The St Katharine Docks to Canary Wharf Walk is perfect if you want to get out and explore on the weekend; this walk gives you a mix of old and new London. You also get spectacular views of the River Thames and landmark buildings. The walk will take around an hour or more if you want to take photographs or stop at any point. I hope you enjoy the St Katharine Docks to Canary Wharf Walk; it’s one of my favourites!
Herring Gull Statue by Jane Ackroyd in Ropemakers Field
St Katharine Docks to Canary Wharf Walk Start
This walking route will take you from St Katharine Docks through Wapping. Then, it goes through Shadwell Basin, past Limehouse Basin to Canary Wharf Riverside, and finishes at Canary Wharf. You can begin walking from St Katharine Docks, a luxury marina near Tower Bridge. Plenty of chain restaurants and a few delicious independent eateries are located here. You can meet your friends and eat breakfast or lunch before you start your walk. Tower Hill (Circle, District) and Fenchurch Street train stations are the closest to St Katharine Docks.
St Katharine Docks to Canary Wharf Walk Highlights
After your meal, walk down St Katharine’s Way and begin your route through St Katharine’s and Wapping. The first highlight is Hermitage Riverside Memorial Gardens. You get a spectacular view of Tower Bridge, The Shard and other impressive buildings. A Dove Sculpture by Wendy Taylor is in the gardens; if you look through it, you will see The Shard.
You will notice a collection of boats moored here, a cooperative community project called Hermitage Moorings.
Walk down Wapping High Street, and you will see an old pub called the Town of Ramsgate, established in 1545.
Walking through one of the alleyways to the Thames, you will find The Wapping Old Stairs, famous for drowning pirates, and a visit from Captain Bligh. Continue back on the High Street, and you will encounter a patch of greenery, St. John Church Gardens. Facing the gardens is the St John Wapping School, with colourful statues of children on the front. You will also spot The Turk’s Head, a tiled-fronted pub transformed into a bistro. Behind that is Wapping Gardens. Return to Wapping High Street and see the police station and Wapping Rose Gardens. Past Wapping Station is a good coffee shop called Urban Baristas.
Next is the Wapping Wall, where you will find the Wapping Hydraulic Power Station. Just past this is The Prospect of Whitby Pub, which is said to be the oldest in the vicinity and dates back to 1520. If you want to go through one of the narrow alleys, you can get to the Thames Foreshore.
The Wapping Docklands Market is a great place to stop for street food on Saturdays from 10 am until 4 pm. They usually have a band playing, and there is a seating area.
You’ll pass by some impressive warehouse buildings called Wharves, which are typically built along a riverbank to facilitate the loading of ships. These are now beautiful apartments.
If you take the Wapping Wall route, you will reach The Shadwell Basin with a metal bridge taking you over the water inlet.
Continue to Narrow Street (Limehouse), where you will cross over a bridge. On this street, you will see a wealth of period properties dating back to the eighteenth century. You can admire the Sail Makers House, Dunbar Wharf, Dunstans Wharf and Limehouse Wharf buildings. The Grapes Pub is a historic sixteenth-century pub you might want to visit. At The Ropemakers Field is a Herring Gul statue by Jane Ackroyd, which is worth a look.
St Katharine Docks to Canary Wharf Walk End
Then, backtrack to Narrow Street and get on the Thames River Path. This will take you to Canary Wharf Riverside. This is the part of the walk where you can enjoy breathtaking views across the River Thames and the riverside architecture. Eventually, you will reach Canary Wharf Riverside and the Royal China Restaurant, which is very good if you want to eat there.
You can explore as much of Canary Wharf as you want from here. There are restaurants at West India Quay, and the Cargo Food Hall is another place to visit. The Museum of Docklands is also in West India Quay. If you fancy a shopping spot, you have many designer fashion stores nearby. The towering architecture is Instagram-worthy. You can either walk back to your starting point or get transport home from Canary Wharf.
These articles might be of interest:
Ten Things To Do In St Katharines And Wapping
Ten Things To Do In Canary Wharf
Wapping Docklands Market Review
St Katharine Docks Waterside Dining
Author: Homegirl London. Photographs: Homegirl London.