Story of London Festival
Enjoy a day out on the Grand Union Canal with free activities including wildlife walks for families, guided wanders through local landmarks, insights from historical figures on Hanwell’s waterway wonders, and boat trips on the canal.
Discover what’s on your doorstep with British Waterways London’s walking day as part of the Story of London festival.
Ealing countryside rangers walk on the wild side
These 40-minute wanders will have you wild about wildlife as you tour the verdant vegetation around the Grand Union Canal.
Times: 2pm and 3pm
Location: meet on the towpath beside the Grand Union Canal at Green Lane near the Fox Pub.
Audience: family-focused and general interest.
Boats, bridges and Brunel
An insight into Isambard and examples of his amazing engineering expertise. These 30-minute tours of the Hanwell Flight and Three Bridges - one of Isambard Kingdom Brunel's most famous works - will be conducted by the industrial engineer 'himself'. See the history and heritage of the waterway and the structures that surround it come to life and find out more about the impact the industrial revolution, and the figures who drove it, have had in the local area.
Times: 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm, 3.30pm
Location: Meet on the towpath beside the Grand Union Canal at Green Lane near the Fox Pub.
Audience: family-focused and general interest.
Hounslow Heritage Guides' waterside walk though local history
Take a half-hour-long tour of the Hanwell Flight with these local heritage experts and see another side to the Grand Union Canal and St. Bernard's Hospital, situated alongside it. Find out all manner of fascinating facts by following in the footsteps of these highly knowledgeable guides.
Times: 11am, 12 noon, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm
Location: Meet on the towpath on the Grand Union Canal at Green Lane near the Fox Pub.
Audience: largely adult, but of interest to younger people too.
Boat trips
Step aboard the heavenly Helix, a 45ft traditional narrowboat, and take a 20-minute trip along the picturesque Grand Union Canal between the Hanwell Flight and Osterley Lock
Times: from Hanwell Bottom Lock: 11am, 12noon, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm, 5pm. From Osterley Lock: 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm 3.30pm, 4.30pm
Location: Hanwell Bottom Lock, the Grand Union Canal, at Green Lane near the Fox Pub and Osterley Lock (south west of the Hanwell Flight towards Brentford) on the Grand Union Canal near Trumpers Way / Southdown Av.
Audience: all.
PLEASE NOTE: the narrowboat has capacity to carry 12 people (including children) places are free and will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. It is not possible to reserve places in advance.
Some timings or locations may be subject to slight change. Please check these pages in the lead up to the event for additional information.
This event is part of the Story of London festival going on across the capital in June 2009. For more information about the festival visit www.london.gov.uk/storyoflondon.
All walks and the boat trips are free of charge.
Hanwell Flight is to be found near Green Lane, Hanwell UB24NH Map
The Story of London month long festival is a glorious celebration of London’s past, present and future. Take your pick from hundreds of events across the capital, ranging from art, architecture and fashion to film, history, music and theatre. The programme is based around four ‘big weekends', the first of which encourages you to discover the city on foot to uncover the secret histories of the capital’s streets, with over 100 guided walks. So why not step outside and join a Walking Weekend tour to experience the Story of London for yourself...
June 4, 2009
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