Arriving in Limehouse Basin

Saturday, 17 September 2011 19:05

Once past the Olympic preparations, we just had mills, industry, roads and Limehouse Cut to go.

A11 with the no-go entrance to Bow Back River beside it

The section before this A11 bridge has the main A12 towards Stratford and the Olympic site alongside it .......

Those who are daft enough to drive to the Olympic site would cross the bridge and follow the signs to the Olympic Park.

The pleasant area around Three Mills now too has a water bus stop

These water buses are going to be running about every 6 minutes, transporting people between Limehouse and the stop below Old Ford Lock, where there will be access to the Olympic Park.

A large block of flats has a token water related sculpture

Bow Locks looked attractive in the sun

Bow Creek, the tidal estuary of the River Lea would take boaters down to the Thames, but not to be recommended for narrowboats! At the mouth is Trinity Buoy Wharf, an area of Docklands that has a long history. beginning in 1514 with the founding of "The Guild or Fraternity of the most glorious and undividable Trinity of St Clements". We are now all familiar with the lighthouses that line our coasts and many a marina has been grateful for the saving beam of light.

Once we got to Bow Bridge, with its floating towpath, we entered Limehouse Cut

Bow Bridge

Limehouse Cut and the DLR bridge in the distance

For the main part, Limehouse Cut is a straight cut, passing old warehouses, modern flats and glimpses into the streets beyond.

Spratt's Patent Ltd., in Poplar, now apartments

Spratt's "meat fibrine dog cake" was invented by the American James Spratt and launched in the UK around 1880. We were getting very near the end of the Cut when we could see the tower of St Annes - the only church allowed to fly the White Ensign, from the day it was completed.

St Anne's Limehouse

Apparently the weight on the "mast" above the flag falls at a signal from Greenwich Observatory, which is in line of sight,  (at noon GMT or 13.00 BST), echoing the ball we recorded falling at Greenwich.

And so to the entrance to Limehouse Basin. We were told by a narrowboat moored before the footbridge that "there was no room in the Basin". We thought it worth a look anyway.

Limehouse Footbridge

Initially it looked as if there was no room - but we were signalled alongside by a lady boater from the Stort Boat Club (who had been moored in the Basin all week) that we could moor as the third boat abreast. We wondered if any of the other boats would move later.

Moored three abreast

Indeed, in the afternoon a wide narrowboat moved and we were able to move on down to a space on the wall very near the lock. It is a climb up a ladder, but not too bad a mooring.

Later that afternoon the fuel boat arrived and now we are full at the back and the front - nice and heavy and ready for the Thames on Sunday at 13.50

About to refuel

Lee Navigation, Walthamstow Marsh to Limehouse Basin
2 hours 7 minutes, 5.28 miles, 1 lock