4 Sept 2024 - A lovely route, full of contrast from the hustle and bustle of Canary Wharf through to peaceful, water-side residential area of the Isle of Dogs, to the uniqueness of the Greenwich tunnel and then out to the splendour of the Cutty Sark and Greenwich village. We found no barriers to access, just a few places on the route (South Quay to Isle of Dogs) where tree roots were lifting the paving slabs - so a bit uneven....

Stephen Mardon

On approaching Canary Wharf (coming from Tower Bridge) there's a short section of the path that is closed for building works but the diversion is signed and has ramped access....

Stephen Mardon

Some poor uneven narrow paving but good for wheels....

Strider

There were also a couple of short detours off the path due building work, notably at King Edward Memorial Park....

Matt Snow

Inaccurate route description in Canning town, one would now walk throught he station and use the exit to City island. The descrition here doesn't work anymore....

andrea weyand

It's interesting to see the transition from the built up business district of Canary Wharf to the more residential sections through Poplar. Small sections of the route are cobbled (Canary Wharf and Bow Locks)....

Tom

I walked this route from Plaistow to Canary Wharf. - The route down the back Barking Road was fine, but if you prefer a more lively route, then follow the main road instead! - For ease of navigation, and for a more pleasant route, I would stay on the footpath around the Poplar Dock Marina and Blackwall Basin...

Tom

At Canning Town tube these are correct and very helpful, as long as you realise they involve going underground, but in other places they seem to be an inadvertent mistake. Also be warned that phone apps might not be giving you your correct position, again it's better to rely on old school methods. Access wise the main obstacle is the steep and long steps at Blackwall Basin, the footbridge over to Canning Town has steps at both ends but also lifts....

Daisy C

On an overcast Sunday afternoon there was a kind of desolate beauty to walk through the industrial remnants of East London. The finish of the walk in Stratford was mainly along a quiet side street so does not feel as confusing as the Canary Wharf end. This is a quiet walk (by London standards), and there was a stretch of the canal under a bridge that did not look lit....

Lucy Cartwright

I started walking from Plaistow underground station which is just over a kilometre from the start of the route along reasonably quiet streets. From the start of the route you could just walk straight down the A124 which is lined with shops most of the way to Canning Town but the detour to a parallel side road offers a quieter alternative....

porcovolente

But beware puddles the full width of tow path in wet weather....

Daisy C

Starting from the base of the iconic One Canada Square, the route takes you immediately due south to a revolving door (photo 2) and through a short indoors section and out again to cross the beautiful South Quay Footbridge (photo 3). The route takes you along South Dock, and then south into West India & Millwall Docks (photos 4 & 5) before crossing the dock via the Dutch styled Glengall Bridge (photo 6). The route then follows a very brief (50m) section of road before crossing and entering into Millwall Park (photos 10 & 11) where my daughter was pleased to be distracted by a decent child's playground. From here it's a very short walk to the end of the route on Greenwich Church Street (photo 15)....

Steve Litchfield

A section of it by the Excel Arena is temporarily closed but having diverted around to the other side I can vouch for the connection and it was not worth a fail. The meandering route through a residential area in North Woolwich at the end seemed rather pointless when we walked it on a Saturday afternoon as the main, direct road was not busy at all. Overall though, this a well conceived and plotted route....

David Sanderson

A really enjoyable walk starting across the City of London, going down historic Cable Street and following the Thames Path (where it can) to Canary Wharf. Safe, varied, direct and avoids the busiest roads for the most part. Numerous stops and shops throughout....

David Sanderson

Through Poplar with very varied housing, old civic buildings, and a park full of history. A short walk through Stratford high street then along a back street to the station. The varied buildings are geometric and the late evening light picked them out well....

Strider

There were some building works at Trafalgar Way/Charter St (pedestrian diversion but fairly trivial) and a larger one just east of the Excel Centre, longer diversion via Victoria Dock Rd (but there was a map)....

Daisy C

Sadly the Thames Path is very sporadic with diversions in place at Canary Wharf as a bridge is out, and Limehouse where there is a sink hole....

Slow Ways Darren

This route is OK, it weaves on and off the Thames path due to various sections being temporarily closed off. There are stairs on the route. It probably isn't the most direct route between the two places but this means there are extra stretches along the river....

Dan Barron

This is a lovely walk, I'm not sure what I can add that the other reviewers have not already said. Ropemakers Fields is a lovely park full of people exercising. Lovely views along the riverside....

Strider

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. There is then a conical hill which if 60 steps does not put you off has amazing views of the surrounding city....

Strider

We walked from Bethnal Green to Canary Wharf as part of a longer walk following #DalBet One and it is interesting to experience the transition from inner city Hackney to Docklands. From here on, the glass towers of Canary Wharf make it clear where to head following the Thames path. At time of writing (September 2022) there are some major building works closing off the Thames path just beyond the Canary Wharf Clipper Pier (photo 9), but it's straightforward to go up the steps to Westferry Circus and follow Westferry Road down to Canada Square (the first of the mega towers in the Docklands redevelopment, photo 10)....

Jo Wood

Starting from the Cutty Sark in Greenwich, which I last visited on a school trip 40 years ago, the route takes you down the steps into Greenwich Foot Tunnel (there is a lift option to avoid the steps)....

David Sanderson

This route was fairly easy to follow, but got tedious and noisy on the midsection (into Canning Town and through into Blackwall). Enjoyed the view of the Lyle's Golden Syrup factory, O2 Arena. The route did the job....

ShortLegsLongWalk

After passing the Excel exhibition centre, the route moves into the residential/industrial area which might be less interesting but certainly recommend the route....

v199629

This is basically the same route as MonCan1 but with an extra stretch from Liverpool Street to Monument and passing through south Wapping rather than on the northside. It is worth checking out the reviews of that route for more opinions. As it stands the route to Monument is down very busy streets....

porcovolente

Apart from the short stretch along Eastcheap there is no walking along busy roads and much of the route follows waterways....

porcovolente

There is a problem with this route at Canning Town where it uses a footbridge that doesn't exist and goes through a building site. Canning Town is a fast changing area with many developments ongoing....

Liz R

Just at the north end as the route passes through the building, there may be access issues if the building is closed....

mtormey

A great walk that included lovely riverside paths and vibrant central London adventuring!...

mtormey

Going through the Greenwich foot tunnel is a treat (if you like that kind of thing)....

danravenellison

Parts could maybe make more of the Thames Path, but it's otherwise a great way to get between Monument and Canary Wharf....

danravenellison

Not the most direct, but it goes along the water a lot of the time and along some nice back streets. Felt safe throughout. Only significant access issue is that right towards the end there are steps up onto a bridge - I couldn't see an alternative way up....

jenny_mills

Walked 5 days a week for 12 years....

IKwalker

The ferry could be quite expensive (£4.60) for a short journey and does not always operate....

v199629

Given that the route’s creator thought that the canal is worth the extra half-a-kilometre (which it certainly is), it would surely have made more sense to go down Roman Road directly to Regent’s Canal (as suggested in Porcovolente’s review) – which would hardly increase the total length of the route, but would treble the distance of the Regent’s Canal section. After walking east down Roman Road, the route takes a right turn down Globe Road at the next set of traffic lights. To do this, rather than turning right into Globe Road, continue along Roman Road for about 600 metres to Regent’s Canal. Soon after, Roman Road crosses Regent’s Canal where there is access to the towpath, which runs alongside Mile End Park (see photo). However, it is hard to see why the route does not instead continue along Regent’s Canal as far as Limehouse Basin (see photo), avoiding the need to negotiate Commercial Road....

starlton

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. I started from Canary Wharf and the first part of the route is identical to 'Betcan' until you get to the ferry. 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....

porcovolente

From here it is a very pleasant canalside walk as far as Mile End Park where you cross the canal near the Ragged School Museum and onto Ben Jonson Road. Food and drink can be found at various points on the route around Stepney and Mile End Road as well as at both ends of the route. An alternative which would make the walk slightly longer but much greener would be to stay on the canal path as it runs through Mile End Park until it hits Roman Road....

porcovolente

This route isn’t drawn quite accurately enough and could suggest the use of a small section of the Aspen Way slip road at Preston’s Road junction (Blackwall) which barely has a pavement - a small redrawing using Baffin Way would make it useable, although it also uses some very industrial roads in the Royal Docks for which there are probably safer alternatives (see Cannor two suggestion)....

tractiveeffort