Backpacking London - Day 4
February 8, 2023 | Tagged: United Kingdom
Day 4 and I continue to backpack the nation's capital.
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The coldest morning yet, -4 deg.
Despite 5 full days in London, I decided that this 4th post will be the last.
The coffee at breakfast at the St Christopher's Hammersmith Hostel was quite poor so my 4th day spent Backpacking London started at the McDonald's across the road.
I am trying to limit myself to just 1 Cup of Joe a day.
I need to take control of certain dietary aspects of my life. Less coffee, much less beer.
It's not just about the coffee. It's the sugar that I need to put in the coffee.
I took the Tube to Whitechapel and transferred to the Elizabeth Line to Woolwich.
A day backpacking Woolwich, Greenwich and the Isle of Dogs beckoned.
Despite 5 full days in London, I decided that this 4th post will be the last.
The coffee at breakfast at the St Christopher's Hammersmith Hostel was quite poor so my 4th day spent Backpacking London started at the McDonald's across the road.
I am trying to limit myself to just 1 Cup of Joe a day.
I need to take control of certain dietary aspects of my life. Less coffee, much less beer.
It's not just about the coffee. It's the sugar that I need to put in the coffee.
I took the Tube to Whitechapel and transferred to the Elizabeth Line to Woolwich.
A day backpacking Woolwich, Greenwich and the Isle of Dogs beckoned.
Thames Barrier
I walk along the Thames Path.
4th or 5th on my London Bucket List was The Thames Barrier. It spans 520 metres across the Thames near Woolwich and protects more than 100 sq kilometres of central London from being flooded. The UK GOV web page on the Thames Barrier, has more details.
Construction of the Thames Barrier began in 1974 and was opened in 1984 and has been closed 205 times to protect against flooding.
4th or 5th on my London Bucket List was The Thames Barrier. It spans 520 metres across the Thames near Woolwich and protects more than 100 sq kilometres of central London from being flooded. The UK GOV web page on the Thames Barrier, has more details.
Construction of the Thames Barrier began in 1974 and was opened in 1984 and has been closed 205 times to protect against flooding.
Free Tea and Coffee at Ikea
At selected Ikea stores across the UK, if you become a FAMILY MEMBER, easy to do online, you can get free tea and coffee. I headed to the Ikea store in Greenwich to see how it works:
The Prime Meridian
If the Churchill War Rooms were number 1 on my London Bucket List, The Prime Meridian was perhaps in 2nd place.
For me, this is Ground Zero. The place where time begins. Greenwich Mean Time. It marks 0 degrees Longitude.
To enter the Greenwich Observatory costs £16. Thanks but no thanks. You can see a plaque on a house on a street outside the park and on the wall as you go back down the hill or be content with spying on the Prime Meridian through the wrought iron fence.
Either way, it's cool to see.
For me, this is Ground Zero. The place where time begins. Greenwich Mean Time. It marks 0 degrees Longitude.
To enter the Greenwich Observatory costs £16. Thanks but no thanks. You can see a plaque on a house on a street outside the park and on the wall as you go back down the hill or be content with spying on the Prime Meridian through the wrought iron fence.
Either way, it's cool to see.
The Cutty Sark
The Cutty Sark was built in Dumbarton, Scotland and was one of the fastest ships in the world. The name 'clipper' comes from the phrase, 'going at a good clip', a good rate of knots.
Clipper ships were used for a long time to bring tea from China.
The Cutty Sark is now a museum ship as part of Royal Museums Greenwich.
Clipper ships were used for a long time to bring tea from China.
The Cutty Sark is now a museum ship as part of Royal Museums Greenwich.
Greenwich Foot Tunnel
Then through the Greenwich Foot Tunnel constructed by the London County Council in 1902.
It takes you to the Isle of Dogs, Millwall Docks and Canary Wharf.
It takes you to the Isle of Dogs, Millwall Docks and Canary Wharf.
The Isle of Dogs
The Isle of Dogs is reclaimed land in what was originally known as Stepney Marsh. In the early 1800s, the West India Docks, a series of 3 docks, were built to handle goods primarily from the British West Indies. And became one of the busiest docks in the world.
The docks were shut down in the early 1980s and the area was developed as Canary Wharf and became part of the regeneration of the Docklands.
It's a mixture of converted warehouses and loft appartments and housing development, and I saw many similarities with the way housing estates were designed in Milton Keynes and not always for the best.
Never the less, it's an interesting area to walk around:
The docks were shut down in the early 1980s and the area was developed as Canary Wharf and became part of the regeneration of the Docklands.
It's a mixture of converted warehouses and loft appartments and housing development, and I saw many similarities with the way housing estates were designed in Milton Keynes and not always for the best.
Never the less, it's an interesting area to walk around:
This post is the property of Nomadic Backpacker
