The Ornamental Canal in Wapping
SIGHT (Into Wapping): Continue further south on Back Church Lane, walking below the present day railway line, and turn right (west) on B126/Cable Street for about 150 meters until Dock St. Continuing south and crossing The Highway (formerly the Ratcliffe Highway, also known for some particularly beastly murders in the early 19th century), you are now Vaughan Way entering the old dockside community of Wapping. After 350 meters on The Highway you will arrive at the fairly recent Ornamental Canal and adjacent newly built houses. This was once the western part of the specifically named London Docks, which closed to shipping in 1969. In the 1970s the western part of the docks were filled in, and the area was later redeveloped with more than 1,000 individual properties. This is today a rather affluent location with annual rises in real estate prices of more than 20 pct.
SIGHT (The Riverside and pubs): You have now almost reached the end of the “Sights” part of the tour. You will, I hope, spend the rest of the day visiting the amazing riverside pubs of Wapping, some of the oldest in London. Across from the ornamental canal, you can take a short pathway leading down to the beginning of Wapping High St. On the riverside is the Hermitage Riverside Memorial Garden, which commemoratees the civilians who died during the London Blitz in World War 2. From the garden there is also a magnificent view to Tower Bridge and The Shard.
The Riverside seating at Town of Ramsgate
PUB (The Town of Ramsgate): From the Memorial Garden walk east along the High Street, until you reach the Town of Ramsgate pub. The current building dates back to 1758, and the pub has been known as The Town of Ramsgate since 1811. By some accounts the first pub on the site originated in the 1460s and was called The Hostel. It is quite small and narrow, and depending on when you arrive, it may be difficult to get a seat. It has an equally small riverside terrace, but a lot of charm not to be missed. Just next to the pub are the Wapping Old Stairs.
PUB (The Captain Kidd): Continue on along Wapping High Street to The Captain Kidd, located in an old warehouse. It seems fairly small from the outside, but it is significantly later than the Town of Ramsgate and also has a great riverside outdoor seating area with great views of Rotherhithe on the opposite shore and the Canary Wharf developments further downstream. The pub is named for the legendary privateer William Kidd, who was hanging nearby on the Wapping foreshore in 1701. The pub occupies a 17th century warehouse, but was itself not established until the 1980s.
The view from The Captain Kidd towards Canary Wharf
PUB (The Prospect of Whitby): Probably the most famous pub on the riverside is the Prospect of Whitby, about half a mile further west. To get there continue east on the High Street past the Wapping overground rail station and make a right turn on to Wapping Wall, arriving at the Prospect of Whitby just before the Thames Path commences. The pub makes claim to be the oldest riverside pub in London with a history dating back to 1520, and features a beer garden, a first floor balcony and terrace and great views toward the south bank and Canary Wharf.
OPTIONAL CONTINUATION (The Narrow / The Grapes): You have probably spend most of the day by now, and had some pub grub at one of the riverside pubs. If you’re still not done, you can walk on another half a mile along the Thames Path until you reach Gordon Ramsay’s gourmet pub The Narrow by the entrance to the Limehouse Basin. If you are looking for another more traditional pub to end the tour, continue on a few hundred feet further on Narrow Street, until you reach The Grapes, a very popular and charming local haunt in a Grade II listed building dating back to the 1720s. The pub is co-owned by Sir Ian McKellen, and also has a 1st floor restaurant – it is recommended to book in advance to ensure a table.
THE END: If you chose to end the walk in Wapping, best option to get away is a bus (going to Central London/Tower Hill) from Wapping High Street. If you continued on to Limehouse (The Narrow or The Grapes), you best option is to continue along Narrow St. until you reach the Westferry DLR station with frequent trains to Central London, Greenwich and Woolwich.
On behalf of Sights and Pints we hope you have enjoyed the walk. You are very welcome to leave your feedback by commenting on this page.
If you want to read more
- The East End – journey into the dark heart of London – great blog with tons of stories and pictures from history of London’s East End.