A traverse of the Thames basin

A walk from Greenwich Observatory to Parliament Hill

Camden to Hampstead
We were both a little footsore as we approached Camden - a reminder that walking 13 miles across London is no easier on your feet than covering the same distance across country. Wear stout shoes! Camden emerges from the somewhat desolate wasteland behind Kings Cross and becomes progressively trendier the further you progress towards Camden Lock (we have obviously discounted the TV AM building). Of particular note were the series of ten aluminium pods/homes which back onto the car park of the Camden branch of J. Sainsbury. Our subsequent research has revealed that these rather strange dwellings are part of the whole Sainsbury development (designed by Nicholas Grimshaw). The glass fronts make the most of the views of the canal while the   rear is almost entirely blank save for a spaceage door (think airlock!) at ground level.

We left the canal at Dingwalls and headed through the litter strewn streets of Andorran restaurants and Bolivian bars and made a mental note to check and see whether alpaca trousers were in fashion beyond the Chalk Farm Road.

Malden Road climbed out of Camden rather too steeply for our tastes on the final leg of our journey to Hampstead and when our feet finally hit the grass of the Heath there was an audible sigh. It only remained for us to climb Parliament Hill. At the top joggers flitted past and someone was flying a kite. To the north the lights were beginning to show in the grand houses of Hampstead. The view south was an exact mirror of that from Greenwich. All the same features, Canary Wharf, The Millennium Dome, St. Pauls, the Post Office Tower were visible but in reverse.

The achievement of completing this historic walk left us in no doubt that some kind of celebration was in order so we headed for the pub! We wandered through the streets of plush Victorian mansions (mostly uphill it seemed which is at odds with our claim that Parliament Hill is the highest point in London) before we finally arrived at Jack Straw's Castle, one of Dickens' favourite haunts, in time for dinner and beer (of course!)

New! We've added a postscript!

Intro

Greenwich

The Isle of Dogs/Canary Wharf

Canary Wharf to Limehouse Basin

The Regency Canal Pub Crawl

Camden to Hampstead

Next: Postscript

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