Directions - Walk London

Pass the lock houses, and just before the gates, bear right on to the floatingtowpath. Go under the Blackwall Tunnel Approach. The canal runs in astraight line in a southwest direction. It passes under the DLR and two roadbridges to go round the tiny Abbotts Wharf dock.After that, the path runs under Burdett Road. The waterway narrows atBritannia Bridge, which carries Commercial Road (A13) along the north sideof the Limehouse area. Soon after the bridge, there are gates on theleft. These give access to St Anne’s passage – an optional diversion to visitSt Anne’s Church. To reach the church, take the passage and then NewellStreet.A famous photograph was taken here in 1981 of the SDP “gang of four”launching the Limehouse Manifesto. A little further down river with theThames is the Grapes pub, some 400 years old, which was the inspirationfor the pub called “Six Jolly Fellowship Porters” in Dickens’ “Our MutualFriend”.To reach Limehouse Station (DLR): from the end of the walk turn rightacross the swing bridge at Narrow Street and go right into HorseferryRoad. At the end go ahead up the slope to the Basin and turn left at HurfordSalvi Carr. At Branch Street go right to Commercial Road. Then turn left forthe station.The Limehouse area is named after the lime kilns that were near theThames. Commercial Road was built in 1803 to link the West India Docksand the East India Docks with the City of London. This new toll road, aswas, reduced the size of St Anne’s Churchyard.Soon after Britannia Bridge, the Limehouse Cut bends to the right, to passunder a footbridge and enter Limehouse Basin itself.Limehouse Basin opened in 1812, only to be enlarged eight years later. Itwas reduced however in 1985. First it was known as Regent’s Canal Dockas it was also the entrance to Regent’s Canal (which links in turn to theGrand Union Canal). At that time the Limehouse Cut joined the Thames in adifferent place. The dock was much used by barges carrying coal inlandfrom ships coming up the Thames from Newcastle. It was only in 1864 thatthe Limehouse Cut was linked to Limehouse Basin.Keep the basin on the right-hand side. Here the towpath runs along the eastside of the Basin to pass the final lock and reach gates at NarrowStreet. Cross Narrow Street to see the Basin entrance.Limehouse Basin entrance is crossed at the swing bridge by NarrowStreet. The pub here is the former Regent’s Canal dockmaster’s house,built in 1910. Take the Thames Path down river a little way to look for theoriginal Limehouse Cut junction with the Thames, which was closed in1968.Lea Valley WalkSection 5 (Three Mills to Limehouse Basin )page 2www.walklondon.org.uk