22/08/20 - Inner London Ring - Western Half

Distance - 13.5 Miles

Geocaches - 4

Inner London Ring - Eastern Half

Walk Inspiration

Good Beer Guide Ticks - 487 to 489 - Victoria - Paddington, Bridge House - Maida Vale and Draft House, Camden.

After 6 months absence, I could no longer resist London's call. Its been too long since train travel and a good walk in the metropolis. 2 days after my brave adventure, I'm reflecting that it was fine but time will ultimately tell.  Wearing a mask for a 1hr 45 minute journey was less of a problem than I was expecting and unused aisle seats made for good distancing.

The walk is a tourist's bonanza.  The Eastern Half of the Inner London Ring (a 25 mile circuit of London) took me to more out of the way places, like Victoria Park and the Olympic Village.  The Western Half is a full on sightseers dream.

It would be rather a boring blog - at least to those familiar with the Smoke - so I'll bullet point the places visited and have a link to the Flickr Photo Album.

• Start at Tower Bridge (on the day it was raised and got stuck)
• Monument
• Leadenhall Market
• The City's Alleys
• St Pauls
• Millennium Bridge
• South Bank
• Westminster, Big Ben and the London Eye
• St James Park
• Buckingham Palace
• Green Park
• Hyde Park 
• Paddington
• Little Venice
• Regents Canal
• Primrose Hill
• Camden

Flickr Album to Scroll through

Obviously lots of choice for refreshment.   I was looking for previously unexplored Good Beer Guide Ticks to knock off.  I found three that were open for business.

The Victoria, Paddington - London Pride

Easily the pick of the three.

Handsome Outside

A one way system means that I have to check in, but from that point I have the place to myself.  Gives me space to take my interior photos, but I am being virtually observed.  Within seconds of my Untappd check in, I have a "You are welcome" reply".

If you like a beautifully decorated Victorian bar of ornate gilded mirrors - and who doesn't? - then this is the place for you.

When in London, Take Pride (if ESB unavailable)

Handsome Inside

No ESB on in this Fullers Pub but London Pride is a suitable replacement.

The Bridge House, Maida Vale - Camden Hells

A Cafe/Theatre Good Beer Guide Tick

I know we are in strange times for pubs, but I am unsure how a cafe/theatre bar that has a single hand pull of Doom Bar gets in in the Good Beer Guide.   Maybe I was correct in not visiting during my last pub crawl in the area.

It is, however, a nice place for lunch - there's a weekend non-Rishi Dish offer of three tapas for £11, which included Cheesy chips in veal Jus.   £6.05 for a pint of keg was a touch on ouch side of things.

Beer - £6.05

Camden Draft House - Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

London Outdoor Seating = Tramp Hassle

Last of the in the only busy part of town I found - Camden.  Even in the grip of a pandemic, you can have your photo taken with a Mohican punk for a £1.

A standard Brew Dog establishment, where I break my own rule of drinking outside in the smoke.  

My Pale Ale lasts nearly until the point that I get hassled by a tramp for change.

Change?  I haven't seen or used cash since March.

29/02/2020 - Inner London Ring - Eastern Half

Distance - 12 Miles
Geocaches - 5
Walk Inspiration
Pubs - Prospect of Whitby - Shadwell and Libery Bounds - Tower Bridge

Blogfans will maybe know that I have completed three circuits of the Smoke - The Capital Ring, The London Loop and the London Countryway.  I'm having a free hit on London Walks in 2020, but in my investigations, I found the Inner London Ring.

This 25 miles circuit of London is possible to do in a (very) long day.   The website breaks it down into four walks - each lovingly detailed.

I'm going to complete the Eastern Half - Starting at Kings Cross and finishing at Tower Bridge.

The northern sections takes in the Regents Canal, emerging at the bottom of Upper Street in Islington, before finding the waterway through edgy Hoxton, Hackney and Haggerston.

Islington Tunnel - where we temporarily leave the Regents Canal

Which takes us all the way to an Urban Farm in Hackney

Goldsmiths Row sounds familiar to me - and the pub reminds me that used to be called the Albion - complete with a Throstles Crest and plenty of full sized photos of West Brom stars from the early nineties.  Disappointingly, its now the Virgin Queen and trading off its reputation for fish and chips.

I'd been there when it was in all its glory

Onward with the walk - through the massive Victoria Park before hitting familiar ground on the Lea Navigation at Hackney Wick.  This drives through the Olympic Park, where West Ham are at home later in the afternoon but this time, I am not treated to lost Hammers Fans looking for a suitable pub.  Either they have now found their bearings or I am a bit early for the 3pm kick off.

Victoria Park's Island Hosted Pagoda

West Ham - who went on to have a unusual good afternoon

A Len Deighton Top 12 pub is available at Bow - and this is worthy of another blog - so I press on down the Lime House Cut.  The dogs are huge and the owners are selfish, as I spend the length dodging puddles and turds.

Limehouse Cut - where the big dogs live

Limehouse Basin

Limehouse Basin leads to a stretch of the Thames Path and the first refreshment of the day can be had at the Prospect of Whitby.   A Greene King pub trading of its impressive history of pirates and charting the monarchy that has passed since its inception.  If you are there - have a mooch. Upstairs, downstairs and outside for the Thames side terraces.   Wonderful place.

Impressive Thames Views

Must Visit Pub - the Prospect of Whitby

Serving punters since Henry VIII

Upstairs Smuggler's Bar

It's an ornamental canal that leads me to St Katernine's Dock and ultimately, the tourist hordes at Tower Bridge.

The Shard in the murk

Sun comes out in St Katherines Dock

A few obligatory tourist photos and into the Liberty Bounds for a Good Beer Guide Tick.

Its heaving, a deeply unpleasant experience and the only thing of interest I can bring is a photo for the Wetherspoons carpet fans.

A photo cannot be avoided

At least this is out the way on my tick list

A place full of anchors