Beckton District Park to Woolwich

Capital Ring section 15 page 1 CAPITAL RING

Section 15 of 15 Beckton District Park to Woolwich

Section start: Beckton District Park (Stansﬁeld Road) Nearest station to start: Royal Albert (DLR)

Nearest station to ﬁnish: Woolwich Arsenal (Rail or DLR)

Section distance 3.5 miles plus 0.9 miles of station links Total = 4.4 miles (7.1 km)

Introduction This section is almost entirely on level tarmac paths and pavements. It Note explores the once very industrial area of Beckton, some former docks and Occasionally the path to travels alongside the River Thames to the foot tunnel at Woolwich. the second lock gates at the King George V dock This section is affected by development work as shown on the maps. It is is closed by a locked gate. This happens still open but you have to follow alternative routes described here. during maintenance work. To avoid an The main Capital Ring route involves ﬂights of steps, lock gates and an unwelcome surprise, call isolated length of path that can seem daunting for someone walking alone. the Gallions Point Fortunately there are alternative routes to avoid these challenges. From Marina: 0743 626 0458 time to time the signposted route across the lock gates at King George V or 0207 476 7054. dock is closed by a locked gate for maintenance or other reasons. If so, it Alternatively email: info@gallionspointmarin will be necessary to use the alternative route along the A117. a.co.uk. If the route is closed follow the Points of interest along this section include: the University of East London alternative step-free Campus, built over Cyprus station; Royal Albert dock – now an Olympic route (see page 4). standard rowing course; and King George V docks. Between them lies the London City Airport runway.

There are cafés and pubs at Cyprus and North Woolwich. Docklands Light Railway (DLR) stations can be found along the route as well as bus stops.

This version by members of the Ramblers for Transport for London In this format: text © Ramblers 2020, maps © OpenStreetMap Downloaded from: http://innerlondonramblers.org.uk/capital-ring Updated: June 2021

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Walking directions From Royal Albert station on the Docklands Light Railway, the start of the walk is about a quarter of a mile away.

Follow the signs across a small patch of grass to the crossing to the left of the roundabout on the main road, visible from the station entrance (unless you’re the wrong side of a concrete pillar). Cross the Royal Albert Way dual-carriageway to walk up Stansfeld Road until you get to the start of the walk at Jake Russell Walk on the right in Beckton District Park.

Once on Jake Russell Walk you are in Beckton District Park. Here the walk shares its route with the Jubilee Greenway, whose signs are on the footpath but easily lost under fallen leaves in autumn.

Continue across the park and on the far side turn right between trees and continue past houses on the left to a path junction. Carry on to emerge between houses, and continue along Savage Gardens Road, beside New Beckton Park.

In 220 yards, opposite Oakes Close, turn right along a path across the park, past a children's playground and then left in front of some houses. Follow the path ahead past a primary school until it meets East Ham Manor Way. Turn right here.

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At the mini roundabout, turn right and cross over to the left on a Did you know? Cyprus station is named broad path between shrubs to the forecourt of Cyprus DLR station. after the nearby Victorian estate of Ahead is Royal Albert Dock, which was active from 1880 to 1981, and now Cyprus, itself named an international rowing course. The Capital Ring now follows the dockside. after the British Go over the bridge through the campus and student accommodation with colonisation of that Mediterranean island. its butterﬂy-shaped roofs. This is the station for the University of East At the waterfront there are great views along the dockside - of London City London Airport opposite, situated between two huge bodies of water, and of the Sir Steve Redgrave Bridge to the left.

Turn left to walk east down the waterfront towards the Bridge. Just before the bridge, which carries the A117 Woolwich Manor Way, turn left on a pathway bordering the UEL campus.

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Pass under the Docklands Light Railway fly-over, and turn right to cross Did you know? Gallions Reach is the road at Gallions Roundabout. Follow the roundabout anti-clockwise named after the and turn right into Atlantis Avenue, opposite Gallions Reach station. Galyons family who were prominent in the On the main route, as you walk down Atlantis Avenue, a tall radio mast area in the 14th century. comes into view which becomes your guide and goal. The word 'reach' here refers to an open Recommended route to Atlantis Avenue (but there is currently no stretch of water along a through route from the viewpoint by the river) river, but originally used There is a better but as yet unsigned alternative route to Atlantis Avenue to denote the distance that could be sailed by which is recommended as the way to reach the panoramic view over the a vessel on one tack. Thames. This can be followed by continuing ahead under the Redgrave Did you know? Bridge and turning left into the Royal Quay estate. Bear right, then left into The recently Albert Basin Way. Past 'Galyons Bar and Restaurant' (the former Gallions redeveloped Gallions Hotel) turn left and then right into Gallions Road. After its left bend it Hotel – a listed building reaches Atlantis Avenue at traffic lights where you follow it to the right. - used to serve passengers travelling Alternative route to the first set of lock gates (take this route to avoid via King George V dock the closure caused by development work) and had its own railway This shorter route avoids road crossings and some bleak areas under station, the platform forming the main hotel development. Walk ahead under the Redgrave Bridge. Turn left and then entrance. curve right on Basin Approach between the former Gallions Hotel (now a Note about the step- bar and restaurant) and some apartments. Bear right back to the free route dockside. Turn left and then right to cross a footbridge. Walk round the There is one kerb on former Lockside Kitchen café (now closed) to continue past the marina to the Steve Redgrave rejoin the main route at the the lock. Bridge that would be difficult for a wheelchair Alternative (step-free) route user at the junction of The main route and two suggested variants all involve steps and lock gates the bridge and a private with deep drops. To avoid the hazards and shorten the walk, follow the road used by heavy vehicles. This can be main route to Gallions roundabout and cross at the lights. Near Gallions avoided by using the Reach DLR there are signs pointing towards the bridge. Follow the signs other side of the bridge over the gently rising bridge, crossing Royal Albert Dock. After crossing the and crossing at the bridge, stay on Woolwich Manor Way. Cross Gallions Entrance Road, with roundabout at the far its barrier and security office. Carry on past the lock, taking the next left end of the bridge, to down Fishguard Way. Carry on straight ahead through the plaza into turn into Fishguard Way. Hartelpool Court, part of the Gallions Point Estate. At the end turn right to continue along the riverside rejoining the main route.

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Walk ahead on Atlantis Avenue to the end of the road, going straight on at Did you know? Over to the right, on the the trafﬁc light crossroads with Armada Way on the left and Gallions Road other side of the river on the right. Keep on towards the radio mast. Thames from the end of Atlantis Avenue, you Just before reaching the mast pass Magellan Boulevard and continue can see the high point ahead through the concrete bollards to reach the Thames at a paved area. of Shooter's Hill which is part of Section 1 of There is a panoramic view across to the former Royal Arsenal. To the left is the Capital Ring. Tripcock Ness. This was the site of the biggest loss of human life on the Thames when the Princess Alice collided and sank in 1878 with all of its 600 passengers. To the right there is a view of the Thames Barrier with the towers of Canary Wharf beyond.

The route normally goes right at the Thames past the radio mast onto the enclosed pathway but this is currently blocked by development work.

(From here the Capital Ring is fully enclosed and fenced all the way to the Did you know? lock gates, so it is easier to navigate. The gigantic gates of the King George V Lock It is narrow and somewhat overgrown and it passes some new apartment admitted the 36,644-ton Cunard liner RMS blocks. At times the path here can feel rather isolated and a lone walker Mauretania in 1939. may feel uneasy.) Measuring 790 feet long by 88 feet wide there At the walk's end turn left in front of the first building, cross the lock gates, was just a whisker to and come out onto a small roadway. Follow the roadway ahead for about spare on all sides. 100 yards. Where the road turns sharp right, the Capital Ring turns sharp left, along another fenced section, past areas cleared for development. Alternative route A gate at the end of the After another short walk along the Thames you then come across a Gallions Point Estate second, much larger set of lock gates at the entrance to the King George V can only be opened dock. Steps take you over a flood wall and you then cross over the lock during daylight hours. If gates. On the far side turn right behind a brick building; go up steps and the button does not down the other side. Immediately after the steps do a U-turn beside the release the lock, follow the Capital Ring residential estate and walk towards the Thames. Take care - this turning is ‘Beckton, avoiding very easy to miss. locks' sign at the plaza (after the first residential Turning right after the building leads you into the new Gallions Point block) towards the main Estate. You walk alongside the river again. A few yards further on is a road and turn left onto riverside plaza with benches. (It is from here, via Fishguard Way, that you Albert Road to pick up can reach Albert Road if the release for the lock on the gate at the end of the route again. the estate is not working - see map on page 3.)

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Passing the second of the slipways, you arrive at Royal Victoria Gardens. Walk through the park parallel with the river, exiting onto Pier Road.

Note that the end of the footpath along the wall is temporarily closed off Did you know? during the building of another block of ﬂats. You therefore need to enter The Woolwich Foot Tunnel – and its sister Pier Road about 50 yards further north. Cross Pier Road with care and turn at Greenwich – were left along the road towards the round building of the Woolwich Foot Tunnel, built to allow workers to which opened in 1912. cross to the docks. Until then they had to use the To complete the whole Capital Ring, go down the 126 steps (or use the lift) lightermen ferries, and thus were dependent on then walk a quarter of a mile under the river and back up 101 steps to the the weather to arrive on start of section one - there is a lift on the south side too. Alternatively, take time. The area now the free ferry across the river which you reach by continuing to walk along known as North Woolwich was not the road leading to the ferry pier. residential at that time, so many workers lived To complete the Capital Ring without crossing the River Thames, follow across the river. Albert Road and Pier Road round to King George V DLR station.

You can download a certiﬁcate to show that you have completed the Capital Ring from the Transport for London web site (https://tﬂ.gov.uk/ modes/walking/capital-ring).