Blackheath to Canary Wharf Length: 12km (7.5 miles) Toughness: 1/10
10:34 Dartford train from
Victoria arriving at
Blackheath at
10:58.
or
10:32 Rainham train from
St Pancras International arriving at
Blackheath at
11:02.
or
10:42 Dartford train from
Charing Cross arriving at
Blackheath at
11:05.
Both the latter trains call at London Bridge and Lewisham.
Those arriving on the two earlier trains should wait for walkers arriving on the second Dartford train before starting the walk.
To return from Canary Wharf, take any of the frequent trains on the Jubilee Line or the Docklands Light Railway.
There are many points of interest on this shortish walk that crosses the River Thames as it flows past Greenwich and the Isle of Dogs, but today’s principal attraction comes right at the end of the walk in the form of Canary Wharf’s traditional annual
Winter Lights display, a collection of spectacular light installations and interactive art, spread across the open spaces of Canary Wharf. The exhibits operate from 4:00pm to 10:00pm, and the lights need to be seen after dark, so there’s no need to rush the earlier part of the walk. The Winter Lights website has a downloadable map showing the location of all the installations. If you can’t get to today’s walk, please note that Winter Lights continues each evening until Saturday 25th January.
Before reaching Canary Wharf, the route crosses Blackheath and goes past many historic buildings and sites in Greenwich, including the Royal Observatory, the National Maritime Museum, the Royal Naval College and the Cutty Sark.
The recommended lunchtime pub is the
Plume of Feathers (020 8858 1661), just outside Greenwich Park, but there are many other watering holes in the vicinity.
You can download a PDF of the
walk directions, or print them from the walk’s introduction page.
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