1
With your back to Canary Wharf (Jubilee Line) Station (West exit) and facing the water of the Middle Dock of the West India Docks (A), go left past Charles Hadcock’s ‘Torsion II’ sculpture and follow the hedge left round the corner to the park entrance next to a pedestrian crossing. Turn left into Jubilee Park over a bridge, looking down into the Jubilee Place Shopping Mall with Emma Biggs mosaics on the floor which feature the variety of goods that used to come through the docks. Turn right on the path before the large Helaine Blumenfeld bronze sculpture ‘Fortuna’ and follow the water feature through the park past the entrance to Jubilee Place Shopping Mall. Exit the park at the far end. The east entrance to Canary Wharf station is on your left. Cross the street (Upper Bank Street) at the crossing and turn left past the wooden bench ‘Arbor’ by Nigel Ross which was carved from a single tree trunk. After the bronze statue ‘Centauro’ by Igor Mitoraj, turn right and cross the square. Cross Montgomery Street on the other side and go down the steps to the waterside. Turn left, to walk under two bridges and then cross over on the third one. Continue in the same direction as before, with the water now on your left. Climb to the top of the stairs at the end and follow the glass fence until you reach Cartier Circle with its tall golden pillars.
The strong smell of fish comes from Billingsgate Fish Market on the other side of the North Dock!
2
Go left across the bridge past the security checkpoint. Cross the road at the pedestrian lights and then walk back a short way to take the metal steps down to the Blackwall Basin (B). Walk along the edge of the dock with the water on your right. Pass under a narrow pedestrian bridge (going nowhere) and turn left at the end of the dock by the information board. Walk along by the narrow waterway which joins Blackwall Basin to Poplar Dock ahead and continue round Poplar Dock (C), crossing the slipway and passing a pair of cranes with red superstructures and the ‘Figurehead for Docklands’ sculpture by Anna Bisset at the far end. Walk down the far side between two lines of trees with a brick wall on your left. There is an information panel about Poplar Dock half way along this section. To exit the dock, go down a slope and under the arch. This is Preston’s Road. Go right along here as far as the pedestrian lights next to the sculpture ‘The Leap’ by Franta Belsky in the water on your right. Cross the road and go back a short way to turn right along Managers Street. At the end go right along Coldharbour past the historic Gun pub (D) (see board) and a terrace of small 19th century houses, back to the main road. Although the view of the O2 arena is best from this side of the bridge, it is safer to cross back to the other side of Preston’s Road using the traffic Island on your right, so cross over and then walk over the bridge, the Blue Bridge, a bascule bridge across the entrance to West India South Dock.
3
Immediately on the other side, turn right down a few concrete steps to an information board. Go past some large white gates on your right and turn into Dollar Bay Place. Follow this along the high white fence of the Dockland Scout Project to the open water of the West India South Dock. Keep the water on your right and follow the edge of the dock. When you reach the corner with an Information board about the history of West India Dock, turn left to continue by the dock towards the DLR bridge straight ahead. Head slightly left as you approach the road to climb steps to the road (Marsh Wall) and cross at the pedestrian lights. Once over the road, go under the DLR with South Quays station on your right and down the steps to walk with the Millwall Inner Dock (E) on your right. Proceed straight ahead, under a couple of giant disused cranes, a reminder of the time when the Dock was flourishing and a busy place of work for hundreds of people. Continue past the Lotus Floating Chinese Restaurant and an information board on your right. At the end you will come to Pepper Street. Turn right into Pepper Street and cross Glengall Bridge.
If you want to make this a longer walk (an extra 1.7 miles/2.7 km), don't cross Glengall Bridge but go left down the side of the restaurant to reach Millwall Outer Dock. Follow the dockside path keeping the dock on your right. At the west end you have to walk a short way along Westferry Road to get round the Docklands Sailing and Watersports Centre but turn right immediately at the end of the building to regain the dockside path. You rejoin the main route on the other side of Glengall Bridge.
4
Just past no 14 Pepper Street, turn right and walk back along the other side of the dock back to South Quay DLR station. Turn left along Marsh Wall under the DLR, cross right at the lights to go diagonally left across South Quay Plaza to reach the dockside. Go left along here and cross the pedestrian bridge ahead.
Beyond the bridge, directly in front, is One Canada Square (F), recognisable by the glass pyramid on top. At 235 metres, it was the tallest building in the United Kingdom but was pushed into second place by the Shard (310m) in 2012. In 2018, numbers 8 (HSBC) and 25 (Citicorp/EMEA) Canada Square were joint 5th highest in the UK with 1 Churchill Place (Barclays) in 11th position.
5
After crossing the bridge, descend the steps and turn left to enter the glass fronted atrium through revolving doors. Cross the atrium and exit through another set of revolving doors on the other side. This brings you to Bank Street. Walk ahead towards One Canada Square, crossing the road at the controlled crossing and continue to return to Canary Wharf Jubilee Line station.
On your left is 25 Bank Street (G), the former home of Baring Brothers once the world's second oldest merchant bank (after Berenberg Bank). Founded in 1762 and collapsed in 1995 after suffering massive losses resulting mainly from trades conducted by an employee called Nick Leeson.
