North Woolwich — Dagenham
Nordag two
Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Nordag here.
Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Nordag here.
By Daisy C on 23 Jun 2023
Description
This is a difficult area to take a peaceful walk through, but this route does a fair job. About half the distance is genuinely off-road, beside the Thames and through a mix of suburban parks and green-ribbon walking routes.
Starting from North Woolwich it sticks to the Thames Path for as long as possible. There's a bit with a closed gate but there's an agreement so if it's shut in the evening a button should open it.
The final bit of the Thames Path is ahead but is closed for building. When it reopens you could follow the Capital Ring signs to get back on this route at Gallions Roundabout
For now you leave the Thames earlier and join the A117 to head north. Cross over the road as from the bridges there are good views westwards over the docks and City Airport runway. When a plane lands, right over your head, it's quite a spectacle.
Cross the middle of Gallions Roundabout, don't try going around it. After a while on another fairly big road you take a foot/bike path through a ribbon of woodland which follows the A1020 all the way up to Beckton Roundabout and the A13. It's set back from the road and rather nice, but you don't truly escape the traffic rumble and sometimes tangible air pollution. This stretch passes a Costa in a big box retail park (where the flytipping was a bit smelly) and a drive-thru MacD.
Next section is walking right beside the huge and busy A13 for over a mile. It's grim. There's a short view down Barking Creek that might cheer you a little.
Off the A13, down progressively quieter streets then onto the Ripple Greenway, a ribbon park including a lot of reeds which presumably hide a small river. Quite charming and very peaceful. In the middle is a bigger grassy park, and immediately north of that is the small Thames View shopping precinct including a bakery and a Coop. There's a pedestrian way through to it from either end of the park, but the closest, western one isn't as easy to spot from the Ripple Greenway.
Back up to the A13, a slightly smelly underpass and onto Castle Green. A huge rectangle of grass, but a few trees, meadows of grass left long and being any distance at all from the A13 all make up for that.
Get even further away onto quieter streets in the huge 1920s Becontree Estate then into the west end of Goresbrook Park, with another small river winding through it. When you leave it Dagenham Heathway station is just up the road.
I think the route could be viable for wheelchair use because of the overlap with bike routes and a wheelchair accessible route called the Jubilee Greenway. However there are anti motorbike type width restrictors at the north exit of Castle Green and into Goresbrook Park. It's not as pleasant but not a very large or hugely noisy detour to go around either along the pavements.
From Nor to Dag, bus routes 473, 262, 474, 673, 325, 366, EL1 to 3, 173, 287, 687, 145, 174, 175 all go somewhere near the route. No trains or tube except Dagenham Heathway
This is a difficult area to take a peaceful walk through, but this route does a fair job. About half the distance is genuinely off-road, beside the Thames and through a mix of suburban parks and green-ribbon walking routes.
Starting from North Woolwich it sticks to the Thames Path for as long as possible. There's a bit with a closed gate but there's an agreement so if it's shut in the evening a button should open it.
The final bit of the Thames Path is ahead but is closed for building. When it reopens you could follow the Capital Ring signs to get back on this route at Gallions Roundabout
For now you leave the Thames earlier and join the A117 to head north. Cross over the road as from the bridges there are good views westwards over the docks and City Airport runway. When a plane lands, right over your head, it's quite a spectacle.
Cross the middle of Gallions Roundabout, don't try going around it. After a while on another fairly big road you take a foot/bike path through a ribbon of woodland which follows the A1020 all the way up to Beckton Roundabout and the A13. It's set back from the road and rather nice, but you don't truly escape the traffic rumble and sometimes tangible air pollution. This stretch passes a Costa in a big box retail park (where the flytipping was a bit smelly) and a drive-thru MacD.
Next section is walking right beside the huge and busy A13 for over a mile. It's grim. There's a short view down Barking Creek that might cheer you a little.
Off the A13, down progressively quieter streets then onto the Ripple Greenway, a ribbon park including a lot of reeds which presumably hide a small river. Quite charming and very peaceful. In the middle is a bigger grassy park, and immediately north of that is the small Thames View shopping precinct including a bakery and a Coop. There's a pedestrian way through to it from either end of the park, but the closest, western one isn't as easy to spot from the Ripple Greenway.
Back up to the A13, a slightly smelly underpass and onto Castle Green. A huge rectangle of grass, but a few trees, meadows of grass left long and being any distance at all from the A13 all make up for that.
Get even further away onto quieter streets in the huge 1920s Becontree Estate then into the west end of Goresbrook Park, with another small river winding through it. When you leave it Dagenham Heathway station is just up the road.
I think the route could be viable for wheelchair use because of the overlap with bike routes and a wheelchair accessible route called the Jubilee Greenway. However there are anti motorbike type width restrictors at the north exit of Castle Green and into Goresbrook Park. It's not as pleasant but not a very large or hugely noisy detour to go around either along the pavements.
From Nor to Dag, bus routes 473, 262, 474, 673, 325, 366, EL1 to 3, 173, 287, 687, 145, 174, 175 all go somewhere near the route. No trains or tube except Dagenham Heathway
Status
This route has been reviewed by 2 people.
There are no issues flagged.
Photos for Nordag two
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Information
Route status - Live
Reviews - 2
Average rating -
Is this route good enough? - Yes (2)
There are currently no problems reported with this route.
Downloads - 1
Surveys
What is this route like?
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Grade 3X based on 1 surveys | Sign up or log in to survey this route. | ||
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Description | Note | ||
Grade 3: Route includes rough surfaces that may include small boulders, potholes, shallow ruts, loose gravel, short muddy sections. Access grade X: At least one stile, flight of steps or other obstacle that is highly likely to block access for wheelchair and scooter users. |
Grading is based on average scores by surveyors. This slow way has 1 surveys. | ||
Full grading description |
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Survey Photos
Facilities
Facilities in the middle third of this route.
Challenges
Potential challenges reported on this route. Some challenges are seasonal.
Obstacles
Obstacles on this route.
Accessibility
Is this route step and stile free?
Measurements
Surveyors were asked to measure the narrowest and steepest parts of paths.
The narrowest part of the path is 50.0cm (1)
The steepest uphill gradient walking East 7.0% (1)
The steepest uphill gradient walking West 8.0% (1)
The steepest camber gradient across the path 1.0% (1)
How clear is the waymarking on the route: Unclear in places (1)
Successfully completed
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Recommended by an expert
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Terrain
We asked route surveyors to estimate how much of the route goes through different kinds of terrain.
65.0% of the route is on roads (1)
80.0% of the route is lit at night (1)
85.0% of the route is paved (1)
5.0% of the route is muddy (1)
1.0% of the route is over rough ground (1)
10.0% of the route is through long grass (1)
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1 surveys
Information from verified surveys.
Geography information system (GIS) data
Total length
Maximum elevation
Minimum elevation
Start and end points
North Woolwich
Grid Ref
TQ4319879774
Lat / Lon
51.49877° / 0.06161°
Easting / Northing
543,198E / 179,774N
What3Words
laptop.solid.sizes
Dagenham
Grid Ref
TQ4903884715
Lat / Lon
51.54166° / 0.14777°
Easting / Northing
549,038E / 184,715N
What3Words
chip.looks.piper
North Woolwich | |
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Grid Ref | TQ4319879774 |
Lat / Lon | 51.49877° / 0.06161° |
Easting / Northing | 543,198E / 179,774N |
What3Words | laptop.solid.sizes |
Dagenham | |
---|---|
Grid Ref | TQ4903884715 |
Lat / Lon | 51.54166° / 0.14777° |
Easting / Northing | 549,038E / 184,715N |
What3Words | chip.looks.piper |
Sorry Land Cover data is not currently available for this route. Please check back later.
reviews
Strider
20 Jan 2024I walked from North Woolwich to Dagenham.
Daisy C's overview describes the walk very well.
Steps to start then along the Thames Path, beautiful. I revelled in the chance to dip my boots in the Thames and drink in the Wintery sunshine views. There's a magnetic gate operated by a button, locked after dark but in theory openable by contacting the number posted by the gate. Turn North by the row-boat past City Airport with brilliant views. Toward the Becton roundabout there is a cycle path mostly set back from the road. Lots of litter. After the roundabout there is pavement walking right beside a very busy road, not nice. But soon there is a very pleasant ribbon park along side a stream dotted with iron artworks. Then a string of quiet suburban roads threaded with open spaces and parks right up to Dagenham High Street. The Snack Bar serves very hot, very good food, perfect on this icy day.
Apart from a section of road walking, this was a very pleasant walk, very open, with good views. Steps and long grass make it unsuitable for wheels.
Daisy C
26 Jun 2023Review as per description. This route was designed to remove some of the busy A road walking that blights NorDag 1. It does that and adds some more Thames Path and pleasant greenspaces, but the roads are still fairly noticeable.
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Daisy C
20 Jan 2024I also went into The Snack Bar! In June '24 the cold drinks were the main attraction.
Daisy C
20 Jan 2024PS your photo of the plane coming in is fabulous.
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