Sep 23: The Lea and the East India Docks

Another walk in good company, this time with my old friend Tony Drayton. As usual in company, the walk was more about enjoyment than the mere clocking up of miles. Instead of following the Lea Valley Walk along the Limehouse Cut, we chose to go to the mouth of the River Lea, via the remains of the East India Docks and Trinity Buoy Wharf, the former headquarters of Trinity House. For me, it was a welcome return to this area, which I had photographed and written about for the brilliant Port Cities website (http://www.portcities.org.uk).

We then crossed over to the former Essex side of the river, passing the disused 1860 railway bridge and the former headquarters of the Gas Light and Coke Company, and rejoined the Lee Navigation at Bow Locks. In its final stage through London, the Lea Valley Walk seems to follow the Navigation rather than the actual river.

The section of the walk contains many fascinating features, including the bridge carrying Bazalgette’s Northern Outfall Sewer (for a great description, see another piece of my writing on the Port Cities site), and the original factory in which "Matchbox" toys were made.

We ended the walk with a few Scotches at the Princess of Wales pub by the Lea Bridge Road (and later several more at the Hitchock Hotel in Leytonstone).

Today: 8 miles
Overall total: 109 miles