Pub Walk - North Dock to Blue Bridge WALKING TIPS walk time 35-45 minutes Walking times are approx, distance 2km / 1¼ miles measured on an average pace of two miles an hour.

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The Walk - Step by Step

This is a thoroughly contemporary amble through the intense drama of London’s Dockland heritage, only a short hop away from Canary Wharf’s financial dealings and designer shopping. Any exciting canal walk looks left, right, forward and behind, but this walk keeps you looking upwards at glass skyscrapers as well. Every reflection is contoured for and by man, yet the water belongs to nature and any passing coot pays little mind to modern pinstriped prowess or historic maritime power. A thriving, thrilling and paradoxically relaxing stroll.

The walk starts at . By the late 1700s the River 2 Head across the footbridge over North Dock, and up the Thames was overcrowded with merchants’ ships arriving from steps at Wren’s Landing towards . In one corner START around the world. As they moored on the river to allow small of the square, an artwork commemorates , boats (called ‘lighters’) to ferry their cargoes to the shore, the an investment banker whose vision led to the creation of Thames became jammed with chaos - tall masts waved over Canary Wharf as a financial centre. the water and boats butted starboard to portside. Rogues CANAL: didn’t miss the opportunity to feed the lucrative black market 3 Canary Wharf dazzles the London Skyline with Cesar Pelli’s business from this precarious system of goods being loaded tower, better known as One , once confidently START: West India Quay and unloaded. West India Merchants were so furious about the tallest building in Britain until the Shard muscled in. Walk OS Grid ref: TQ372805 Postcode: E14 4AL their losses that they demanded a secure dock was built. along South Colonnade and turn right just under the DLR Engineers , John Rennie and Ralph Walker took glass bridge towards the water of Middle Dock. Follow the FINISH: Blue Bridge up the baton, and became the largest path left around the Dock, keeping the water on your right, OS Grid ref: TQ383799 Postcode: E14 9ST structure of its kind in the world at that time. until you see the Santander hire bikes. Turn right here and go through the glass atrium in front of you. DISTANCE: 2km / 1¼ miles

A world trade route was opened up by the relationship (double if walk back to start) between the canals and the Docklands. Cargoes from ships 4 Cross South Quay Footbridge, stopping to take in soaring were transferred into canal boats to be distributed along the views of Canary Wharf, bright red DLR trains crossing the water, and South Dock sweeping towards the horizon. APPROX TIME: 35-45 minutes Regent’s and Grand Union Canals to be carried further inland to the Midlands. Coal, timber, cocoa, exotic fruits, tea and 5 South Dock is at times calm and filled only with the sounds of PUB: The Ledger Building and Rum & Sugar, other cargo arrived in the Docklands, and warehouses along honking geese or coots, while at other times, it provides next to Museum of London Docklands, various the quayside stored goods safely away from those sanctuary to huge seafaring ships replete with rigging or in Canary Wharf, The Gun, a short walk from opportunist scoundrels of the black market. the Blue Bridge sleek shining millionaire cruise ships. Spot the huge mooring dollies along the quayside as you head straight towards 1 The Museum of London Docklands is housed in Warehouse No. 1, one of only two survivors of the original nine Georgian where the Dock meets the River Thames. Stothert & Pitt PARKING: Car park behind the museum warehouses erected on the North Quay by the West India cranes by the enormous sea lock contrast with modern Postcode: E14 4AL Dock Company to store sugar, rum and coffee – products of cranes building more skyscrapers and the O2 Arena’s masts across the river. TRAIN/BUS: Nearest Underground/Docklands slave plantations in the Caribbean. The others were destroyed during World War II. Grade I-listed, it was originally built as a Light Railway stations – END The Blue Bridge is the sixth bridge since 1805-6 to span the West India Quay, Canary Wharf & South Quay ‘low’ warehouse in 1802-1804 but an extra two storeys were entrance to West India South Dock. It opened in 1969 and at added in 1827 by John Rennie. Exhibitions over several floors Transport for London the time was the largest single-leaf bascule bridge in Britain. Tel: 0343 222 1234 www.tfl.gov.uk tell London’s story without sparing any emotion between joy Incredibly quick (1 minute to raise or lower), it helped reduce and darkest shame. London was the fourth biggest slave the notorious ‘bridgers’, traffic jams on either side of the open trading port in the world after Rio de Janeiro, Bahia and bridge as ships entered or left the dock. Hop on a bus here or . The vile truth of ships arriving with ‘cargoes’ of the DLR from South Quay, or simply turn around and relive slaves is told in images and words uncomfortable to ingest, the joys of this route from a different viewpoint. yet more uncomfortable to ignore. The round table at which William Wilberforce and others sat to discuss the abolition of slavery is a touching exhibit and a showpiece of hope. canalrivertrust.org.uk