V2 : Jul 10 Jubilee Greenway Directions: To begin the journey, go up Constitution Hill, passing Section 1 Buckingham Palace on the left hand side and the splendid Canada Gate, erected in 1906, on the right. At the top of Constitution Hill, the route passes Buckingham Palace to Little Venice the Memorial Gates. A The Memorial Gates are four stone columns made in Portland Stone, each topped by a bronze urn, and with the names of those Commonwealth countries that gave their servicemen to help Britain in the Second World War – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Africa, Caribbean and the Start: Buckingham Palace (TQ291797) Kingdom of Nepal – carved into the sides. Station: St James’s Park, Green Park or Hyde Corner The route now approaches Hyde Park Corner. Cross this at the controlled crossing which also has a facility for horse riders as well (a Pegasus Finish: Little Venice (TQ261818) crossing). From here many historical sites and memorials can be viewed. Station: Warwick Avenue Most prominent is the Wellington Arch. Distance: 3.7 miles (6 km) Once across the roundabout of Hyde Park Corner, Apsley House can be Introduction: The outer circuit of the Jubilee Greenway, an accessible seen to the right of the Grand Entrance to Hyde Park. Cross towards the route for walkers and cyclists, is around 38 miles or 60 kilometres long. This Entrance by the controlled crossing and go through the left arch. section is 3.7 miles (or 6 km). Enter Hyde Park via the Grand Entrance gates, now known as the Hyde The route passes many of London’s attractions and historic sites as well all Park Corner Screen, passing Apsley House immediately on the right-hand the central London Olympic venues. side. This section provides level walking on either pavements or paths. In Hyde Park, turn left along South Carriage Drive (formerly known as the Carriage Road or as Rotten Row). There are information boards and maps dotted around the park as well as cafes and toilets. There are cafes in Piccadilly, by the Serpentine in Hyde Park, along Bayswater Road and at Paddington Basin/Little Venice. There are toilets in Hyde Park, Little Venice and Rembrandt Gardens in Warwick Avenue. At Albert Gate a short diversion leads to the Serpentine. Walk with the water to the right – with an optional side visit to the nearby Diana Memorial Fountain on the right. The Diana, Princess of Wales memorial, B This section is easily accessible by public transport. consisting of an oval stone ring fountain, is near the Serpentine Gallery, and just south of the Serpentine. After the fountain, back on Rotten Row, go towards the Serpentine Bridge, cross over the road – and take the path that veers slightly to the right and is open to cyclists. Go straight ahead towards The Broad Walk, The Round Pond and Kensington Palace. Turn right up the Broad Walk, the wide avenue which leads north through the park up to the Bayswater Road and Queensway. There are links here to At the other end, go straight over to continue along Craven Hill Gardens, The Diana Memorial Walk. crossing Leinster Gardens on the left and Leinster Terrace on the right. Deviate briefly into Leinster Gardens on the left to find a curiosity. Kensington Palace is to the left and the Round Pond to the right, a popular attraction with all ages, especially to sail toy boats. Leinster Gardens has two false façades at numbers 23 & 24, constructed when the original underground trains were steam-powered. Locomotives The route passes the Queen Victoria Statue, placed here for her Golden were fitted with condensers to reduce fumes, but ‘venting off’ was still Jubilee in 1887, and a little later, the Orangery, built by Queen Anne as a needed in open-air sections to relieve the condensers and keep the tunnels great greenhouse in 1704 to designs by Wren, on the left. Further on, to the free from smoke. In this upmarket area, the railway company hid this left, is the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground. C unsightly practice from residents behind a false façade. The façade is 5 feet (1.5 m) thick with 18 blackened windows and the doors have no letter boxes. Still on the Broad Walk, head towards the Bayswater Road. See the twin silver domes of Queensway Underground Station in front. There are toilets Continue along Craven Hill Gardens, passing the Zen garden of the Hempel just inside Kensington Gardens here – turn right and follow the boundary Hotel on the left. Craven Hill Gardens now becomes Craven Hill. The route path about 50m. is now more or less a straight line towards Paddington. This road has many fine old buildings converted to apartments. Continue down Craven Hill, past the Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary on the right. Exit Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens at Black Lion Gate, cross the Bayswater Road at the traffic lights, and turn right. Queensway Underground Station is on the left. Staying on Craven Hill, cross Devonshire Terrace at the crossroads, after which Craven Hill becomes Craven Road. Proceed straight ahead, uphill along Craven Road. Cyclists should join the carriageway here, all the way through to Paddington Station. Cross Gloucester Terrace, and pass some attractive mews on both the left and right hand sides of Craven Road. Pass Minahouse Hotel on the right. Having crossed the road and turned right, walk along Bayswater Road, Cross Westbourne Terrace at the pedestrian crossing and then, at the next going over three streets joining from the left-hand side (Queensway, pedestrian crossing, cross Eastbourne Terrace on the left and Spring Street Inverness Terrace and Queensborough Terrace). Still on Bayswater Road, on the right. immediately after the Thistle Hotel, Kensington Gardens and the Shell Garage on the left, turn left into Porchester Terrace. Craven Road leads into Praed Street. Continue straight ahead; the Hilton London Paddington Hotel is on the left, behind which is Paddington Station Pass numbers 3 & 5 Porchester Terrace on the right, with a fine glass- itself. On the right-hand side of the road, observe the fine old entrance to domed conservatory, where a blue plaque commemorates the horticulturists Paddington Underground Station, with the sign ‘Metropolitan Railway’ above John & Jane Loudon. Look out for the huge bottle-shaped plane tree by the it, now with shops underneath. pavement. Jubilee Greenway Keep walking along Porchester Terrace and after nearly 200m turn right into Section 1 (Buckingham Palace to Little Venice) Craven Hill Gardens. The Uruguayan Ambassador’s Residence is opposite. page 2 Craven Hill Gardens is a no-through road, with a cycle lane. www.walklondon.org.uk the Pool of Little Venice. The site is a historic one, having served as the London terminus of the Great Western Railway and its successors since 1838. Much of the current This is a basin between the Regent’s Canal and the Grand Union canal, with mainline station dates back to 1854, and was designed by Isambard an island called Browning’s Island. The island is named after the poet Kingdom Brunel. Robert Browning, who lived as a widower at nearby Beauchamp Lodge in Warwick Crescent (now demolished). 2012 will be the 200th anniversary of Walk eastwards along Praed Street, to the corner of Paddington Station. his birth. Immediately after the station, cross and turn left into London Street, following the side of the station, which winds and becomes South Wharf The Jubilee Greenway follows the curve of Warwick Crescent on the left, Road. Observe the Art Deco signs ‘GWR Paddington’, dating from 1932, on with the water on the right. At Little Venice, continue ahead towards the the left. St Mary’s Hospital is on the right. ornate gold and blue bridge with little buildings at its side. Next to the bridge on the left is the cream-coloured Bridge House, which houses the Canal Turn left into one of the hospital entrances and pass by ‘Paterson Cabin’ on Café Theatre. the right. This cobbled path leads to the Paddington Branch of the Grand Union Canal. Paddington Station is to the left, behind a wall. Ahead loom Take the ramp up to Westbourne Terrace Bridge Road. This is the end of some modern glass blocks silhouetted against the skyline. To the right is section 1. Paddington Basin. Paddington Basin is the terminus of the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal. It was opened in 1801 and chosen because of its position on the New Road which led to the east, providing for onward transport. In its heyday, the basin was a major trans-shipment facility, and a hive of activity. The Grand Union Canal is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 220 km (137 miles) with 166 locks. Cyclists are asked to dismount along the canalside for a couple of hundred metres until reaching the big A40 road bridge. It is probably better to do this than take a longer, busier way around. This area is known as Paddington Central. D Sheldon Square is to the left (make a small detour for shops and to see the grassy steps in front of glass office buildings) and a pedestrian bridge across the canal is to the right. Do not cross the bridge; carry straight on along the canal. On the left are a group of smart restaurants and two sculpted men by Sean Henry (2003) facing each other, to celebrate walking. Jubilee Greenway Section 1 (Buckingham Palace to Little Venice) The canal to the right has barges, and a British Waterways information page 3 panel.