This page shows details of the 10 March 2012 free public taster walk from Hackney Wick. Other walks are listed here.

10 March 2012, Saturday. Olympic Park to Greenwich. 9 miles with shorter options.  Start 10am Hackney Wick station (TQ370846), linear to Greenwich, Cutty Sark station (TQ382778). London 2012 'Olympic Games zone', in parks, and on watersides. Leader: Lonica Vanclay, 020 8980 4077.

Walk description: A walk from the western edges of the main Olympic park with stadium views, through several attractive east London Parks, along the Regents Canal, to the Thames waterfront with distant City views. The walk passes among the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf, along old dock basins of the Isle of Dogs with its docklands history, to reach the City Farm of Mudchute, and the Thames at Island Gardens with classic views to the Greenwich waterfront. Crossing under the river by the Greenwich Foot Tunnel, the refurbished Cutty Sark ship is soon on view. The walk continues (optionally) into Greenwich Park, a 2012 Games venue for equestrian events, up to the Observatory for London skyline views, finally returning down to Greenwich for stations and buses. The few busy road crossings have pedestrian lights or zebra crossings. Surfaces are mostly level hard-surface tracks in parks and on watersides, with some grass and steps and a few inclines.

London 2012 Games sites: Main Olympic Park and stadium. Mile End Stadium (passed en route) is a training venue for British Olympic athletes. Greenwich Park is a 2012 Games venue. Some of the walking route uses walkways designated for the London 2012 Games spectators and also uses ‘promoted’ and waymarked London walking routes – the Lea Valley Walk, Capital Ring, Jubilee Greenway and the Thames Path National Trail.

Promoted walking routes used (LDPs): Lea Valley Path, Jubilee Greenway, Thames Path, Capital Ring

Distance and elevation: 8.8 miles, 545 ft ascent/descent, average gradient 2%

Duration: 5-6 hours for full walk including stops, with many shorter options.

Public transport: Hackney Wick station is on the Overground, just one stop from Stratford (with DLR, tube and national rail). On the walk route from Canary Wharf there are then six DLR stations near the walk route for shorter options. There are local bus services to both Hackney Wick and Greenwich and near the route. DLR services will be suspended on Saturday 10 March between Canning Town-Beckton in both directions for the completion of major project work, with replacement bus services. On the Central Line, on Saturday 10 March, no trains will run between Marble Arch and West Ruislip / Ealing Broadway. There are no 'cross-London' services between St Pancras International and London Bridge/Herne Hill at weekends, and a full list of National Rail works on this link.

Facilities: En route there are public toilets in Victoria Park, at Canary Wharf, and in Greenwich. There is no parking at Hackney Wick station or nearby.

Route Gallery:

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