What a full day I had in East London recently. Bow Creek Ecology Park had been on my list for a while, and then I read about the area in a wonderful book entitled London Clay by Tom Chivers (just one of many London books in my every growing collection!).
Bow Creek is an offshoot of The Lea river, and it runs into the River Thames. The nearest tube station is Canning Town on the Jubilee Line (the DLR also runs here). It was hard to know where to start on arriving, but decided the park would be the best place. In fact, one of the DLR lines runs right through the middle of it. The park is small and oblong in shape, and there is the option of a ‘Lee Valley’ walk, via a path taking you under a bridge. All around me were tall buildings and cranes. Like the rest of London, it seems to be a continuous building site as more apartments are built.
Doubling back on myself, my next adventure would take me over the red bridge to City Island. Now this really did look like apartment city! Building work is still going strong, but there is a path along the river that leads to Trinity Buoy Wharf, another place I wished to visit.
I have to admit it does feel like an island, but what I liked was how quiet it was considering it was the Easter school holidays. Maybe they were all off exploring the usual tourist places in London. In fact, later I discovered one of those popular places, and walked away!
Just to the left in the above photo, I entered the wharf. This is container world! This once derelict area is now a place for arts, crafts and industries, workspaces and event space. And, of course, it is the home of the Trinity Buoy Lighthouse. Built in 1864, it now houses the installation of ‘Longplayer’, a record which has been playing for twenty-two years. You can listen to it either on visiting (open weekends) or online here.
Michael Faraday worked here as Trinity House Scientific Adviser, and there is a school here named after him.
At the Gate House you can pick up a plan of the area, showing all the buildings and information on what they do. There are two places to eat, though Fat Boy’s Diner seems to be up for rent. There are tug boats, part of the maritime heritage, and art works, a story box and the Faraday Effect, one of London’s smallest museums documenting the life and times of Faraday.
Returning the way I’d come, but before crossing the bridge again, I found a path leading to East India Dock Basin, still with some buildings reflecting its past.
Just around the corner is Virgina Quay, where a ship sailed off to America. Part of the old memorial has been saved in this now new housing area built by Barratt Homes.
Finally, I headed off on the DLR to Royal Victoria Docks. I took the wrong exit (as you do, or I do!), but came across this lovely wall running along the roadside. Here is what people say about living in London, what they did in the past, all sorts of comments.
And here I ended my day. It was lovely exploring somewhere new, though I’ve been to the Royal Docks a few times. I would happily return to Bow Creek and Trinity Buoy Wharf. That was a wonderful place, and easy to get to. I hope you enjoyed my journey too.
My London+ 