Cancan one

Verified Slow Way

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I walked from Canary Warf to Canada Water.
The walk starts alongside the Wharf between glass towers, then a detour, the way is temporarily blocked (I took the orange line on the map photo) but there are alternative ways to get to Canary Wharf Pier to catch the ferry across the river to the Double Tree Hilton.
The ferry cost £5.20 (there are concessions and Oyster cards may work) and takes about a minute. It is the least swanky of the boats you'll see, but is buggy and wheel chair accessible. I had to wait for 15 minutes on the floating pier which was not a chore, watching the boats dock then speed off along the river. There are toilets and indoor waiting rooms.
On the other side there is a long access bridge that takes you to the hotel lobby. Out the other side across a road to a park. The park is quite wild and has historic ponds. The route goes round past a windmill and has earthy steps (east side), if you go the other way around (west side) there are no steps and a proper path. There is then a conical hill which if 60 steps does not put you off has amazing views of the surrounding city.
Going down Stave Hill is a bit muddy but in okay condition, this really feels rural.
Out into new housing estates with no roads but waterside walkways practically all the way to Canada Water tube station with shops and mobile cafes (I had a savory crepe, yummy).
This is a surprisingly different walk for a city, river crossings, nature walks, history, views, and riverside walks. Really nice, a mini adventure.
Wheelchair friendly, reasonably flat, one short bit that's not paved.

A nice walk through parks and urban canals. Some steps but could be avoided by doing a detour. The ferry could be quite expensive (£4.60) for a short journey and does not always operate. Check on Thames Clipper Website for the timetable. The ferry itself is wheelchair accessible but might not be when the tide is low (Steep ramp) or very windy.

Should be suitable for families and nice views.

This is a great little route and very short. The only downside of it is the need to use a ferry to cross the Thames for which you will have to pay, and should this be out of service for any reason then the route is impossible. The crossing is a few minutes and the ferry seems to turn around and run straight back so it is not a long wait for it. The timetable unhelpfully says that it runs from quite early to very late but gives no further info. There were bikes on it when I crossed but I forgot to check about wheelchair access - I think it was all level but best to check with the ferry co.
I started from Canary Wharf and the first part of the route is identical to 'Betcan' until you get to the ferry.
Oddly, after leaving the ferry the exit takes you through the foyer of a hotel. Then the route gets very interesting, after crossing a small road you immediately enter a park and pretty soon feel like you are in the countryside with no sound of traffic. There are wetlands and wild flower plantings and big mature trees - none of this is visible from the river so comes as quite a surprise. On one side of the route towards the middle is a big open parkland called Russia Dock which seems to be a popular spot for picnics and children to play.
When you pass Stave Hill it is worth climbing the steps for terrific views over London. After this there is a narrowish footpath under trees which is the only unpaved part of the route, it was firm and flat when I walked it but could be muddy in wet weather.
The last stretch to Canada Water runs alongside a fine water garden with reed beds and water birds that seem quite accustomed to the human traffic.
At both ends of the route there are places to get food and drink and probably other amenities as well.
I started by trying to follow the route using an A4 printout from Inkatlas but very soon gave up as it wasn't clear enough and resorted to my phone map. There are a couple of points where you need to ignore the signposts for Canada Water if you want to follow the Slow Ways route - I had to retrace my steps a couple of times because of this.
As with most London routes, how safe it feels will depend on the time of day and your knowledge of the area - I walked it mid afternoon on a weekday and there were plenty of people about including many families with children, presumably coming home from school.

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