Walking alone: Bromley-by-Bow to Aldgate... and beyond

Bow Creek & The River Lea (left) and Limehouse Cut (right).

Wednesday March 11, 2026. 

Clear skies, with light winds, 13°C (55°F).

Having spent the four days exploring York I was eager to get back to exploring London. 

Up early I accompanied Keilyn to school and then continued on to Croxley station, where I boarded a semi-fast Aldgate-bound train. As we zipped through the countryside and then into London's outer suburbs I was still deciding on where to go. With so many options running through my mind I finally settled on changing to a Hammersmith & City line train, at Moorgate, which I took to Bromley-by-Bow. I had picked this as a starting point as I had never been there before, but I also knew that there would be some interesting things to discover.

Alighting from the train and exiting the station I made my way through the underpass, where I stopped at a convenience shop to purchase a drink, before heading south along the Blackwall Tunnel North Approach and turning onto Twelvetrees Crescent.

Bromley-by-Bow Gasworks Memorial Gardens.

I passed over the River Lea and Bow Creek, with Bow Locks to the south, while ahead of me I could see the seven Grade II listed gasholders that are carefully being preserved. To the north of these gasholders lies the Channelsea River and Prescott Channel, where some of the stones from the Euston Doric Arch were disposed of. 

As the road turned south I noticed a lawn, surrounded by trees at the centre of which were white stone memorials, a statue and a gas lamp. This is the Bromley-by-Bow Gasworks Memorial Garden. Considering I was pretty much in an industrial park, with lorries trundling by, it was very peaceful.

Looking north along Bow Creek.

After taking some photographs I headed back to Twelvetrees Crescent and decided to drop down onto the River Lea path, heading south along the Limehouse Cut. I followed the river as far as Upper North Street, where I decided to leave the towpath as I have visited Limehouse on countless occasions.

Euston Arch

Euston Arch (Image Public Domain)

Robert Stephenson planned the terminus for the London to Birmingham Railway to be constructed at Euston, replacing the old terminus at Chalk Farm. 

When the station opened, in July 1837, it had two platforms with each being 420 ft (128 m) long. A double train shed, designed by Charles Fox, that was 200 ft (60 m) long, with 40 ft (12 m) spans. Six trains ran each day from Euston to Watford and Boxmoor. 

On September 17, 1838, the final 112 miles (180 km) to Birmingham were completed. However, steam trains did not have the power to make the steep incline up to Camden Town and so required help. This took the form of the trains out of Euston being attached to a 3 inch, 1430 ft (4370 m) long rope, affixed to two 60 horsepower stationary steam engines. Euston-bound trains had their engines detached at Camden Town, with the carriages continuing the journey under the charge of the brakemen.

Goodwin's Court, Covent Garden

Goodwin's Court from the St Martin's Lane end.

Goodwin's Court is a small alley that runs between St Martin's Lane and Bedfordbury, in WC2. Unlike many of the other alleyways in this part of the metropolis, this alley appears, at least on its south side, untouched by redevelopment. For it is on its south side that a row of buildings with bow fronted windows stand.

Entering Goodwin's Court, from St Martin's Lane, three concrete steps lead you through a low-roofed arch from a fairly modern road back to a bygone era. The alleyway, a public highway, has residents and, at its Bedfordbury end, a restaurant. Walking along it in the daylight allows you to see the beauty of the buildings and allows you to appreciate the whole alley. Goodwin's Court is 280 feet (85 metres) long and 6.5 feet (2 metres) wide.

Goodwin's Court from the Bedfordbury end.

However, walking along it in the evening time, where the gas-fuelled lamps offer soft lighting, the court becomes so much more atmospheric.

Holborn Viaduct

Holborn Viaduct, from the north.

Holborn Viaduct was designed by the City Surveyor, William Heywood, as a way to connect Holborn with Newgate Street, over the Fleet valley.

Work began in 1863 and took six years to complete, at a cost of around £2.5 million. It is 1,440 feet (438 metres) long and 80 feet (24 metres) wide.

'Forgotten Streams' by Cristina Iglesias

There is a truly unique piece of public art, within the City of London, that connects the modern buildings with the ancient history of London. The piece is entitled 'Forgotten Streams' and was created by Cristina Iglesias.

When Bloomberg commissioned their new European Headquarters to be built, they also commissioned Cristina Iglesias, a Spanish artist, to create a piece of public art at the entrances to what would become the Bloomberg Arcade.

Her work would take inspiration from one of London's 'lost' rivers... The Walbrook.