Skip to navigation

Tubewalker: The Tube, on Foot

Central Line: West Ruislip to Perivale

The Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal

This is perhaps not the most exciting walk in the world, though it does improve considerably towards the end, mainly because it reaches the Grand Union Canal, and if there's one thing I like, it's canal walking. There's also at least one lovely village green (if you can ignore the pounding traffic) and a handful of cheery parks, and some parts are pleasantly green.

West Ruislip to Ruislip Gardens

Attractive Mock Tudor housing on Beechwood Avenue
Attractive Mock Tudor housing on Beechwood Avenue

After over 200 miles of walking through Greater London, a large portion of it through the suburbs of zones 4 to 6, I think I'm qualified to hold opinions on the different flavours of suburbia across the capital... and I have to say, I still don't particularly enjoy walking through the backstreets of Ruislip. It's strange, because I think I'm developing quite an affinity with the various ways in which we choose to set up home, and even the grittiest suburbs do something to me, but endless roads of semi-detached houses, all produced from slight variations on the same mould, are just not that thrilling.

Ruislip Gardens station
Ruislip Gardens station

Ruislip Gardens to South Ruislip

South Ruislip station
South Ruislip station

It isn't far from Ruislip Gardens to South Ruislip, and I thought it would be interesting to walk past RAF Northolt, which takes up a large amount of land to the west of Ruislip. Unfortunately – and not surprisingly – absolutely nothing is visible from the road that runs along the eastern edge of the airfield, though there is a fence with a small hole in it at the eastern end of the runway through which you can presumably see what's going on. I'd like to report that it's a fantastic view and that watching the planes land is a highlight of this walk, but there was a man standing in front of the hole, poking his pocket telescope through, and I figured I'd better leave him alone in case he took offence at me usurping his peep-hole. Instead, I'll rest easy knowing that not only was this the airfield where Ronnie Biggs was arrested when he flew back into Britain, but it was also where the body of Princess Diana was flown in after the fatal crash in Paris.

South Ruislip to Northolt

The Polish War Memorial
The Polish War Memorial

There's no particularly direct walking route from South Ruislip to Northolt, so I thought I'd head south to take in a memorial, a golf club and a park. I didn't realise it would take me via Mars in the process, but that's all part of the thrill of tubewalking...

C & L Golf and Country Club
C & L Golf and Country Club
West London Academy
West London Academy
Northolt village green
Northolt village green

Northolt to Greenford

Al Masjid ul Husseini and the Grand Union Canal
Al Masjid ul Husseini sits beside the Grand Union Canal

Just south of the village green is Belvue Park, which contains the site of a medieval manor house, as well as the parish church of St Mary; the church dates from the 15th century, but is currently smothered in scaffolding. There's a good view over to Northala Fields, an extension to Northolt and Greenford Country Park right next to the A40 that contains four conical, man-made hills that you can climb; unfortunately I couldn't include Northala Fields on this tubewalk, but you just can't include everything.

The Black Horse
The Black Horse

Greenford to Perivale

A bridge over the Grand Union Canal
Along the Grand Union Canal

The Capital Ring passes by Greenford station on day 9, and it's always worth following the Ring where it makes sense (which, in this case, it does). The signs soon take you past the large Westway Shopping Park and into Paradise Fields Wetlands, an enjoyable spot that has a definitely rural feeling to it, though the constant white noise and peeping horns of the Greenford Road are rather distracting; the path is extremely well made, though, and it makes for a nice little jaunt through lots of lush greenery.