I was packed up and away around 06:40am as I wanted to try and avoid
the busy rush hour traffic. It was very pleasant crossing the short
distance of woodland but on joining the main A104 Epping New Road
the traffic seemed just as bad as yesterday. Fortunately I didn’t
have many miles before I left the road so just got on with it and
rode south to Rangers Road where I turned off to the right. It
wasn’t quite as busy as I passed the Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge
Hotel. It was built by Henry VIII in 1543 and later renovated by
Queen Elizabeth I. I descended King’s Head Hill and on to Lee Valley
Road where I passed between King George’s Reservoir and William
Girling Reservoir. It was such a relief to reach the River Lee
Navigation Canal which was opened in 1777.
Rosie Swale Pope’s Jog_Pod
I hadn’t been on the
towpath long before stopping to have a look at a carbon fibre pod on
wheels. On the side was the name Rosie Swale and it was her jog_pod.
It looked like she was inside but probably asleep. I took a photo
and was about to continue when a young man came by on a mountain
bike with a soft front tyre. He asked if I had a pump, which I did,
so obviously pumped it up for him. He then went on his way.
River Lee Navigation Canal
At the end of Warwick Reservoir I left the canal to turn right up
Spring Hill into the outskirts of the London suburbs. At the top of
the hill I turned right onto Clapton Common wher I saw many Orthodox
Jews walking in their distinctive dress of black coats and unique
Rabbi Hasidic hats. I saw a group outside their church. I stopped
and asked if I could take a photo but was met with a lot of abuse
and questioning about who I was and what I was doing etc. The man
was extremely nasty so I got out of there as soon as I could. There
were many men in the same dress code as I cycled through the area. I
reached Arsenal Football Ground and stopped at Veli’s Café for a
cooked breakfast of sausage, egg, bacon, toast ans tea. All for
£5.50.
Breakfast
Arsenal
I thought it was good value for London. I didn’t have much
further to cycle to London Euston Railway Station. I was quite early
as my train wasn’t until 12:40. As I waited the rain started and was
very heavy for a while. The train left exactly on time bound for
Manchester Piccadilly but I got off at Stockport to change to the
train for Blackpool which stops at Chorley. I could have continued
into Manchester but the train change would have meant using the lift
twice. At Stockport the train change was via adjacent platforms. I
reached Chorley then a short cycle ride home.
Return to
Whittle Wanderer
