The Thames riverside is London's undervalued playground, and walks alongside the river do not get much better than this. We start at Barnes Bridge, and before you say that it is hard to get to this part of London, think again. There is a railway station right beside the bridge, and you can reach it in only 23 minutes from London Waterloo. There are 7 trains per hour. The station is in Zone 3, so if you travel after 9.30am a Zones 1 - 4 One Day Travelcard is a very affordable choice indeed, and you have the freedom of travel by bus, train, Tube and Tram in these zones for the rest of the day.

Even better, why not take a Tube to Hammersmith. From there frequent buses 209 or 419 will take you to Barnes Bridge in 10 - 20 minutes. Just wait until you see the river after the last stop in Barnes, and press the bell to alight at Barnes Bridge. Buses run every 3 minutes, and the bus station is above the Underground up the escalators. The buses depart from bus stop C and you can wait in the warm and dry, or visit the shopping mall and have a coffee before you leave. Simple.

The walk from Barnes is easy and flat. You can download my instructions and photographs with GPS tracking from our sponsor Walking World (small charge payable) or just follow along using the audio on your iPod or MP3 player as usual.

The Boat Race course is actually 4.5 miles, so we do not follow the entire loop of the river, but walk up Barnes High Street past the pond to St Mary's Church. From there we pass the famed Wetland Centre and return to the river bank via Queen Elizabeth Walk. If you have time, why not include a visit to the Wetland Centre? Here are the details from their web site:

Opening times
Open 7 days a week, except 25 December 9.30am to 6.00pm (last admission 5pm) Summer.
9.30am to 5.00pm (last admission 4pm) Winter.

Late night opening every Thursday from 25 May until 21 September. Half price admission from 6pm, last entry 8pm. WWT members can bring two guests for free.

Christmas opening times
Early Closing on 24th December (last admissions 2pm). Closed 25th Dec only, otherwise centre open as normal throughout the Christmas and New Year period including 1st January.

Admission Prices from April 1st 2006
Adult £7.25
Concessions (Senior Citizens, students, unemployed, people with disabilities) £6.00, Child £4.50,
Family Ticket £18.50.
Group Admission Prices available upon request.

Facilities The London Wetland Centre is a beautiful wildlife reserve visitor attraction just minutes from central London. More than 43hectares of wetland habitats have been created attracting thousands of wild birds from around the globe.
In addition to the diverse and beautiful wildlife there are many other interesting areas to explore, including World Wetlands with wetland habitats and wildfowl from around the world. You can also discover why wetlands are essential for life in our thatched Wetland Living, Lodge and Pond Zone exhibits.
The London Wetland Centre features accessible paths throughout the visitor centre and reserve (see Accessibility below), a wonderful lakeside café and restaurant, a heated glass viewing observatory (for those who don't fancy sitting in our more traditional bird hides), a children's interactive discovery centre, gift shop and specialist in focus binocular shop.
 

Wildlife The London Wetland Centre is the best urban location in Europe to watch wildlife - designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its diverse range of breeding wetland birds and winter flocks of Shoveler and Gadwall duck. In addition to attracting more than 180 wild bird species each year (including regular rarities such as Bittern, Cetti's Warbler, Peregrine Falcon and a breeding colony of Sand Martins), the reserve is a safe haven for 8 species of bat, 7 species of reptile and amphibian (including Slow-worm and Common Lizard) and more than half of all the UK's dragonfly and damselfly species.

After returning to the river, we pass Fulham Football Ground on the opposite bank, then pass a number of school and college boat houses before reaching St Mary's Church by Putney Bridge. Here is 1647 the Putney Debates were held by the New Model Army. The radical concept of 'one man one vote' was discussed, but the fledgling democratic proposal was crushed two years later by Oliver Cromwell.

The final portion of this walk takes us through the newly refurbished Fulham Palace. For hundreds of years, these palatial grounds were the summer residence of the bishops of London, until in the 1970's the land was leased to the local authority by the Church Commissioners. There is a botanic garden and a museum in the Palace.

Finally, we pass through the old pottery making district (there is still an old 'bottle kiln' belonging to Fulham Pottery beside the road) before we finish the walk at Putney Bridge Underground. Putney Bridge (Zone 2) is on the District Line from where there are frequent trains to Earls Court and the City of London, or via Kensington and Paddington to Edgware Road.

A walk around London's Inns of Court, starting at Chancery Lane (Central Line Zone 1)

As you exit the Underground, you are immediately entranced by the ancient timbered building in High Holborn. This wonderful half timbered building stands on the south side of High Holborn, and is on your right as you leave the Underground from exit 3.

We leave the traffic noise behind us and hundreds of years of history by walking through Staples Inn towards the Patent Office and London Silver Vaults.

The walk passes through London's four Inns of Court. This is where Barristers have their chambers. Although the strict division between Barristers and Solicitors is not as clear cut as it once was, Barristers (or Counsel) appear oin the higher courts and are briefed by Solicitors (who appear in the lower courts or brief Barristers). Barristers do not themselves generally see members of the public, but deal with clients through their solicitors.

It is advisable to take this walk during the midweek when the Inns are accessible. Lincoln's Inn comes first, then we pass down alongside the Royal Courts of Justice before crossing Fleet Street into the Middle Temple. Here we visit the Temple Church which has become associated with Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code novel.

Next comes the Inner Temple before we turn north again and pass the church of St Clement Danes.

The Old Curiosity Shop is in Portsmouth Street and was made famous by Charles Dickens. The death of Little Nell is one of the most poignant episodes in Victorian literature. After passing this site, we walk round Lincoln's Inn Fields.

Gray's Inn comes last, and we return to the starting point in Chancery Lane.

This is a lovely walk, full of history, mostly free of traffic, with lots to see and hear. It is one of my favourites, and I hope you enjoy walking with me.

This episode of the podcast is dedicated to my father, Joseph Wright OBE Barrister of the Middle Temple (1917 - 2002)

Mayfair, London's most expensive area.

This is a walk from Piccadilly Circus (Bakerloo and Piccadilly Lines, Zone 1). We start by walking along Piccadilly to Burlington House, home of the Royal Academy of Arts famous for its Summer Exhibition, exhibitions, events and library. Two beautiful Georgian arcades of shops follow, including Royal Arcade, so named because Queen Victoria bought her riding skirts from an outlet there.

 Shepherd Market is a lovely neighbourhood full of small restaurants, wine bars and pubs.

In Berkeley Square, the noise of the traffic drowns out any thought of hearing the celebrated nightingales, but the sight of 200 year old plane trees, and people sitting outside enjoying the Autumn sunshine are consolations.

Farm Street church is the UK HQ of the Jesuits, and we walk through its church yard. Thence to Grosvenor Square, dominated nowadays by the American Embassy. Just North of the Square is the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, where we turn and pass down South Molton Street where we can see the Arms of the Corporation of London dating from the 1620's.

Savile Row is the place to buy bespoke tailoring for men, but nearby in the Royal Institution Michael Faraday conducted his early experiments with electricity.

The walk then returns to Piccadilly where we enter the church of St James's, with it's large decorated interior and weekday antiques market.

Help us by sending us a contribution to our costs! This is a free service which many commercial companies charge to provide, and it costs money both in bandwidth and travel costs. A small donation using the PayPal button would be appreciated. On request, those giving $25 or more will receive a disk containing all the walks so far, including any that are unpublished at the time. Please ensure you provide your correct mailing address. I will send the disk post free to any part of the world. My thanks to those who have made donations.

 

A walk along the Regents Canal from Warwick Avenue Underground (Zone 2).

Most of this walk is along the towpath beside the Regents Canal. We start in the neighbourhood known as Little Venice. Here the Grand Union Canal which enters the River Thames at Brentford joins the Regents Canal, built in the 18th Century to link London with the manufacturing town of Birmingham. A later extension was built around 1812 from Paddington to the London Docks through Regents Park and around North London.

Little Venice forms the junction of these canals, and almost the entire walk uses the towpath alongside the water. We start by walking over the Maida Hill tunnel before descending to the canalside.

All along Blomfield Road, there are narrow boats moored, some available for hire for functions, others converted into restaurants. Later on, most of the boats are residential. All are painted in bright colours, and many have attractive gardens on board.

After passing Lord's Cricket Ground and the London Mosque, the canal starts to skirt the northern side of fashionable Regents Park. The most stunning and imposing houses can be seen beside the canal.

At Macclesfield Bridge we pause to see the deeply grooved iron columns which were rotated when 'Blow Up Bridge' as it became known was rebuilt after a barge laden with dynamite exploded under it one night in 1874.

The walk then takes us through London Zoo, where we can see African Hunting Dogs and Warthogs in their enclosure by the canal. Exotic birds are also to be seen in the Snowden Aviary.

After Cumberland Basin with its Chinese restaurant moored by the bank, the canal diverts north. A gate leads into the famous Camden Market - a busy, noisy eclectic part of the capital full of craft shops, food stalls, punk clothing and much much more.

The walk ends at Camden Town Underground station, just down Camden High Street. The station is on the Northern Line in Zone 2. There are also buses into Central London at this point.

It's a matter of life and death - an unusual and privileged walk through Kensal Green cemetery.

It may seem strange to us today that Victorian families enjoyed nothing more than a Sunday afternoon stroll through one of London's great cemeteries. Take this walk with me and you will find out why.

I am accompanied by one of my nephews, Andrew Lewis. Together we have the benefit of a knowledgeable guide and expert Henry Vivian Neale. Henry is chief guide for the Friends of Kensal Green. For more information about the Friends, check out their web site which is kept up to date, and gives details of the history, opening times, and events at the Cemetery.

Kensal Green is an awesome and sometimes spooky place. There are huge mausoleums, fantastic statuary, amazing decorations, and space below for dozens of bodies. Some of the stories Henry tells are legendary. How about the cross-dressing surgeon, who throughout her life posed as a man in order to be accepted in a profession denied to woman of her time? or maybe you'd like to hear about a man who made a considerable fortune from being able to act a scene whilst simultaneously riding sic horses bareback? or possibly you'd like to see the memorial to someone who pushed a wheelbarrow across the Grand Canyon on a tightrope?

Mix with the remains of the aristocracy and royalty, cheek by jowl with upstarts and crooks who thought highly enough of themselves to have fantastically decorative and expensive mausoleums constructed for them during their lifetimes.

During our visit, we see inside the Grade 1 listed Anglican Chapel, and descend to the extensive catacombs below.

This walk is a real treat. Part stroll, part documentary, part history lesson, part comedy - this episode is a one-off.

The nearest London Underground station is Kensal Green on the Bakerloo Line (Zone 2). The cemetery is also served by buses 18, 23, 52, 70, 295 and 316; please use the Journey Planner to plan your journey with Transport for London. There is limited parking in front of the Main Gate on Harrow Road.

We start at Top Gate - from the Underground turn left then right onto Harrow Road. Top Gate is a few paces on your left hand side. Check the Opening Hours before your visit, and the Friends web site if you want to visit the Anglican Chapel and catacombs as we did.

Opening hours

Summer (1 April to 30 September)
Monday to Saturday: 9.00 to 18.00 (Top Gate*)
Sunday: 10.00 to 18.00 (Top Gate*)
Bank Holidays (UK National Holidays): 10.00 to 13.00 (Top Gate*)

Winter (1 October to 31 March)
Monday to Saturday: 9.00 to 17.00 (Top Gate*)
Sunday: 10.00 to 17.00 (Top Gate*)
Bank Holidays (UK National Holidays): 10.00 to 13.00 (Top Gate*)

My grateful thanks to Henry Vivian Neale for taking the time to show us round. It may be the first and last occasions when he has given several thousand people the benefit of his great knowledge in one 90 minute period.

Help us by sending us a contribution to our costs! This is a free service which many commercial companies charge to provide, and it costs money both in bandwidth and travel costs. A small donation using the PayPal button would be appreciated. On request, those giving $25 or more will receive a disk containing all the walks so far, including any that are unpublished at the time. Please ensure you provide your correct mailing address. I will send the disk post free to any part of the world. My thanks to those who have made donations.

 

A walk through Soho from Goodge Street to Trafalgar Square.

Goodge Street is on the Northern Line (zone 1) and is one stop north of Tottenham Court Road (Central Line) on the Edgware branch.

Today's walk starts in Tottenham Court Road near the famous Heal's department store, on the borders of Fitzrovia and Soho. The name 'Soho' comes from a hunting cry. It harks back to the days when this area consisted of open fields over which the king would ride to hounds.

First occupied by the aristocracy and then by immigrants from Europe and later from the far East, the district retains its ethnic charm with food and drink available from all around the world.

Chinatown is a particular favourite of mine - in Gerard Street we pass literally dozens of restaurants and supermarkets specialising in Chinese food. The Loon Fung supermarket is one I use on a regular basis.

Soho has two famous squares - Soho Square and Golden Square (a corruption of the word 'gelding' rather than the colour gold.)

During our walk, we pass some gems like the Pollock's Toy Museum and Shop. We see a traditional Fruit 'n Veg market. We discover how a local physician Sir John Snow discovered the source of a cholera outbreak that killed 10,000 people, until he traced the infection to one water pump and removed its handle. We pass through Theatreland and Leicester Square, plus Wardour Street and Dean Street, home of cinema production companies big and small.

After spending time in Chinatown, we see the wonderful Royal Opera Arcade, an early shopping mall designed by Nash and finally Trafalgar Square.

The walk ends at Charing Cross Underground (Northern and Bakerloo Lines zone 1).

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A walk round Chelsea starting and ending at Sloane Square.
We start by walking along the King's Road past the John Lewis department store known as Peter Jones. This shop is the favourite shopping venue for young Chesea women (once known as Sloane Rangers) the aristocracy and member of the Royal Family.
From the King's Road we walk through the Royal Hospital, founded in 1862 by Charles II and still the home for the red and blue coated Chelsea Pensioners. You won't find many tourists in its grounds because there is a large guarded security gate, but I show you how to walk in as you have the right of entry. In fact, you will hear me visit the chapel and even pass through the dining room where the men are having lunch.
From here, we walk through the Chelsea Flower Show grounds onto the Embankment where there are views across the River Thames to Battersea and the Buddhist Peace Pagoda built in 1985.
The walk then takes us through the historic district of Old Chelsea. Here we can visit Thomas Carlyle's house, and see the site of the palace owned by Sir Thomas More and Chelsea Manor House built by Henry VIII in 1536. We also pass by Chelsea Old Church and hear how this area was famous for making porcelain until 1784.
The walk then continues along the King's Road, well-known in the 1960's with Carnaby Street as the source of all those wacky military-style fashions and mini-skirts before finishing at Sloane Square, home of the Royal Court Theatre which staged the first production of Osborne's Look Back in Anger in 1956.
Sloane Square Underground is on the District and Circle Lines, Zone 1.
Books referred to in this podcast:
London: A Pilgrimage by Blanchard Jerrold and Gustave Dore with introduction by Peter Ackroyd (Anthem Press ISBN: 1 84331 193 3)
London's Underworld by Thomas Holmes with an introduction by Iain Sinclair (Anthem Press: ISBN 1 84331 219 0)

Taking the Docklands Light Railway to Greenwich is an experience in itself. The DLR travels overground through  London's regenerated Docklands, and gives panoramic views of Canary Wharf. The stations have evocative names, like Mudchute, Custom House and Gallions Reach. You can almost smell the tar and hear the boards creak. Plus the trains are driverless, so if you fancy the experience of taking the controls as the trains dive into tunnels and carve their stately progress in and out of cityscapes more reminiscent of Dallas than London, grab the front seats before someone else does.

Our walk starts at Island Gardens (Zone 2). Take the DLR from Bank (Central Line) and when you alight, cross the road and enter the Gardens from where there is a view over the river to the old Royal Naval College. Then cross under the Thames through the Victorian pedestrian tunnel. Scary or what? Not really - there is a lift at both ends (currently the North side lift is closed) and the only peril is avoiding the speeding illegal cyclists.

The steps or lift on the south side emerge into the magnificent view of Cutty Sark. You can visit this clipper, then walk along the river in front of the old Naval College, now home to Greenwich University and the Trinity College of Music.

Turning inland, we enter the park, and climb to the Royal Observatory. Like most of the attractions in Greenwich entrance is free. Don't miss the collection of wooden clocks. These were the first seagoing chronometers accurate enough to solve the problem of calculating longitude. Their invention saved literally thousands of lives.

After seeing all the other buildings in the park, descend to the town centre. Don't miss the Market, which operates on Saturdays but is worth a visit for its shops and quirky signs at other times too. Then there is St Alphege Church and a number of interesting craft, antique, book, and bric a brac shops.

Finally there is the wonderful Goddards pie and mash shop. Order pie with mash and liquor if you dare, and eat on scrubbed board tables with the locals. Wash it down with a bottle of warm beer. Try Bishops Finger.

The walk ends at Cutty Sark DLR (Zone 2).

A great walk. Enjoy it! Take your GPS along if you have one, and check its accuracy as you stand astride the east and west hemispheres.

The mid Victorian era was a time of keen interest in industry, inventions, science, the arts, music, poetry, commerce and manufacture. Great Britain not only held sway over a third of the world, but let the way in innovation.

The young Queen Victoria fell deeply in love with the German Prince Albert. She relied on his advice and guidance in everything, and never recovered from his untimely death from Typhoid in 1861.

The Prince Consort had a vision for Brompton Fields in South Kensington. He planned a grand avenue. There would be a museum of the arts and sciences, a huge National Gallery, museums of trade, industry and inventions. Learned societies. A concert hall.

The Victoria & Albert Museum was the only building erected in his lifetime, but although what we see now is rather different from what Albert had in mind, we owe the rich heritage of culture to his memory.

Today's walk starts at the Albert Memorial. Take the Underground to High St Kensington (Circle and District Lines Zone 1). Turn right outside the station and walk 0.6 miles along Kensington Gore. You can avoid the noise of the traffic by crossing the road and walking through the Flower Walk in Kensington Gardens.

Walk with me as I describe the Albert Memorial, Royal Albert Hall, Imperial College, Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music, Royal College of Organists, Royal Geographical Society, National Sound Archive and much more.

Links: Science Museum Geological Museum Victoria & Albert Museum

We finish at South Kensington Underground (Circle and District Lines Zone 1).

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Travelling by Mainline Railways.

Let's suppose you want to visit Bath, Windsor or Hampton Court. Or perhaps you'd like to see York, or Durham? Edinburgh or Liverpool? Why confine yourself to London or rent a car, when Britain's trains are there to take the strain?

They may not be the most modern in Europe, with the exception of the magnificent, fast and comfortable Eurostar from London to Paris, Brussels, Lille and the continental rail network - but standards are improving all the time. All of the suburban trains have been replaced with new rolling stock, and travelling in the South East is now a reliable, clean and comfortable experience. Plus you can use your Oyster or travelcard right out to Zone 6.

Further afield, you will have to take a mainline train - but as I show on this 'walk' it's not hard. Today we take the high speed train to Reading, where we can see this redbrick town 38 miles West of London with its association with Oscar Wilde. On the way, we pass the connection from Slough to Windsor, and the destination of our service is Bath Spa and Bristol.

The journey starts at Paddington Station with its magnificent roof built by the engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806 - 1859) The bicententenary of his birth occurred in April 2006. His Great Western Railway is a wonder of engineering, and Paddington is a good place to start. We gasp at the sheer scale of the station as we emerge from the Dictrict & Circle Line, or Bakerloo (all Zone 1)

I then take you through how to buy a ticket - you can wait in a queue with me and hear as I make my purchase from the clerk. Then we find our train, and travel to Reading. After a short pause we return to London again.

The same process applies to all mainline railway journeys:

Check your train times and fares with the Network Rail Journey Planner Then travel to the appropriate mainline station and buy your ticket from an automatic machine or the Ticket Office. There are different tickets for some train companies like the Gatwick and Heathrow Expresses, and a variety of fares, so check with the Journet Planner for the cheapest fare. See my Getting to and from London's Airports podcast for the airport trains.

Air fares in Europe and especially the UK are often more affordable for longer journeys, so if you plan to visit Glasgow or Edinburh, check with the budget airlines before deciding to take the train. Most of all, enjoy the rich heritage and variety of the United Kingdom during your visit!

A walk from The Monument via Old Jewry and the City Livery Companies back via the Bank of England to St Paul's Cathedral.

This is Part 2 of a circular walk from St Paul's Underground (Zone 1 - Central Line)

We start at Monument on the Circle and District Lines Zone 1 but you can also start at Bank (Central Line Zone 1) and walk down King William Street or use the underground subway and escalators.

Our walk takes us from Monument, near the spot where the Great Fire of London broke out in 1666. You can climb the Monument for panoramic views of London. Not as high as the Eye, but heavy on history. The Great Fire destroyed so much of our heritage and this column topped by a basket of golden flames was erected in sad memory of the event.

We continue past St Mary at Hill church, and under Fenchurch Street mainline station. The remainder of the walk takes us in and out of tiny alley ways. We see the site of London's first synagogue. We visit Bevis Marks, London's oldest synagogue and home of the Spanish and Portuguese congregations.

After that, we see many of the old City Livery companies. This is truly 'Secret London' - hard to find, but with my help you will see parts of the City no one else will find. The Leathersellers Hall. The Drapers Hall. The Carpenters Hall. The Grocers Hall. The Mercers Hall. Finally The Saddlers Hall. Parts of the walk traverse land owned by the Grocers and Drapers, but we are permitted by ancient right to walk past their ornamental gates.

A fascinating insight into the City of London! Don't miss it. You can take either of these walks without doing both, or complete a circular walk from Monument to Monument or St Paul's to St Paul's.

Do remember to post your comments and requests by clicking on the Comments button below. I look forward to responding.

Help us by sending us a contribution to our costs! This is a free service which many commercial companies charge to provide, and it costs money both in bandwidth and travel costs. A small donation using the PayPal button would be appreciated. Thank you.

Part 1 of a walk from St Paul's through the City of London to Monument.

Part 2 will return via Old Jewry and the City Livery Companies back via the Bank of England to St Paul's Cathedral.

We start at St Paul's Underground on the Central Line Zone 1. Our walk takes us down Cheapside to the church of St Mary-le-Bow (pictured). Those born within the sound of Bow bells are the true Cockneys. Next we pass between the church of St Stephen Walbrook and the Mansion House. Both these two churches provide a rich soundscape as we enter.

In Bow church we hear a French Horn with Piano preparing for a concert. In St Stephen's we hear the organ.

From this point, we enter secret London. Without this guide you would be most likely to get hopelessly lost in the narrow alleys and passages which criss cross this part of the financial district. The next two churches are St Mary Abchurch and St Clement's.

Our walk finishes at The Monument, near the site of the outbreak of the Great Fire of London which destroyed so much of our heritage in 1666. Monument Underground is on the District & Circle Lines but is joined to Bank and the DLR. From here, you can continue the walk back to St Paul's which will be published in a few days time on londonwalks.libsyn.com

London Walks is a free service. There are many firms which charge for walks. If you would like to help towards the cost of bandwidth and travel, why not make a small donation using the PayPal link? Thank you.

More than enough history for anyone on a short riverside walk.

We start at Tower Hill Underground station, on the Circle and District lines and the DLR (Docklands Light Railway). Tower Hill is also close to Fenchurch Street mainline station - Zone 1. Just outside the station is a place with a huge sundial and wonderful views of the Tower of London and the buildings old and new alongside the River Thames.

Crossing under the road we approach the Tower, then walk left and cross Tower Bridge. Check the Tower Bridge website for details of the exhibition and opening times. This website also tells you when the bridge will lift to allow ships into the Pool of London, so you can time your walk and watch the bascules opening.

Our walk continues along the south bank past HMS Belfast - a 2nd World War gunship now open as a museum. We then pass through Hays Galleria converted from an old wharf and pass the London Dungeon and the Britain at War Experience. Mediaeval Horror in the Capital! Great for kids, but very busy so book ahead if you want to be horrified.

We then pass by Southwark Cathedral and the Golden Hinde in St Mary Overie dock. Another horror is the Clink, one of London's oldest prisons and open to visitors. Finally we pass Shakespeare's Globe, a must-see both as a tour but also because you will never see authentic Shakespeare anywhere else - buy a groundling ticket if you can stand throughout a performance, and become part of the action. We cross the river by the Tate Modern - an art gallery converted from the old Bankside Power Station - using the Millennium Bridge. Wobbly it was when it was opened, but now sadly stable. Still, it has great views of the River Thames.

Just at the end of the bridge is the fabulous Salvation Army International Headquarters - check out the restaurant and cafe in the lower ground level for some good value snacks in an environment that could not be further from a soup kitchen.

Our walk ends by St Paul's Cathedral. St Paul's is on the Central Line.

This walk starts from St Paul's Underground Station on the Central Line Zone 1. The Central Line is one of the most useful, joining West and East London in one long continuous fast route.

Leaving the Tube, we pass Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece, St Paul's Cathedral. This domed building is the cathedral church of the Anglican diocese of London. It has recently been cleaned and restored, and is now looking at its best. St Paul's has memories for me - I was ordained here in the year 2003.

Passing through the newly rebuilt Paternoster Square our walk takes us past Stationers Hall and up the Old Bailey, home of London's Central Criminal Courts. We then turn along Holborn Viaduct and descend to the road below. Farringdon Street marks the course of the old Fleet River below.

We pass through fascinating parts of the old City and into Gough Square where Dr Johnson's house is preserved. Writer of the famous Dictionary you can even see a bronze of his pet cat in the tiny square opposite Johnson's house.

Thence we enter Fleet Street, erstwhile base of many national newspapers until the showdown between printing trades unions and proprietors such as Rupert Murdoch, and the death of hot metal with the rise of direct input into publishing programs on computer. Most of the newspapers moved to the East End and vacated Fleet Street for good.

We leave Fleet Street by St Bride's Church, pass the Black friar, Apothecaries Hall and the church of St Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe. This part of London is rich in history. I try and give a flavour of its origins during the walk.

Finally we return to St Paul's Cathedral via Queen Victoria Street and the ancient College of Arms. This time we pass to the East of St Paul's and return to our starting point at St Paul's Underground.

Thanks for joining me on these walks, whether you walk them with your iPod or just listen to the soundscape from home. Do keep sending me your comments and requests at http://londonwalks.libsyn.com I look forward to reading them and try to respond to each message I get.

This was another cold walk, but Spring is just round the corner.

London has several airports. Most international travellers will arrive at either Heathrow or Gatwick, but there are several others. Heathrow is the largest, and is located about 25 minutes to the West of London. Gatwick is almost as big. It is further away from the capital, but can be reached in around 30 minutes by train. Gatwick is in the countryside to the South of London.

In this podcast, I describe the various ways of getting to and from Heathrow and Gatwick. What are the choices? How long does it take? How easy is it? What are the best tickets to buy?

I also tell you what you won't find in most guide books. How do the locals travel to and from the airports. What are the tips and tricks only the locals know. What is the up-to-date effect on travel of the construction of Terminal 5 at Heathrow? How will the changes to the Gatwick express affect travel to and from the South, and how do most Londoners save almost half the price of the Gatwick Express ticket, avoid the crowds and arrive only 5 minutes after those who have paid full price?

I then describe how to get to the other airports, used by the low-cost budget airlines. Whilst in London, you can nip over to Paris, Brussels, or Lille for example and spend all day there for less than $100 US. But for a very much lower price, you could have lunch in Rome, or Barcelona, or many other places in continental Europe. To do this, you will need to be able to know how to find the cheapest tickets, and get to and from the lesser-known airports. Just like the locals do.

So whilst you are waiting for my next walk which is around the City of London from St Paul's Cathedral, do some homework by listening to my description of 'How to get to and from London's airports'

London's greatest walk - part 3.

All these three walks are good in their own right, and each is different. This final part goes from Hyde Park Corner to Kensington High Street. We start at Hyde Park Corner Underground (Piccadilly Line Zone 1) and look at the Wellington Arch. This is situated in the middle of one of London's busiest roundabouts, where you can also see memorials to those who lost their lives from the Australian and New Zealand forces in both world wars, and the memorial to the Royal Artillery Regiment.

Leaving the noise of the traffic behind, we enter the park and walk beside Rotten Row and the rose gardens, after admiring a naughty statue erected by Victorian ladies and a new gate in memory of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

We then walk beside the Serpentine, where I am mobbed by birds. Next comes the Lido where every day of the year hardy folk swim in the lake. beyond is the new Diana fountain and the Serpentine Gallery. We then glimpse the Albert Memorial, the Royal Albert Hall and the Round Pond before arriving at Kensington Palace, previously home of Princess Diana of Wales.

Finally we pass behind St Mary Abbots church and finish our walk at Kensington High Street Underground (District and Circle Lines - Zone 1)

So there we have it. Three wonderful walks. A combined length of 5.75 miles. Great variety with lots to see throughout its length. Most of the walks are away from the traffic. I hope you enjoyed London's Greatest Walk - in my humble opinion, of course.

London's greatest walk - part 2.

We start near Big Ben, leaving Westminster Underground (Jubilee, Circle and District lines - zone 1) via exit 4. As we look towards Parliament Square, we hear Big Ben strike 11 o'clock on a bright, sunny but cold day. Our walk starts at the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and Parliament Square and proceeds down Whitehall towards the Cenotaph. From here you can go a little further and see Downing Street.

After going down between the Foreign Office and the Treasury, we pass the Cabinet War Rooms and Churchill Museum and into St James's Park. Then up Cockpit steps into a little known Queen Anne street, where almost every house is connected with politicians in the past, such as Lord Palmerston and Viscount Grey.

Back then into St James's and across the water where we get a fine view of Buckingham Palace to the West and the London Eye to the East, framing government buildings like a giant halo.

We then pass St James's Palace and Clarence House before entering Green Park. Here we see the memorial to the Canadian dead from the world wars, and then a new gate opened in 2002 and dedicated to those who lost their lives fighting in both world wars from the Indian sub-continent, Nepal, and the Caribbean.

We end at Hyde Park Corner, crossing to the Wellington Arch and Hyde Park Corner Underground (Piccadilly Line zone 1) on what must be one of the only horse-crossings to be found anywhere in the world.

London's greatest walk - part 1.

This is the first of three walks, each of about an hour. The first walk starts at London Bridge Underground, zone 1, on the Northern and Jubilee Lines. Exit the station at the Tooley Street - Duke Street Hill exit. Cross the road by the pedestrian crossing to the art deco St Olaf's House and turn left towards Southwark Cathedral. The Southwark web site has a great deal of information about the building and its association with Shakespeare. We pause in the cathedral for a few minutes before joining the River Thames walkway past Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.

The walk continues along the south bank past Bankside Gallery, Tate Modern, Doggett's Coat and Badge pub and several others with historical associations, to the South Bank arts centre - the Royal National Theatre, National Film Theatre, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Hayward Gallery and the Royal Festival Hall.

We get a good view of St Paul's Cathedral and the Millennium Bridge - known as the Wobbly Bridge by Londoners because of the 'lozenge-style oscillation' which forced its closure for damping soon after it was built. We go under several other landmark bridges and hear about their origins. We see Blackfriars, King's College London, the Inns of Court especially Middle and Inner Temples with the Temple Church and its link with Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code.

Then there is Somerset House, Savoy Hotel, Ministry of Defence and the Victoria Embankment.

The walk continues past County Hall and the London Eye to Westminster Bridge, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Scotland Yard.

This part of the walk ends at Westminster Underground station on the Jubilee Line - a station of truly cathedral proportions, which is worth a visit in its own right.

The weather is still cold and windy here in London. Too windy for a long walk, but bright and sunny. When the wind drops, I shall record my favourite walk - the best walk in London.

If you have limited time, or if you do nothing else during your visit, take this walk. It is 5.75 miles, from Kensington to Southwark or London Bridge, via Kensington Palace, Hyde Park, Green Park, St James's, Westminster and the South Bank.

In the meantime, following up on last week's visitor's guide to getting around London by public transport, here's a walk Underground.

We travel on the London Underground along the Central Line from Notting Hill Gate to Bond Street.

We change at Bond Street onto the Jubilee Line, London's newest, with its amazing award-winning architecture and comfortable trains.

See the live departure boards for the Jubilee Line.

We alight at London Bridge near Southwark Cathedral and the River Thames.

Getting round London

London is a big place and has a wonderful transport system, but it's the victim of its own success. It can be crowded, and there are parts which have suffered from underinvestment over the years, but most of it is good and generally very safe.

As a visitor, I will assume you will not be using a car. Parking is expensive (around $4 US per hour in the central area) and the congestion charge is $14 US per day which must be paid when you drive in the inner part of central London.

So the choice comes down to taxi, bus, Underground (known as the Tube by Londoners), train, and of course foot. When Londoners talk about trains, they generally mean suburban routes, or the 'Overground.' There are many different train companies, but the differences need not concern you if you only want to travel in the Greater London area.

National Rail is the name of the long-distance trains. They leave from the same termini such as Paddington, King's Cross, Euston and so on, but I won't be covering them in this podcast.

London is divided into zones. You can see the concentric zones by consulting the London Connections map. Heathrow airport is in zone 6, which is the outermost zone in the London area. Gatwick airport is outside the London zoned area. If you want to travel within zone 1, life is easy. If you want to travel within zones 1 - 6, life is also easy because you can use almost all forms of public transport on the same ticket, but you do need to know which zone your destination is in, if you are to pay the correct price.

The London Journey Planner comes in handy here. Just type in your departure and arrival points, and it will calculate the best route for you.

How then do you decide which form of transport is best?

For short journeys, you should walk. London is a great place for wandering about. You see more that way. The ancient road pattern and lack of any logical grid means you should buy a map, and most Londoners use the A-Z (pronounced A-to-Zed). You can buy a small book in any bookshop or stationer, or pretty much anywhere else too.

For slightly longer trips, the choice is between taxi, bus and Tube.

Taxis are expensive but reliable and clean. You may prefer to use them at night, or in bad weather. Drivers know every street in London - they take a test called 'The Knowledge' which generally involves more than 2 years practical study. You can see trainee drivers on small motorcycles with clipboards mounted on the handlebars, as they learn the routes by heart. Generally the more people travelling together, the more affordable the taxi will be. Cab drivers are closely regulated by the Metropolitan Police Carriage Office. Fares are clearly displayed along with the licence, and the meter shows the price. It is customary to add a 10% tip. Sometimes cab drivers will offer to take you to Heathrow airport for a fixed price, but bartering is not otherwise expected, and you just pay when is on the meter. All taxis are capable of transporting a wheelchair, and you should find drivers friendly and helpful. Some places in London are not well served by the Tube - Chelsea is one example - and here a taxi might be a better alternative than any other form of public transport. To 'hail' a taxi, wait on a busy street and put your arm out when you see a cab with its yellow light illuminated.

The choice between bus and Tube generally comes down to the route, and perhaps the time of year. Tube is easier for most visitors. Work out your route, change where necessary, and you should arrive at your chosen destination. Buses are frequent and better in hot weather as the Tube lacks air conditioning, but finding the stop and working out your route can be daunting. If you know the bus number and do not need to change buses to reach your destination, I recommend using the bus for shorter journeys of 20 minutes or so. Buses are much cheaper for single journeys than Tubes, and you can buy an all-day pass from ticket machines at central area bus stops for a very low price.

You should normally ensure you have a ticket before boarding a bus, but drivers will accept fares in coinage if there is no machine by the stop. Most people use Oyster cards in London, but visitors will find Travelcards more convenient for stays of a week or less. You buy your Travelcard at Underground stations. The fares leaflet looks daunting and is, but all you need concern yourself with is the zone and the time. For example, a one-day Travelcard for zone 1 costs £6.20 but if you buy it after 9.30 am the price is only £4.90. This covers travel on buses and Tubes in the whole of zone 1. At the other end of the scale, a card for zones 1 - 6 costs £12.40 peak and £6.30 off-peak. be careful not to buy a zones 2-6 card, because you are likely to pass through zone 1 on your travels, and so a card including zone 1 is essential. When your Travelcard includes the outer zones 2-6, all trains are included in the price. This means you can take a suburban train to the outer limits of the zone of your card's validity.

For example, if you arrive at Heathrow, purchase a zones 1-6 Travelcard at the airport and you have the freedom of London for the duration of your card. Note: the Underground station serving Terminal 4 is closed whilst Terminal 5 is under construction - if you travel into London (Paddington) on the Heathrow Express, this is not included in the Travelcard system and your ticket must be bought separately.

Your Travelcard should be placed face up (magnetic strip downwards) on the right side of a Tube gate which shows a green entry arrow. Exit gates have a large red cross on the right. Don't forget to remove your ticket from the slot in the top of the gate - the gate will not open until you do so. This goes for the expensive single-journey tickets too - but these are now so pricey that you are unlikely to want to pay £3 for one journey unless you have to.

Once through the gates, just follow signs to the line you want - the different directions will be market westbound, eastbound, northbound and southbound. Some of these are not entirely clear, especially on the Circle Line, so memorising the name of the station at the end of the lines will help. On the platform, look for the large maps on the other side of the track. This shows the Tube stops. The next 3 trains are shown on a dot matrix sign, with the intervals in minutes before the train is due.

Buses are easier, and now many stops have ticket machines and dot matrix displays. The times are not as accurate as the Tube because of the heavy traffic in central London. If you have a Travelcard, just show it to the driver as you enter the front door of the bus and alight from the centre doors at your destination. White bus stops are 'compulsory' and red bus stops 'on request.' That is the theory, but in practice it is best to put your arm out when your bus appears to indicate to the driver to pick you up. When you want to alight, push the bell located on most upright bars. The illuminated sign by the driver will say 'Stopping' to indicate to the hard of hearing that a request to stop has been given.

You enter a bus through the front doors and exit through the rear doors. All public transport is non-smoking. The upper deck of buses offers a panoramic view of the streets as you travel to your destination.

Finally a few tips from experience. Follow 'Tube etiquette'. You must stand on the right of the escalators to allow people to pass on the left. Stand back behind the yellow line on Tube platforms - they can be crowded. Stand aside to allow passengers to alight from the trains before you enter. The seats nearest the doors are marked with orange signs to indicate they are for use by less-abled passengers.

Most bus routes are high frequency, but you can check the timetable and destinations by consulting the notices on bus stops. There are a few of the old Routemaster buses left on the streets of London, but only on 'heritage' routes: the Routemaster was withdrawn from regular service at the end of 2005.

Enjoy your visit! Look out for my next walks - they are my absolute favourites.

This walk starts at Holland Park station on the Central Line (Zone 2) or Notting Hill Gate on the Central, Circle and District lines (Zones 1 and 2). We visit many different parts of elegant Notting Hill.

It was not always so: we see London's squalid past - the Piggeries with it's slums occupied by animals and people, and vast areas of stinking slurry - also the clay pits knowns as the Potteries. We even find an old bottle kiln remaining hidden near Pottery Lane.

The church of St James Norlands is on the route, whose architect lived locally. The architect's son was watch and clockmaker to His Majesty. Next we climb to the top of Ladbroke Grove and the church of St John the Evangelist, built in 1845 on the site of the grandstand of the Hippodrome race course. You can still see the size and shape of the horse track from the modern day road pattern.

At Clarendon Cross we see more lovely shops, including the Temple Gallery selling beautiful old icons.

After St Peter's Church the famous Portobello Road market. We walk the length of Portobello Road, with its antique shops and affordable bric a brac in the south, to the local market from fruit and vegetables, meat, fish and household goods in the north, and see the location of the movie Notting Hill starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant.

At the historic Electric Cinema you can watch eclectic films from the comfort of an armchair.

The walk finishes at Westbourne Park Underground station, or a 328 or 31 bus back to Notting Hill Gate.

This is a wonderfully varied walk, lasting just over an hour. The MP3 file runs for 53 minutes with pauses - but you will want to stop it and look around at all there is to see in this wonderful part of London. Some of the places are rarely visited by tourists, so download to your iPod and I'll accompany you around an area I know well.

Take a short walk with me to see the hidden gem which is Holland Park. This park is mainly frequented by the locals, and for good reason. Other London parks are wide open spaces. Holland Park is different. It is wooded, with paths and a variety of different types of space.

See the Kyoto Japanese Garden. Exhibition spaces in the Orangery and the Ice House. A top-class restaurant called the Belvedere. Holland House and the Youth Hostel. Open air opera.

We also visit Melbury Road - an artists colony in Victorian times and home to the Leighton House museum.

This walk should take less than one hour. There are no lengthy pauses on the sound file, when you switch off your MP3 player and explore on your own. The only part is where there is an option to enter a museum. Other than that, you can comfortably complete the walk in the time stated.

It's also an easy walk, mostly away from roads and traffic, with interesting things to admire all along the way.