London Walk: St Katharine Docks to Canary Wharf Walk. If you want to get out and explore at 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 off 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 which you can read about here. Then through Shadwell Basin, past Limehouse Basin to Canary Wharf Riverside and finishes at Canary Wharf. Begin your walk from St Katharine Docks, a luxury marina located near Tower Bridge. There are plenty of chain restaurants and a few very good independent eateries located here. You can meet your friends and eat breakfast or lunch before you start your walk. The closest stations to St Katharine Docks are Tower Hill (Circle, District) and Fenchurch Street train station.

St Katharine Docks

To find out more about St Katharine Docks you can read the St Kats Website. For historic information view the St Katharine Docks Page on Wikipedia. For information about food options read my article about St Katharine Docks Waterside Dining and Kerb Street Food Market at St Katharine Docks. To see pictures of St Katharine Docks and Wapping look at my Love St Katharines and Wapping Pinterest Board.

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 and if you look through it you will see The Shard. You will notice a collection of boats moored here which is a co-operative community project.

View from Hermitage Riverside Memorial Garden

Walk down Wapping High Street and you will see an old pub called the Town of Ramsgate which was established in 1545. If you walk through one of the alleyways to the Thames, you will find The Wapping Old Stairs which is famous for drowning pirates and a visit from Captain Bligh. Continue back on the High Street and you will encounter a patch of greenery which is St Johns 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 which is a tiled fronted pub, they serve breakfast, lunch and tapas here. Behind that is Wapping Gardens. Go back to Wapping High Street and you’ll see the police station and Wapping Rose Gardens. Past Wapping Station is a good coffee shop called Urban Baristas. Then you come upon River View Chinese Restaurant.

Town of Ramsgate Pub

Next is Wapping Wall where you will find The Wapping Hydraulic Power Station. Inside is a display of industrial machinery. This place is now used for exhibitions, events and serves food. It’s a fantastic building to explore. However, since I wrote this article I have walked past the Power Station and it looks like it might be closed. Just past this is The Prospect of Whitby Pub which is said to be the oldest pub 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 Hydraulic Power Station

If you carry on the Wapping Wall route you will reach The Shadwell Basin with a metal bridge taking you over the inlet of water. 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 which you might want to visit. At The Ropemakers Field is a Herring Gul statue by Jane Ackroyd which is worth a look.

The Shadwell Basin

St Katharine Docks to Canary Wharf Walk End

Then backtrack a little back to Narrow Street and get on the Thames River Path. This will take you all the way 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 read my Royal China Review here.

Approaching Canary Wharf Riverside

From here you can explore as much of Canary Wharf as you want. There are restaurants located at West India Quay. The Museum of Docklands is also in West India Quay. If you fancy a spot of shopping, you have a wealth of designer fashion stores in the vicinity. The towering architecture is Instagram worthy. You can either walk back to your starting point or get transport home from Canary Wharf. To see pictures of the area see my Love Canary Wharf London Pinterest Boards. Enjoy your walk, it’s awesome!

Author: Homegirl London. Photographs: Homegirl London. Thanks: Homeboy for exploring the area with me.