Thames Crossings - Woolwich Foot Tunnel Opps I mean DLR from George V to Woolwich Arsenal - 29 August 2014

I had planned to cross by the Woolwich Foot tunnel, but got held up in the Albert Dock and taking photos of City Airport I did not want to walk under the tunnel at 19:30, I was too scared! So that's postponed until 12th September.

Today I left work at 17:00 and walked my normal walk, blah, blah blah, fast forward to the Lower Lea Crossing, so unlike last week instead of turning right into Dock Road I crossed the dual carriageway and made my way towards the Dangleway (Cable Car) and followed the side of the Royal Victoria dock as far as I could, which was in fact to the part of the undeveloped part of the  former Royal Albert Docks site just after the Newham Council building (Building 1000) famous for its appearance on Benefits Street (I think that's what its was called).

Building 1000

Anyway this building had been empty for years, mind you it is in the middle of nowhere. I remember when I was working in Scotland and flying from City Airport that this building was unoccupied and that was in 2000. It's good to see they have spent rate payers money well with two exotic trees in the atrium. Forgive me I'm getting ahead of myself. Where was I, oh yes the Dangleway following the docks.

I'm used to the older docks in the Isle of Dogs and on the southern side of the river. Greenland Dock and South Dock, these are much smaller than the Albert and Victoria docks which are huge, let's face it they swallow up City Airport and that not a small place. Built for the big ships, but now prime sites for re-development, business and residential, no wonder they built the DLR this way.

The views are impressive both up and down the docks, there's even a bridge, well in fact three bridges, across the docks, two of which are for pedestrians and cyclists one of which is a swing bridge the other is a lot taller accessed by lifts if your on foot.

Royal Victoria Dock

These docks see a lot of traffic with Cruise ships and the like visiting, he says with the authority of someone who knows, like hell I do! There was one ship berthed, a hotel, but it looked pretty permanent given the stays attaching it to the dockside, the Sunborn, don't know if that's the ship or the hotel anyway pretty impressive, all the benefits of a cruiser without the sea sickness!

As you walk along the docks across the far side is the Spillers Millenium Wharf, this pre dates the year 2000 and I would guess this was built in thirties given it's Art Deco design. It's impressive if somewhat derelict. If I'm not mistaken Ashes to Ashes TV series used it as a backdrop. In front of the wharf is an old lighthouse ship (Lighthouse 93) and what appears to be an ocean going tug raised out on the dock on a pontoon, this is the SS Robin and I'm visiting it in October.

Spillers Millennium Wharf

I must say I was enjoying this walk, it would have been even better if the sun had be out, there were a few people walking up down taking in the views, a trio of young Asian girls sitting on the dock (or should that be Dock of the Bay, having a shifty fag, a further two young Asians sitting on the staff benches outside the Newham building having a cuddle until I spoilt their privacy!

The dominating feature here, apart from the dock it's self is of course is the Tate & Lyle refinery which completely dwarves City Airport in front of it, whilst City Airport completely dwarves Tate & Lyle noise wise. I stood and watched the planes for quite awhile, it's non-stop they take off and land east to west, well they did tonight, one taxi's up the runway, whilst another prepares to land, once it's landed the other one takes off. It was great, really good views of the planes and some pretty good photos given it was getting dark and was overcast.

Plane Sugar

It was at this point that things began to get difficult, I knew at the time I was making a mistake but I still followed my heart and entered the confines of the former Royal Albert Dock and notwithstanding the warnings that this was private etc etc etc. This is a very large expanse of waste land that was the former docks, old railway tracks are embedded into the ground, there are platforms where the dock building were.

Royal Albert Docks

The only buildings left standing appear to be the docks orginal administration buildings, these looked more like a country retreat. As they have been left standing I guess they must have listed building status, it will be interesting to see what becomes of them. Rather bizarrely there's a road sign inside the docks where the exit used to be directing you to the MI and M25.

Exit from the docks

Having walked the length of the docks and not having found a way out, I tried to climb the fence but gave up. Not being as young as I was once and also in fear of ripping my trousers I gave that up a a bad job and retraced my steps, with a jarred back to boot (and I'm paying it for now)!

This added about 30 minutes to my journey and it was about now that I began to have second thoughts about using the foot tunnel. I've used it before, but not many people use it any more as it's in the middle of nowhere and the DLR is far quicker, I just felt uncomfortable and as I had the DLR on my list anyway I thought I would chicken out. I will come back on the 12 September as I will be able to leave early as I've got an exam that afternoon (what am I doing taking exams at 57!). I will make a special effort to go direct without any divations and get there about 18:30, although only an hour or so earlier it will make all the difference. When I told Beverley she was pleased as she was rather concerned with me using the tunnel.

Having retraced my steps I now had the pleasure of walking along the busy A1020 Royal Albert Way all the way into North Woolwich. This runs along side the University of East London, and I know for a fact you can walk inside their campus by the dock but you need to be below the A1020 where the DLR runs to Beckton, but there was no access from the road.

The A1020 swings a right and crosses the entrances to both the Royal Albert and King George V docks and here is the piece de la resistance of this walk, you get an uninterrupted view along the length of the docks and City Airport towards Canary Wharf.  A magnificent vista and at this time of the night with the sun just breaking through the clouds a very fine view.  Here I had a great view of  the planes landing and taking off.

Finding George V DLR station proved a challenge as it's well hidden with very little signage directing you there, however the route did take me into the centre of North Woolwich. This has been completely re-built, mind you I don't know what was here previously but the building are fairly new, it's laid out I a cross with lots of shops and street furniture, quite pleasant really.

The DLRis at the end, I was surprised how busy the station was, and even more so when the Woolwich train arrived which was pretty well damn well full up, no chance of film the journey from the front of the train. I understand that Woolwich Arsenal is one of the busiest DLR stations on the entire network, just makes you wonder how the underground would be patronised if that came out to SE London, although under Boris' 30 year plan the Bakerloo Line is due to arrive at Hayes (Kent) in 2044, mind you I'll be dead by then!

The trip to Woolwich takes 4 minutes, my film is pretty crap, I'm not keen on filming directly into people's faces and the view through a tunnel is mainly reflections of me filming!

Having arrived at Woolwich I took a new route to Shooters Hill via Burrage Road and then some shorter local roads and through a series of alleyways and unmade roads, step but pretty quick, I arrived at Eaglesfield Park with views across the Thames Valley, this is more or less the highest point inThe Royal Borough of Greenwich.

Video of plane at City Airport

I finally arrived home at 21:00 pretty sore and stiff, but on checking I discoverd I had walked almost 13 miles, not bad for a evening stroll after a hard day at the office!

Video of DLR trip between George V and Woolwich Arsenal