02/07/22 - London Spiral Walk - Stage 6

Distance - 13.5 Miles

Start - Canada Water 

Finish - Turnpike Lane 

Areas Walked - Canada Water, Canary Wharf, Poplar, Bow, Bromley, Hackney Wick, Upper Clapton, South Tottenham

Geocaches - 5 and 6 Adventure Lab Caches

Pubs - 3 (Good Beer Guide #688-690)

Previous Walks - Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, Stage 5

The fourth crossing of the Thames on the London Spiral and its done in an expensive style.  It takes exactly 7 minutes to tap in at the Hilton Doubletree, cross the river by ferry and tap out in Canary Wharf.  And its costs £4.80 for the pleasure.

That's a pint.  Anywhere else in the Land.  Or two, in JDWs.

But you do get uninterrupted views

An Adventure Lab Cache makes for a meandering start to the walk, as I track down various bits of corporate art. This on line treasure hunt certainly takes you to unexpected places.  On the top of the new Elizabeth Line station is a free to enter rooftop garden terrace. 4 other locations found and I can get on with the walking proper.

Corporate Art

Rooftop Gardens

More Corporate Art

Its proper East End walking, through Poplar, Bromley and Bow.  Some classic looking pubs, including the Manor Arms, Bow Bell and the previously visited Widows Son. I was sorely tempted to stop but its a 13 miler today and I've already wasted time looking at art. With hindsight, I made a mistake in not going in the Manor Arms. It looked like a throwback to a different era, made more striking sitting in the shadow of the Canary Wharf Skyscrapers. There's always google maps to show you what you've missed.

Courtesy of Google Maps

The River Lea dominates this walk - picked up at the London Stadium and left behind at the Anchor and Hope pub.  Its a section that I've walked a couple of times on the Capital Ring and Lea Valley walks.  The house boats - offering everything from homes, to tarot reading, to cocktails to pop up shops are under threat of eviction.  Regular notices of organised protests and civil disobedience.  Half of them look incapable of sailing away, so it does make you wonder how they will be removed.

Obligatory London Stadium Photo

River Lea and the last of the Houseboats

With a couple of miles of uninspiring street walking through South Tottenham, we'll leave the blog at the pubs.

Anchor and Hope, High Hill Ferry, Fullers ESB

This river side pub was spotted from the opposite bank on my previous walks, so I was pleased to be on the right side for a Good Beer Guide Tick.

Anchor and Hope

Looks are deceptive here.  Its tiny inside and despite the bible claiming its had a recent refit, quite down at heel. Four fullers real ales on and the ESB was met with "Good Choice" from the landlord sporting a Never Mind the Bollocks T-shirt.

It was outstanding.  Possibly the best ESB I have ever had.

Perfection in a glass

The Tollgate, Turnpike Lane, Pheastantry Brewery Dancing Dragonfly

Opposite the tube station and marking the end of the day's walking is an absolute identikit JDW that has made it into the bible.

The decor, the busyness, the dirty tables, the carpets - everything was "regular JDW". 

The only thing that made it stand out was a Timbo Superfan.

It was the hat that gave it away.  A peaked cap with "50 years" and photos of both Tim Martin and the hat wearer.  This "fascinator" item of clothing sparked up many conversations with the garden visting gaspers. The chap has been to every JDW in London. The hat was made to celebrate 50 years of Wetherspoons. He also knows every bus route.  All you have to do is give him the bus route number and he will tell you where it starts and ends.

Quite a talent. I didn't have the heart to tell him that the company was founded in 1979, making Wetherspoons 43.  And counting.

Timbo Superfan

My final tick of the day was back at Marylebone, where the Thornbury Castle now opens on a Saturday.

My Untapped Check in was met by a family member of the people who used to run it and he was quite keen to tell me it isn't in the Good Beer Guide anymore.

It may not be next year, but its still in the 2022 edition and on the app.

And the Harvey's Sussex Best now means I have a new "local" at the end of my London jaunts.

Marylebone Station - No Longer a Beer Desert