Brentford to Hanwell Canal Walk

Description

Start:Brentford Station, Station Approach, Brentford, Greater London, (TW8 8D). Grid Ref. TQ 1744 7785

(D) We start our walk at Brentford Railway Station. Walk up (North West) Station Approach and at the top, turn left (South West) onto the Great West Road (A4). After 200 m or so, find a zebra crossing to cross safely and once on the other side, continue to the left (South West) towards the Profile West office building. You arrive at the canal.

(1) Walk across the bridge over the canal and you find stairs on your right (North West) leading to the towpath on the canalside. Walk down to the canal and start walking on the towpath in the West-North-West direction. You see a wooden bridge ahead of you. Once you get to the bridge, cross it to get to Boston Manor Park.

Please note that you can skip this part of the walk if you don't want to see Boston Manor Park. Go straight to the waypoint (3). If not continue reading.

(2) When you arrive at the bottom of the bridge stairs, you find on your right the entrance gate to Boston Manor Park. Enter the park. You can wander around the park, its ponds and its seventeenth-century manor. The one on the plan goes through the main landmarks of the park. Once you enter the park, turn left (North West) and at the end of the path turn right (North East). Walk straight (North East) until you reach the Manor House. On your way, you walk under the Chiswick Flyover (M4). Once at the Manor House, retrace your steps back to the gate where you entered the park at the start of waypoint (2). Walk back across the wooden bridge over the canal.

(3) When you come down from the bridge, take right (North West) on the canal towpath. Continue your walk alongside the waterway in the North West direction for 830 m until you reach Gallows Bridge

(4) Walk across Gallows Bridge to get to the other bank of the canal. Once on the other side continue your stroll following the undulating towpath heading towards the North West. Stay on the towpath for 2.17 Km.

(5) The path divides in 2: one path follows the Grand Union Canal and one follows the River Brent.

Optional Take the path on your left (North West) to continue on the Grand Union Canal towpath. On this leg of the canal towpath, you can see the Hanwell Flight of Locks, a series of 7 handbuilt locks. The last lock is by Three Bridges Park.
Otherwise, carry on along River Brent riverside reading from waypoint (7) if you do not wish to walk the optional detour.

(6) Once you arrive at the well-indicated Three Bridges Park, thanks to a massive sculpture reading Three Bridges you can turn around and retrace your steps back to where the path split in two at the waypoint (5).

(7) When you are back at the junction, this time take the towpath on your right (North East). Walk on this stretch of the Fitzherbert Walk alongside the River Brent for 850 m heading towards the North. On your way, you walk under the A4020 (Uxbridge Road). After Uxbridge Road, you find footpaths on your left (West) hand side. Ignore them all and stick to the River Brent towpath.

(8) You arrive at a Viaduct. Take the footbridge on your right (North East) and cross the River Brent. On the other side, turn left (North) to walk under the Viaduct. The path splits in a 3 ways junction. Take the footpath on your right (North East). The path then bends towards the East. Continue on this path, part of the Capital Ring, for 190 m until you reach Alwyne Road.

(9) Follow Alwyne Road alongside for viaduct until you reach the crossroad with Golden Manor. Take left (North East) onto Golden Manor. Walk up Golden Manor for 100 m and then turn right (East) onto Campbell Road. When you arrive at the end of the road, turn right (South). Hanwell Station is right in front of you. (A)

Hanwell Station, Campbell Road, Hanwell, Greater London, W7 3EB (Grid Ref. TQ 1537 8050)