London might seem like a sprawling concrete jungle, but the reality is that it is made up of 30 percent green space, designating it an official UK “Green City”. With almost 1500 square kilometres to explore, the sprawl of London holds many secrets, especially when it comes to wildlife and beautiful landscapes. Guests of West End hotel special offers are well placed to enjoy the sights and sounds of this fertile and captivating city.
Walking the city can be one of the ebay ways to get to know it. Whilst the London Underground is fast, it doesn’t leave much room for sightseeing, whilst driving around London can quickly see congestion charges snowball throughout the day. From the intimate meeting places near Piccadilly Circus to the nature reserves of greater London, exploring the city by foot and following specific walking trails will have you encounter areas and locales you might otherwise have missed.
This blog will explore some of the best walking routes in London. The freedom of a good walk can open your eyes to the city and allow first time visitors and guests of the Piccadilly London West End the freedom to dive into the true nature of the English capital.
South Bank To London Bridge
You’ll see some of the most famous landmarks in London from this 1.7 mile walk along the southern banks of the Thames. Starting off from Waterloo Station, this riverside walk passes the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament on the opposite bank, the Tate Modern, Globe Theatre and Golden Hinde replica ship along its banks. With a lot of entertainment, viewpoints over the river and eateries and bars to enjoy, this walk along the South Bank is more than just a central London walk, it’s a whole day out!
St James’s Park To Kensington Garden
Traverse the green lung of London through this series of royal parks. Walking from St James’s Park to the opposite side of Kensington Gardens should take you about 45 minutes to complete- that’s if you don’t stop to admire the artworks and events taking place all through this chain of green spaces. Hyde Park is often host to massive events such as British Summer Time music festival, BBC Proms In The Park and during the winter months, Winter Wonderland, a festival of christmas markets, bars and funfair rides. On top of this, both Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are host to a wealth of historic monuments and even art galleries. The Serpentine Gallery offers visitors some of the
Walthamstow Wetlands To Hackney Marshes
Walthamstow Wetlands and Hackney Marshes comprise just part of the green belt in London’s northeastern Lea Valley. The valley, which spans all the way up to Essex and Hertfordshire, has its end point just on the boundary of Hackney and Tottenham and is host to the Thames tributary and canal generating River Lea. The Walthamstow Wetlands are a protected nature reserve and collection of reservoirs that are popular fishing and birdwatching spots.
Navigate the trails through the reservoir series and you’ll find yourself in the vast wilderness of the Hackney Marshes, a large collection of walking routes and sports pitches. Follow the canal system and you’ll reach the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the warehouse district of Hackney Wick, both of which are teeming with attractions and eateries. The walk from Walthamstow Wetlands to Hackney Wick should take you around an hour and a half to two hours, and totals about 5 miles.
Epping Forest’s Oak Trail
The Oak Trail of Epping Forest is a 6 mile round walk through hilly trails of farm track and footpaths, all surrounded by, as you might guess, a lot of oak trees. These ancient beauties have been growing in Epping Forest for thousands of years and the historic earth of this East London forest is home to many animals, even wild deer that roam a protected enclosure.
There are a range of other walks that you can enjoy through the forest, many of which start at Chingford and draw you into woodlands filled with ponds, streams and even herds of cows! Whilst it might feel like you’ve stepped into the countryside once you’ve disembarked from the Central Line at Theydon Bois or the London Overground at Chingford, Epping Forest is very much a part of London, a part that is celebrated and revered thanks to its long history of royal hunting grounds, Roman encampments and the warrior queen of the Celts – Boudicea who hunted the Roman colonisers within the woods.
The Line
Broadly following the line of Greenwich Meridian, this East London walk is about 3 miles long but can take up to 3 hours to complete as it draws visitors past winding canals and backstreets of Greenwich, the Docklands and Stratford. The Line was built as the first of London’s public art walks, offering visitors a chance to enjoy sculptures and art installations that change and evolve with the shifting programme. There are also events and workshops held on The Line, all reflecting the ever changing landscapes of London’s historic Docklands.
Greenwich To The O2
If the line is too long a walk for your schedule, the Greenwich Park riverside walk towards the O2 arena is a segment that takes you away from the busy banks of Westminster’s Thames to a regenerating landscape of ports, sculptures and empty offices. This one can be very atmospheric, and is about 2 and a half miles long. Opposite the banks, you’ll be able to see the Isle of Dogs and Canary Wharf. Make sure not to miss the Greenwich Observatory viewpoint over the River Thames either, a perfect starting point for this often overlooked walk along the eastern edges of London.
The City’s Your Oyster
London’s historic royal parks and outer rim nature reserves promise plenty of walking trails, but the inner city sightseeing tours can also delight visitors looking to get to grips with the 32 borough wonderland. Guests of hotels in West End London England are spoilt for choice when it comes to city walks, whether in nature or in history, especially if they take advantage of the Santander Cycle bikes, rentable bikes that have hundreds of docking stations across the boroughs of Westminster and the City of London.
