Transport for .

The . Section 5 of 10.

North to Foot Tunnel.

Section start: Stokes Road, North Beckton. Nearest stations Upton Park then bus 104 or 376 to to start: Lonsdale Avenue or Boundary Lane (near Hospital). Section finish:  (South Side). Nearest stations Woolwich Arsenal or to finish: Royal Arsenal Woolwich Pier . Section distance: 4.1 miles (6.6 kilometres) Introduction. On section five you can bound through Beckton Parks over the docks to the tidal Thames. This is a short section that leads from the Greenway down to the Thames at - to the Woolwich Free Ferry, and pedestrian foot tunnel under the Thames. Section five shares most of the route with the , another Walk London route. Passing through three parks, a farm, a meadow, a marsh and a lake en route to the ferry port, stopping to appreciate long views over the docks and the monolithic outline of Canary Wharf on the horizon: perhaps it is time to re-think 'the East End'... Look out for the Jubilee Greenway discs in the pavement as you go round. Directions. If starting from Upton Park Tube station, take bus route 104 towards Manor Park and get off at Lonsdale Close. Walk back to the pedestrian crossing, cross over and take the footpath to The Greenway. Alternatively take bus 376 to Brampton Manor School on Boundary Road and start your walk from there. Begin on the Greenway, following the Capital Ring signs by turning right down steps or a cycle ramp into Stokes Road. Enter a short alley between housing. Keep straight ahead into Stokes Road.

Cyclists should join the carriageway here.

After 80 metres, turn left into Roman Road, and then right into Noel Road, following the Capital Ring signs. A bridge looms into sight ahead. Cross this, either by stairs or cycle ramp and go over the busy thoroughfare of Newham Way. At this point the Canary Wharf buildings can be seen in the distance to the right. A road sign on the A13 announces 'Beckton Alps' - the giant slagheap of a former gasworks, until recently used as a dry ski slope. Go down the ramp or the steps at the other side of the bridge, into Viking Gardens. Go south through Viking Gardens and enter a park through a gate (with brick posts) into . Stay on the main path which leads through the park, avoiding side turns (although it is worth taking a short detour to the right to see the lake, and there are also toilets and a refreshment kiosk at the building at the south west corner of the lake). Follow signs for the Capital Ring. The right hand side of the main path is a cycle track. After about 400 metres, cross Tollgate Road, and enter Beckton District Park at the Tollgate East Entrance. Pass under a high metal barrier. Note the Will Thorne Pavilion (on the left), and a multi-coloured playground (also left). There is also a school to the left, and ponies graze freely here.

A short detour leads to Stansfield Road, on the other side of which is King George V Park in West Beckton, which contains Newham City Farm. To find it, from the sports centre / pavilion, join Stansfield Road and turn right, the farm is about 200 metres along.

Did you know? Newham City Farm is home to many farmyard favourites and rare breeds. The farm, opened in 1977, is free to visit and open every day except Mondays.

Still in Beckton District Park, continue to follow the Capital Ring signs. At the next junction, follow Capital Ring signs by veering left. On the right is a football ground. Here the path is wide tarmac and passes through an avenue of trees. After 200 metres, turn right, sign-posted Beckton Park DLR Station one quarter of a mile. This leads through trees to further playing fields on the right; York Close is on the left. Further ahead is a housing estate. Follow the Capital Ring signs ahead and out of the park onto Parry Avenue. Cross over the road here and follow the pavement of Savage Gardens along the north side of New Beckton Park. Turn right into the park through a gate and follow the path south past the Stroud Pavilion.

Turn left at the Capital Ring sign along a route with hedges and a small field to the left, and housing and a small playground to the right. Follow the path ahead past a primary school until it meets Manor Way. Turn right here and pass Medical Practice on the right. Cyclists will need to rejoin the carriageway here and go down the road and over the roundabout to the pedestrian area at Cyprus station. Beckton Community Centre can be reached by turning left along East Ham Manor Way. The Centre is on the other side of the road. There are toilets (wheelchair accessible) and refreshments here during opening hours. Continue along East Ham Manor Way for 80 metres. Proceed to the mini roundabout, at Cyprus Place. Cross towards the DLR station and the University of Docklands Campus, near the shrubbery area on the other side of the road you will find a large Capital Ring signpost. Follow the Capital Ring signage, over the line of the DLR via a bridge and enter the plaza of the UEL. Carry straight ahead to reach the waterfront of the Royal Albert Dock. At the waterfront, turn left and follow the Capital Ring signage past university buildings and the student's union, for about 700 metres. Just before going under a road bridge, turn left to go up to Woolwich Manor Way.

Here the Capital Ring and the Jubilee Greenway go separate ways again for a while - the Capital Ring joins the Thames but goes over two narrow lock gates, meanwhile the Jubilee Greenway turns right, and over the Sir Steve Redgrave Bridge, for nearly half a mile. Turn up to the right over the gently sloping Sir Steve Redgrave Bridge (also known as Woolwich Manor Way, which crosses the Royal Albert Dock Basin).

Did you know? The Sir Steve Redgrave Bridge was named after the oarsman who won five successive Olympic gold medals. In his early career, he used to row in the Royal Albert Dock. Redgrave was born in 1962 and has close ties with the Borough of Newham. The bridge was opened in 1999 and replaced an original swing bridge.

Cyclists can use the west pavement of the bridge (avoiding crossing Woolwich Manor Way) but where the path narrows later on at the Bascule Bridge, you are advised to cross the road opposite a bus stop and join the carriageway until turning left into Fishguard Way. Pass Royal Albert Dock on the right and Albert Basin to the left. Pass King George V Dock on the right (beyond which is the runway for ).

Did you know? King George V Dock was one of the Royal Docks. Building began in 1912, but ceased on the outbreak of the First World War, so construction was not completed until 1921. It was then opened by King George V, accompanied by Queen Mary. King George V Dock was the last of London's upstream enclosed docks to be built and could accommodate the largest ships, including liners such as the Mauretania. The dock closed to shipping in 1981.

Cross over Bascule Bridge (which can open to admit large vessels). Cross the traffic lights, and turn left into Fishguard Way. Follow this road on the left hand side, through Gallions Point Estate. Go ahead at the end, through bollards into a parking area, towards the Thames. At the end cross the road and through more bollards to reach the riverside at a pedestrian plaza area with benches. Here you are back on the Capital Ring, with a view of Woolwich and Shooters Hill beyond, across the river. There is a cafe in the parade of shops just before reaching the river.

Turn right, upriver, in a westerly direction along the north bank of the Thames, along the wide esplanade. After nearly 200 metres, at the little inlet, turn right and follow the Capital Ring signs, through a gate which is operated by pushing a button. Turn left towards the river and pass through a gateway onto narrow path alongside the river.

After another 80 metres, at the railings, again turn right, and continue round the slipway, following the Capital Ring signs and the Thames riverside. Bear right along a fenced path along the river wall. On the right now are the Royal Victoria Gardens.

Did you know? During the Second World War Royal Victoria Gardens suffered bomb damage during the bombing of the East End in 1940. Thus little of the original design of the gardens is left. Look out on the right for the steam hammer (built by R. Harvey of Glasgow in 1888) from the ship repair yard of R.H. Green and Silley Weir Ltd in Royal Albert Dock (on a site now covered by London City Airport). This was placed near the bowling green in 1994.

Go along between the Thames and the Royal Victoria Gardens for about 550 metres. At the end of the riverside walk, the path zig zags up right and left, and ends close to the Woolwich Free Ferry at North Woolwich Pier. The ferry conveys passengers and vehicles across to the south bank of the Thames at Woolwich. Heading up a ramp on the right, you join Pier Road - from here keep going round to the left for the Woolwich Free Ferry.

Did you know? There has been a ferry here for hundreds of years, but The Woolwich Free Ferry was opened in 1889, with two steamers called Gordon and Duncan after local military heroes. To use the foot tunnel, turn right along the pavement and cross at the zebra crossing, heading for the round-domed building which is the entrance to the tunnel. The Woolwich Foot Tunnel is officially a no-cycling zone, so cyclists may wish to take the free ferry across the river, or dismount and walk through the tunnel (there are lifts at either side). Section five finishes on the south side of the river. If you wish to end this walk on the north side of the river, to get to King George V station, keep along Pier Road eastwards and then as it bends round northwards there should be Capital Ring Link signage here - 300 metres later you will find the station. To get to from the foot tunnel, as you exit the tunnel, follow the path around the leisure centre to the main road, turn right and cross over Woolwich High Street at the roundabout. Follow John Wilson Street ahead and almost immediately turn left into Powis Street. This becomes a pedestrian area but the station is at the other end of this street. To continue on to section six, Thames to , cross the Thames either on the ferry or using the Woolwich Foot Tunnel.