Regent Canal walk does not need a particular time of the year. This pretty walk can be done 365 days and I have walked this path countless times throughout the year and never ever get tired of it.
Regent Canal stretches from Paddington Basin to Limehouse where it joins river Thames. You can walk this entire stretch in a day which is about 1o miles. Or you can walk shorter stretches and explore the neighbourhoods with breaks.
In this post we are walking from Limehouse to Victoria Park in East London.
Starting point of the walk will be Limehouse Basin. You can explore this area on its own. Check out my post on exploring Limehouse.
Get to the river with signs pointing towards Regent Canal. Its easy to find. You will find a narrow path unfenced along the canal. Start walking from here towards Mile End. Remember there are signs for Lee Valley Walk too, do not take that path. Keep walking along the canal. You will find houses on both sides. Suggest walk the path on the right side of the canal as thats uninterrupted and leads to Mile End and Victoria Parks.
Keep walking the straight path. There are no turns really and you cannot go wrong. You will see some street art along the way. There are lots of ducks and swans all along the canal which will amuse you. The path in autumn can be laden with leaves and if its rainy day, be careful of slipping. There is no fence so be careful of walking at the edge of the path. The path is narrow and full of joggers and cyclists who just cannot wait. And Iam not sure why.
There are couple of under bridges you will cross. The path can be dark and dingy in autumn so be careful. I love the lined up boats which are very quirky with funny slogans and decorations. One of the boat serves coffee to the passersby. Within 3 kms you will come to Mile end park. There are signs that will indicate the directions. If you want to get inside the park and walk, thats an option. You can walk parallel to the Regent canal path but inside the park and explore it as well. There is a cafe too if you want to stop over but I would suggest to continue and park your coffee time for Victoria Park.
Continue to walk on the path. Sometimes parts of the path can be blocked due to repair work. There will be signs to take alternate routes which will usually be to walk on the road till you get an option to climb down to the towpath.
You will soon spot Victoria Park towards your right. There will be openings to enter the park or you can walk and enter through one of the marked gates.
Victoria park is a huge park and one of the largest in London. It has a beautiful lake, cafe, a pagoda and lovely walking paths. It also hosts the Victoria market on weekends which makes a great day out along with the walk.
If you are walking on the day market is open, you can in for a treat. On other days you can explore the options in the Cafe. Or you can exit towards Hackey and checkout some amazing cafes for a coffee and croissant.
Enjoy your time in the park. Admire the lovely yellows, auburn, red hues of the trees and the colorful leafy beds on the ground. Click, click and click, there are beautiful spots all along this walk.
From there you can walk back to Limehouse making it a circular walk and shed more calories. Or you can walk further along the Regent Canal Path towards Broadway market and explore it. If you want to take a train to your destination, the nearest stations are Hackney Wick overground, Mile End and Bethnal Green station. Check the TFL website to plan.
Hope you enjoyed the walk. Would love to see your pictures. Do not forget to tag ilandedhere on Instagram
