at Smithfield which is now closed and is due to become the new site of the Museum of London.

 

The next part of my walk took me through part of London I didn't know, the Inns of Court. Fabulous buildings and open spaces between Holborn and Chancery Lane

 

 

Onwards towards St Paul's past the Old Bailey where I almost did jury service (summoned for duty but not called to serve) and onwards to Bank where the old and new architecture stand cheek-by-jowl.

 

By now it was time for those working in the Square Mile to knock off work for the day and have a drink, so all the little cafes, bars and pubs had a flock of city types hanging around outside, more obstacles for a tired and hot walker to avoid!

 

Saw a few interesting sculptures and things on the last leg to Liverpool street, including a statue of a cordwainer (made shoes, cobblers repaired shoes) and possibly the worlds smallest TARDIS. 

 

The Doctor would never fit in this

 

Selfie in a Sphere at Liverpool Street

 

The next leg takes me away from "my London" into the badlands (ha) of East London.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tracking the Tube: Central Line 03: North Acton to Queensway

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Weather: Sunny and Very Warm
Distance Walked: 14.59 km
Distance By Tube: 7.40 km
Stations Visited: 7
Fantastic Place: Holland Park

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A shorter gap between walks than has been the norm and so today, on one of the hottest days of the year I returned to North Acton to start the walk that would take me through the heart of London.

The first part of the walk, through numerous building sites almost made me wish for the days of innumerable golf courses earlier in my walks. As before the A40 was never far away and the constant hum of traffic made itself known. Soon I was turning away from the building sites into light industry and finally a return to suburbia. East Acton station lies on the wonderfully names Erconwald Street and off of this is Henchman Road. D&D central! East Acton station lies well below the tracks and is an attractive little building. This leg of the walk has a variety of styles of station and this one is proobably along with Holland Park the most attractive.

Travelling regularly on the benighted Turnham Green - Richmond branch of the District Line I have often thought could I get from one of the numerous Acton Stations to one of their Central Line cousins. Well today I discovered it was possible but probably not a time saver! 

Leaving East Acton behind me I continued east and entered Wormwood Scrubs. No I hadn't been banged up for taking photos of stations, though I could see the high wall and Victorian brickwork of the prison to my right. Instead I was walking across a large area of open space and woodland that makes up the Scrubs. From the information panels it is a haven for wildlife. From the tube line this is invisible despite its size. As well as the wild space there are also sports pitches adjacent to the Linford Christie stadium.

Exiting Wormwood Scrubs I headed south through more building works, this time for HS2, which was causing much backing up of traffic as I passed under the Westway (which is what the A40 is called here). Soon I reached White City, once the location of the Empire Games, now more famous for the BBC Television Centre where Doctor Who and lots of other famous programs were recorded, and more recently the Westfield Shopping centre. It is huge and is served by three tube stations, two on the Central Line and Wood Lane on the H&C line.

The second station that serves the shopping centre, Shepards Bush comes up not long after. This is part of "my London" as Liz and I come here for the movies, shopping and the odd meal as it is convenient for me to get here after work and for Liz to come in from home. The interchange with buses, the Overground and the Underground makes for a busy spot for transport as it also sits on a large gyratory. Also I have been going to gigs at the Shepard's Empire for a long time.

After finding my way through the maze of subways I was soon in a area of leafy avenues and rather more upmarket streets with pillared porticoes and white stuccoed walls.There were also lots of tall blocks of flats from the 20s and 30s which set against the bright blue sky looked very attractive. 

How I have lived in London for 30 plus years and never visited Holland Park astounds me in retrospect. This large park has it all; formal gardens, listed buildings, water features, open space to rest and a cafe. As I walked through the entrance and past the cafe I could hear rehearsals for one of the opera performances that they hold in the grounds of the house.

Exiting back onto the bustle of London after the peace and quiet of the park was a bit of a shock, but after finding Holland Park station, a pretty but understated building set on a busy corner site I continued through Notting Hill and found an attractive street of pastel shades and a pretty local pub.

Notting Hill Gate station is one of those that has no on street presence and it was tough to get a picture as it seemed very busy on a Monday lunchtime. I don't think I have ever left or joined the tube at Holland Park, Notting Hill Gate or the next station along the line, Queensway.

Queensway was only a short stretch along the busy road but on the way I passed the Russian Embassy and I was amused to notice the stretch of the road outside of it had been renamed to Kyiv Roat. 

Queensway is opposite the entrance to Kensington Gardens which will form a pleasant start to my next walk.

I spent much of the journey home trying to work out the remainder of the walk, the loop at the eastern end of the line makes things a bit complicated but I think the five legs will be; Queensway to Liverpool Street, Liverpool Street to Leytonstone, Leytonstone to Hainault via Woodford, Leytonstone to Hainault (the other way around the loop) and finally a long leg from Woodford to Epping. 

 

Tracking the Tube: Central Line 02: Perivale to Ealing Broadway

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Weather: Sunny and warm
Distance Walked: 13.63 km
Distance By Tube: 9.58 km
Stations Visited: 5
Fantastic Place: Pitshanger

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The five stations on this walk

 After a long gap between walks up to the previous episode, we have two in three weeks! This time I'm walking through some areas I know quite well. After walking over Horsenden Hill from our house down to the canal I passed the station and walked over the busy A40 (again).

Cow Parsley beside the path over Horsenden Hill

The Hoover Building from the A40 footbridge

Once over the A40 the path runs on a path between golf courses and over the River Brent, which looks very pleasant at this point rather than the concrete banked monstrosity it becomes later.

The River Brent

I don't normally like golf courses on my walks but this one was nicely landscaped with the river running through it. It runs past the pretty little church of St Mary with it's neat white painted planked exterior.

St Mary's Perivale

It wasn't long before I emerged into Pitshanger Park. This nice park was busy with joggers, some pushing prams and walking dogs all at once which is multitasking to the max! The small cafe was very busy with parents who have brought their children for tennis lessons. I have happy memories playing cricket with my young god-twins when I was still able to beat them (they have become quite talented at it!).

Pink Hawthorn in Pitshanger Park

 

Pitshanger itself is lovely, no other word for it. We often pop up if we want to do a bit of shopping as it has an independent bookshop, a fishmonger, a butcher, a baker and lots of coffee shops and a nice pub. Back from the bustling high street, the roads are lines with pretty houses which are part of the Brentham Garden suburb built in the early part of the 20th century. Each has a small but well maintained garden but no off street parking which must be a nightmare with people coming to the area to shop (yes, that includes us!).

Typical Pitshanger Garden

Leaving the charm Pitshanger behind the walk moved towards Hanger Lane, a nightmare of a junction between the A40 and the North Circular roads along with a couple of other routes. The fumes and noise of heavy traffic replaced the birdsong and flowers of the gardens. 

The station itself is situated at the middle of the Gyratory and there is a maze of tiled of passages under the station and unsurprisingly I came out the wrong one and stood around looking lost for a while. I thought it was bad going round it in a car! 

After eventually finding the correct route I passed through another small park and new residential development before entering the rather depressing light industrial area of Park Royal (boy am I'm looking forward to going through this again on my Piccadilly Line walk).  

Someone has made an effort amongst the grimness

Eventually the industrial desolation is left behind and I arrived in North Acton. This area has undergone a lot of development with lots of tall residential blocks being built over the last few years.

North Acton or Manhattan?

Once I found my way out of the crazy labyrinth of the building sites to find some way across the A40 (again) the walk got better as the route led through a small park and then the strange area of "Tudorbethan" houses that are very popular with the Japanese. There are specialist food shops, schools and so on dedicated to the large population of Japanese that live here.

A Tudorbethan building

The walk then became more and more familiar as I approached Ealing Broadway as we used to live here before moving to Greenford and before long the modern Ealing Broadway station appeared. It has been enlarged and redeveloped to cope with the Elizabeth Line extension and is now a lot less crowded than it was when it was our local station.

Next leg I'll return to North Acton and head east into the city where I will probably encounter more building sites and the A40 again!