JOST A MON

There once used to be a neat little website for the North London Walkers describing some interesting walks in this great city. It no longer exists. Luckily the time machine that is archive.org has snapshots of it from before it went kaput. I’m reposting the (slightly) re-edited versions here. I start with the Pilgrim Trail. (For those who are curious, this walk intersects with the Pub Crawl I described a couple of years ago.)

This Trail is 14 km long, and starts at Canada Water Station, part of the Jubilee Line. You then walk through the once bustling commercial Surrey Docks, most of which have been converted to residential or leisure use. You then pass the site from which the Pilgrim Fathers departed for North America at Rotherhithe.

The route then takes you beneath Tower Bridge and London Bridge Railway Station emerging at Guys Hospital. Not far from here is the George Inn, the last of the areas great coaching Inns which included the Tabard Inn from where Chaucer left on his Canterbury Pilgrimage.

You then leave the area via the London Fire Brigade Museum and the Imperial War Museum before arriving at the London home of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Lambeth Palace.

The route then crosses over the River Thames, affording great views of the Place of Westminster. Then it goes on to the finish at Victoria Station where many modern day pilgrimages begin.

Start: Canada Water Station (Jubilee Line)

Upon exiting the Station cross over the road, Surrey Quays Road, and follow it to the left, passing the Daily Mail and Evening Standard Printing Press. When you reach the Redriff Road Swing Bridge.

Q1 - What Colour is Redriff Road Swing Bridge?

(Hint: the bridge shown above is not the Redriff one!) Walk on to the bridge and go down the steps leading to:

Greenland Dock

Follow the footpath leading to the right, around the dock. Turn right after passing Hornblower Close and then turn left, past the boat park, into Rope Street. Walk to the end of Rope Street, passing South Dock and crossing the swing bridge, at the end turn left and follow the road round to the lock.

Q2 - At the entrance to Greenland Dock there is a small brick building. What is it called?

Go past the lock keepers office until you reach the bridges over the lock. Cross using either the 1902 swing footbridge or the modern road bridge. On the other side continue walking straight ahead along South Sea Street, cross over Finland Street and follow the footpath which leads down to Gulliver Street. Turn left and follow the road around until you reach the Ship and Whale Public House. Turn left here into Rotherhithe Street.

Follow Rotherhithe Street, as it bears left to:

Trinity Halls

Q3 - On the outside of Trinity Halls there is a plaque. Who founded the building on this site in 1836?

Continue following Rotherhithe Street as it turns left, passing the Holiday Inn Hotel adjacent to Nelson Dock House. When you reach Canada Wharf turn right and go up the steps leading to the Thames Path. Follow the path, passing the Lavender Pond Pump House, until it re-emerges in Rotherhithe Street. Turn right and follow the road over the Bascule Bridge (this was the main entrance to the Surrey Commercial Docks), passing shaft 2 of the Rotherhithe Tunnel, 50 yards beyond this turn right and go up the steps to the Thames Path. Follow this path until you come to the statue of the:

Pilgrim Fathers

Upon leaving the path turn right and continue following Rotherhithe Street.

Q4 - At the start of Railway Avenue there is a chimney, at its base there is a plaque. What was the building?

When you reach the Mayflower Public House, turn left here and then turn right going around the back of the church into Marychurch Street, passing the Charity School and Old Watch House, until you reach the Ship Public House. Turn right here into Elephant Lane, as the road goes left follow it round and then go straight ahead to the:

Angel Public House

Q5 - Opposite the Angel Public House there are remains of which Kings' Manor House?

Continue walking straight ahead along Bermondsey Wall East this emerges in Fountain Green Square as you leave the square turn right, then left, and then right again along Chambers Street. At the end of Chambers Street turn left into George Row and the immediately right into Jacob Street. When you reach the end of Jacob Street turn right along Mill Street then before you reach the end turn left and follow the path between the offices to:

St. Saviours Dock

Cross over the bridge and follow the Thames Path past the Design Museum towards Tower Bridge, at the end of the path pass through the alley and then turn right along Shad Thames. Continue straight ahead passing the Old Anchor Brewhouse, under Tower bridge and H.M.S. Belfast until you reach Hays Wharf. Turn left here through the Wharf and at the far end you emerge at Tooley Street. Cross over Tooley Street via the pedestrian crossing and then walk along Stainer Street, underneath London Bridge Railway Station. At the far end turn right along St.Thomas Street, passing Guys Hospital and the Old Operating Theatre of St.Thomas Hospital. At the end turn left into:

Borough High Street

walk along Borough High Street passing the George Inn.

Q6 - About 50 yards beyond the George Inn there is a plaque on the site of the Queens Head Inn. Which American University patron used to own the Inn?

At the junction of Marshalsea Road turn right and at the end turn left along Southwark Bridge Road, passing the London Fire Brigade Museum.

Q7 - What year can be seen on the Fire Station?

At the junction with Borough Road turn right, passing under the railway bridge and continue on to St.Georges Circus. Cross over the circus into Lambeth Road, walk to the end of Lambeth Road, passing the Imperial War Museum.

Q8 - Just beyond the Imperial War Museum, on the right hand side of the road, there is a blue plaque. Who does it commemorate?

Continue along Lambeth Road until you come to:

Lambeth Bridge

Cross over Lambeth Bridge and on the far side go straight ahead into Horseferry Road, follow Horseferry Road as it bears right.

Q9 - What dates can be seen on Grey Coat Hospital?

At the Grey Coat Hospital School turn left into Grey Coat Place and at the end turn right into Artillery Row. At the end you come to Victoria Street, turn left here, passing Westminster Cathedral, to the finish:

Victoria Station (British Rail/Victoria Line)