Stratford to Canary Wharf: recommended route?

[CopperBrompton]

(Apologies to anyone who sees this here and on the CTC forum)

I'm based at Canary Wharf for the next 6-8 weeks. The train takes me as far as Stratford, and I cycle from there. The cycling is on a Brompton, so fast roads aren't ideal.

I've made a couple of attempts to plot back-road routes while still keeping things reasonably direct, and neither have been a great success. One route looked excellent on paper but ended at a locked gate and a 'Private road' sign, and the other involved a connecting bit of road that both Mapsource and googlemaps think is there but in fact isn't.

Can anyone suggest a good quiet route? If you happen to have it in GPX format, I can give you an email address.

Ben

 

[spindrift]

Maryland station, south down here:

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.s...=4&ar=Y&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf

Dive down Water Lane and Vicarage Lane and bosh bosh zoom zoom.

 

[mr_cellophane]

I'd skip the bike and get the Jubilee Line all the way to Canary Wharf.

But, that's not what you want to know. Head towards Bow on the main road. There is a wide bus/cycle lane or wide pavement which doesn't usually have many pedestrians on it. Just after The Greenway (cycle path on the Northern Outfall Sewer) there is a turn off on to the path by the side of the River Lea. Head south to Three Mills (past a monument to 3 men killed in a well collapse). Over the bridge towards the Tescos and back down between the two water ways. Head under the railway bridge. There is a footbridge over the locks and on to the Limehouse Cut (the dead straight canal).
You can either carry on to Limehouse Basin and work your way back round the Thames Path to West Ferry Circus or turn off the tow path at Burdett Road or Commercial Street.

I have done all this at one time or another, although mainly only up to West Ham.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Dive down Water Lane and Vicarage Lane and bosh bosh zoom zoom.

That's actually above Stratford. My current route is West Ham Lane then Manor Road, both of which are fine, but then I end up on East India Dock or Aspen Way.

There's a cycle path alongside part of East India Dock, but then it vanishes. It's that last part of the ride in particular that's pretty busy.

Ben

 

[CopperBrompton]

I'd skip the bike and get the Jubilee Line all the way to Canary Wharf.

Heh - believe me, I did that and the DLR on the first two days, and cycling is a lot more pleasant!

Head towards Bow on the main road.
<Snip>
turn off the tow path at Burdett Road or Commercial Street.

That looks like a brilliant route - thanks! Will try that tomorrow. :-)

Ben

 

[mr_cellophane]

I was going to suggest Manor Road, but last time I went that way (Marathon Saturday) the road was closed to traffic and pedestrians for major road works.
The Cycle Paths around Canning Town do tend to vanish especially when you get to the roundabout under Aspen Way by the McD's.
I think that from Canning Town the CP goes along Blackwall Way to the roundabout. From there head up the slope to the McD's and the back way into Canary Wharf.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Yes, the bottom end is closed, so you get diverted onto Stephenson Street (world's worst road surface!) but that's only a tiny diversion.

I'm just plotting your route on Mapsource. The footbridge over the lock, does that go somewhere underneath Twelve Trees Crescent and then come out onto Barratt Industrial Park (the unmarked spur road that intersects Gillender Street)?

http://tinyurl.com/5c9t6b

(Googlemaps shows that as continuous, Mapsource shows the water in between but doesn't show the footbridge.)

If so, then I've got that all plotted, will feed it into the GPS and give it a go.

Ben

 

[BentMikey]

(Apologies to anyone who sees this here and on the CTC forum)

Don't apologise mate, just don't do it again.

 

[spindrift]

On Aspen Way i collided with a nurse, we both fell off and got bruised arses. My insurance paid for her new bike. She was quite foxy.

 

[spindrift]

Pointless story badly told.

 

[mr_cellophane]

On Aspen Way i collided with a nurse, we both fell off and got bruised arses. My insurance paid for her new bike. She was quite foxy.

Did you check how badly bruised ?

 

[spindrift]

Right on the dimple of her buttocks, I think my handlebar hit it.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Don't apologise mate, just don't do it again.

Well, it was a good thing I did ask here too, as the advice there was to take the Jubilee Line ...

Then again, maybe the answer is only to ask here. :-)

Ben

 

[mr_cellophane]

Yes, the bottom end is closed, so you get diverted onto Stephenson Street (world's worst road surface!) but that's only a tiny diversion.

I'm just plotting your route on Mapsource. The footbridge over the lock, does that go somewhere underneath Twelve Trees Crescent and then come out onto Barratt Industrial Park (the unmarked spur road that intersects Gillender Street)?

http://tinyurl.com/5c9t6b

(Googlemaps shows that as continuous, Mapsource shows the water in between but doesn't show the footbridge.)

If so, then I've got that all plotted, will feed it into the GPS and give it a go.

Ben

12 Trees is the roadbridge that I said "goes to Tescos". I have only done this route from Cannary Wharf to West Ham, so am half guessing. You should see this after 12 Trees. Then under the railway and over the footbridge.

 

[mr_cellophane]

And you should pass this just before 12 Trees. In the direction of view.