Canal Walks and snacks @ The Narrow

One of the most enjoyable things I love about London is walking down the towpaths beside the canal on a Sunday.

It takes me back to my childhood in Hampshire, when we used to follow parts of the old Basingstoke canal through the countryside.

How I miss those days of eternal youth, the feeling that life had no end, and we were to be young forever, free to do whatever and young enough not to care.

Sadly those days are long gone and I have to face the fact that I am getting on in years, and my eternal optimism is slowly but surely disappearing.

I love the canals, I love looking at the barges and wondering if I could ever be able to live in one. It’s doubtful, as I am a real messy person, especially in the kitchen, but I do love the peacefulness of the canals.

What I hate are people who are not willing to share the canal with others. This basically includes manic joggers who scream up behind you shouting for you to move, and stupid cyclists who think they can ride side by side and everyone must move for them. Can’t they read the f’ing signs saying, “Pedestrians have the right of way.” So they can ride a bike, but they cannot bloody read.

Anyhows this given Sunday we made our way down from Victoria Fields to the Limehouse. This is the last stretch in the east we had never done before. 

It’s a lovely slow walk that took us about an hour or so. I think we were going about as quick as the barges. I even managed to help a few out as they entered and exited the locks. Well it was a Sunday and that’s my good Samaritan day.

We eventually came back down to the Thames at the Limehouse. A place I would not like to live, so soulless and devoid of anyone apart form people who had just come there down the canal.

We stopped off for a couple of beers at the Narrow, a lovely listed building owned by Mr R. This is one of his last pubs, as he has either sold or closed down the others for whatever reasons. This one seems to be doing good business for him.

As it was a nice day we sat outside supping away watching the world and boats go by. A good spot for it as well.

The walk although not long or fairly taxing did make us a tad peckish. Thankfully they have a good bar menu, so we ordered a couple of nibbles off it. We had a plate of honey mustard coated sausages and a scotch egg. I am a sucka for a scotch egg.

I think they actually boiled the egg, encased it in sausage meat and then cooked it, as it took about 30 minutes to arrive.

The chipolatas were nice and good beer food. The egg was good, nice and crispy, nice sausage meat, although the white of the egg was still a little undercooked. But the beer was good, so that made up for it all.

The restaurant inside was packed, so they must be churning out good food for the local punters, although I don’t think there is too much choice in the near vicinity. Git it all sown up has our Mr R. At least one of his places is doing well.

You can continue along the river towards Wapping and further west. It’s a nice walk on a good day that is, which we haven’t had too many recently.

My next trip n the canals heading west from Little Venice I will come with some protection to push those joggers and cyclists into the canal.