Number 26 Bus!
This bus route starts outside St Mary’s Church – in Eastway – and ends all the way down at Waterloo Station across the Thames.
From start to finish – it takes about an hour – and it’s a great bus to get for people watching – as it goes through so many diverse boroughs of London.
One tip – no matter how uncool you feel – bags the front row upstairs seats!
From the start in Eastway – grab yourself a bottle of orange juice at the newsagent at the bus stop – and then you’ll head out up Wick Road for 3 stops.
It then turns into Valentine Road where you can hop off if you need to stock up at the Tesco supermarket.
It then carries on up Well Street – which is handy for the Lidl supermarket – far cheaper than Tesco’s – and with really interesting goodies.
At the top of Well Street – you head left into Mare Street – but jump off for the Iceland supermarket & some very delicious Vietnamese Restaurants. This is also the stop for London Fields British Rail Station.
But get off to explore London Fields anyway – especially for the Lido. This is an outdoor heated swimming pool in a fantastic park.
http://www.hackney.gov.uk/c-londonfields-lido
A little bit further down the road you’ll cross over the Regents Canal – but if it’s a Saturday – hop off – and walk along the canal for 5 minutes to the Broadway Market. This is a great market to pick up fantastic goodies for a picnic – or in winter – laze in one of the excellent cafes.
http://www.broadwaymarket.co.uk/
You’ll then turn right into Cambridge Heath Road - which also has a British Rail Station. It also has heaps of leather shoe & handbag wholesalers – but they’ll all sell the odd bag of pair of shoes if you ask nicely.
At the bottom – you’ll turn left into Hackney Road. This is a great road for all types of exciting reasons. First off – look out on your right for the Hackney City Farm.
http://www.hackneycityfarm.co.uk/
This is a great place to spend an afternoon. There is a delicious café (I recommend the full English breakfast made from eggs laid that day!), a vast selection of farm animals (but watch out for a bad tempered turkey), a peaceful herb garden – and alongside – a great pond, playground & bicycle circuit.
A little further on your left is Colombia Road Flower Market – which you have got to visit on a Sunday morning!! You don’t have to buy anything – just look & listen! Great entertainment!
http://www.touruk.co.uk/london_markets/colombiaroad_market1.htm
http://www.eastlondonmarkets.com/crm-history.htm
You are then in the heart of swinging, creative & utterly pretentious Shoreditch. It’s worth getting off & strolling around – soaking up all the meaningful graffiti, earnest art galleries, latest creations & interesting conversations.
http://www.shoreditchmap.co.uk/index_map.html
About 2 more minutes & you’ll be passing Liverpool Street Station. Get off here for all the major markets:
Brick Lane http://www.visitbricklane.com/
Spitalfields http://www.visitspitalfields.com/
Petticoat Lane http://www.eastlondonmarkets.com/Petticoat%20Lane.htm
Whitechapel http://www.eastlondonmarkets.com/Whitechapel%20Market.htm
From there – you’ll turn right into the City of London proper – with all the trading buildings, Bank of England
http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/
Monument (to the Fire of London)
http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/leisure_heritage/architectural_heritage/Buildingswithinthecity/monument.htm
Mansion House
http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/leisure_heritage/architectural_heritage/Buildingswithinthecity/mansion_house.htm
Beware though – ‘cos sometimes this bus terminates here for some reason. Ask the driver for a Connecting Pass – so you don’t have to pay twice!
Then – just a little further along – you round the corner and St Pauls Cathedral looms high above you! This is where it counts being in the front row upstairs seats!!!
http://www.stpauls.co.uk/page.aspx?theLang=001lngdef&pointerid=169345dwprEOVViTRLd8xXbHBDHGbzge
You’ll then go downhill on Fleet Street to Ludgate Circus. Get off here if you fancy a great stroll along the Thames. Just turn left at Ludgate Circus & you’ll see the bridge over the river.
If you stay on – you’ll then go uphill on Fleet Street – with great architectural buildings left & right. Please look out for the amazing 1932 Daily Express art deco masterpiece at numbers 700-853 Fleet street.
http://www.urban75.org/photos/london/lon228.html
Soon you’ll come to the Aldwych stop (outside Kings College). This is the last stop for the West End – with Trafalgar Square if you carry on straight down & Covent Garden & all the theatres across the road.
Staying on the bus – you round the corner – and now you’ll be so happy you nabbed those front row upstairs seats – as you’ll be crossing the Thames over Waterloo Bridge – with the London Eye on your right – and South Bank Centre on your left.
Wow – what a sight! I know nothing compares to Leabank Square – but this comes close.
There’ll be one stop on the south side for the South Bank Centre
http://www.southbankcentre.org.uk/
before your last stop outside Waterloo Station.
So there you are – one hour from Leabank Square – and a world away. This number 26 bus journey is really well worth taking – especially with children – as you end up at the Thames – with the London Aquarium http://www.londonaquarium.co.uk/ a short walk along the river.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/spiders/pdf/hackneywick-10322.pdf
This bus route starts outside St Mary’s Church – in Eastway – and ends all the way down at Waterloo Station across the Thames.
From start to finish – it takes about an hour – and it’s a great bus to get for people watching – as it goes through so many diverse boroughs of London.
One tip – no matter how uncool you feel – bags the front row upstairs seats!
From the start in Eastway – grab yourself a bottle of orange juice at the newsagent at the bus stop – and then you’ll head out up Wick Road for 3 stops.
It then turns into Valentine Road where you can hop off if you need to stock up at the Tesco supermarket.
It then carries on up Well Street – which is handy for the Lidl supermarket – far cheaper than Tesco’s – and with really interesting goodies.
At the top of Well Street – you head left into Mare Street – but jump off for the Iceland supermarket & some very delicious Vietnamese Restaurants. This is also the stop for London Fields British Rail Station.
But get off to explore London Fields anyway – especially for the Lido. This is an outdoor heated swimming pool in a fantastic park.
http://www.hackney.gov.uk/c-londonfields-lido
A little bit further down the road you’ll cross over the Regents Canal – but if it’s a Saturday – hop off – and walk along the canal for 5 minutes to the Broadway Market. This is a great market to pick up fantastic goodies for a picnic – or in winter – laze in one of the excellent cafes.
http://www.broadwaymarket.co.uk/
You’ll then turn right into Cambridge Heath Road - which also has a British Rail Station. It also has heaps of leather shoe & handbag wholesalers – but they’ll all sell the odd bag of pair of shoes if you ask nicely.
At the bottom – you’ll turn left into Hackney Road. This is a great road for all types of exciting reasons. First off – look out on your right for the Hackney City Farm.
http://www.hackneycityfarm.co.uk/
This is a great place to spend an afternoon. There is a delicious café (I recommend the full English breakfast made from eggs laid that day!), a vast selection of farm animals (but watch out for a bad tempered turkey), a peaceful herb garden – and alongside – a great pond, playground & bicycle circuit.
A little further on your left is Colombia Road Flower Market – which you have got to visit on a Sunday morning!! You don’t have to buy anything – just look & listen! Great entertainment!
http://www.touruk.co.uk/london_markets/colombiaroad_market1.htm
http://www.eastlondonmarkets.com/crm-history.htm
You are then in the heart of swinging, creative & utterly pretentious Shoreditch. It’s worth getting off & strolling around – soaking up all the meaningful graffiti, earnest art galleries, latest creations & interesting conversations.
http://www.shoreditchmap.co.uk/index_map.html
About 2 more minutes & you’ll be passing Liverpool Street Station. Get off here for all the major markets:
Brick Lane http://www.visitbricklane.com/
Spitalfields http://www.visitspitalfields.com/
Petticoat Lane http://www.eastlondonmarkets.com/Petticoat%20Lane.htm
Whitechapel http://www.eastlondonmarkets.com/Whitechapel%20Market.htm
From there – you’ll turn right into the City of London proper – with all the trading buildings, Bank of England
http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/
Monument (to the Fire of London)
http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/leisure_heritage/architectural_heritage/Buildingswithinthecity/monument.htm
Mansion House
http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/leisure_heritage/architectural_heritage/Buildingswithinthecity/mansion_house.htm
Beware though – ‘cos sometimes this bus terminates here for some reason. Ask the driver for a Connecting Pass – so you don’t have to pay twice!
Then – just a little further along – you round the corner and St Pauls Cathedral looms high above you! This is where it counts being in the front row upstairs seats!!!
http://www.stpauls.co.uk/page.aspx?theLang=001lngdef&pointerid=169345dwprEOVViTRLd8xXbHBDHGbzge
You’ll then go downhill on Fleet Street to Ludgate Circus. Get off here if you fancy a great stroll along the Thames. Just turn left at Ludgate Circus & you’ll see the bridge over the river.
If you stay on – you’ll then go uphill on Fleet Street – with great architectural buildings left & right. Please look out for the amazing 1932 Daily Express art deco masterpiece at numbers 700-853 Fleet street.
http://www.urban75.org/photos/london/lon228.html
Soon you’ll come to the Aldwych stop (outside Kings College). This is the last stop for the West End – with Trafalgar Square if you carry on straight down & Covent Garden & all the theatres across the road.
Staying on the bus – you round the corner – and now you’ll be so happy you nabbed those front row upstairs seats – as you’ll be crossing the Thames over Waterloo Bridge – with the London Eye on your right – and South Bank Centre on your left.
Wow – what a sight! I know nothing compares to Leabank Square – but this comes close.
There’ll be one stop on the south side for the South Bank Centre
http://www.southbankcentre.org.uk/
before your last stop outside Waterloo Station.
So there you are – one hour from Leabank Square – and a world away. This number 26 bus journey is really well worth taking – especially with children – as you end up at the Thames – with the London Aquarium http://www.londonaquarium.co.uk/ a short walk along the river.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/spiders/pdf/hackneywick-10322.pdf
1 comment:
The departure point for the number 26 (and 388) is now in Chapman Road - further along Eatway from the original St Mary's stop.
The number 30 is still opposite the church though.
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