The Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal, England

The Paddington Canal Arm, London, England.

Guide to walking, cycling and using the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal on it's trip from Paddington to Bulls Bridge with photos of all the Bridges plus other canal features.

Turtle spotted along the Paddington Canal Arm, London Reflections at Porta Bella Docks, Paddington Arm The 13.5 mile long Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal starts just a short distance from Paddington Railway Station. Finding the canal is quite simple - from the station's main entrance turn left and very shortly turn left down London Road and walk alongside the station's main building. After a few 100 metres turn right into South Wharf Road and almost immediately go left via a road barrier to walk straight on down to the canal towpath. Turn right along the towpath to get to Paddington Basin which again is only a few 100 metres along - or go left along the towpath to reach the Regents Canal Junction and Little Venice and then on to the canal's eventual end at Bull's Bridge some 13 miles away.

Walking and cycling the Paddington Arm's towpath is an extremely popular activity and quite straightforward - just after Paddington Basin the towpath is always on the left hand side of the canal, is generally quite wide and is well surfaced - only as you get nearer to the far end at Bull's Bridge does the surface revert to a grassy path and the towpath narrow considerably.

There are quite a few seats provided for use as a "sit and watch the world go by" or perhaps for a lunch break located for several miles along the route however the last few miles to it's end where it meets the Grand Union Canal has nothing at all. At Ballot Box Bridge if you cross over there is a children's play area and several picnic tables and seats around plus a public toilet can be found by walking on up to the visitor's centre.

Paddington Arm - Basin Helix Bridge at the Paddington Basin, West London Helix Bridge - at the end of the Paddington Arm Paddington Arm footbridge near the beginning of the Arm by Paddington Basin Another of Paddington Basin's footbridges
Paddington Basin Helix Bridge Helix Bridge Basin footbridge Basin footbridge
Views near Paddington Basin Office footbridge near the end of the Paddington Arm Bishop's Bridge 1 Two Paddington Arm bridges one road one pedestrian - 2a Two British Waterways tug boats
Paddington Arm views Footbridge between office buildings Bishops Bridge 1 Westway Bridges (2a) Nice little BW work boats
Bridge 2 Paddington Arm - Bridge 2 Regents Canal joins up with the Paddington Arm Regents Canal Bidge 1 from the Paddington Arm's towpath Little Venice Bridge 3c
Paddington Arm Bridge 2 Bridge 2 Junction with the Regent Canal Regents Canal Bridge no.1 Bridge 3c leading to Little Venice
Paddington Arm - Little Venice Bridge Possible site of a gauge stop - Little Venice Bridge, Paddington Arm Little Venice - Paddington Canal Arm Ha'fpenny Bridge 3b Paddington Arm - Halfpenny Bridge
Bridge 3c Probably location of a gauging stop Little Venice views Ha'fpenny Bridge Ha'fpenny Bridge - 3b

The photo just above shows the probable location of an old gauging stop location where commercial barges were weighed for size and cargo and paid tolls accordingly. Some of the Canal Arm's bridges have really interesting names - for instance Ha'fpenny Bridge (was this because once there was a halfpenny toll levied here for either crossing it or possible it was where another gauging stop was located?), Ballot Box Bridge and Scrubs Lane but sadly most of the original old brick bridges have long gone and have been replaced by ugly and out of character concrete messes. Still at least Manor Farm Bridge has so far survived the local authority's destructive attention.

Pipe Bridge 3a Pipe Bridge 3a Harrow Road Bridge 3 Harrow Road Bridge The huge concrete curves of the overhanging Westway Road
Pipebridge 3a Pipe Bridge 3a Harrow Road Bridge - 3 Harrow Road Bridge Westway Road overhangs the Arm
Bridge 4c Bridge 4c Bridge 4b Bridge 4ab Bridge 4ab
Bridge 4c Bridge 4c Bridge 4b Bridge 4ab Bridge 4ab
Kensal Green Bridge no4 Kensal Green Bridge Side Bridge looking back at Kensal Green's gasworks Scrubs Lane Bridge 6
Kensal Green Bridge 4 Kensal Green Bridge Side Bridge Gasworks at Kensal Green Scrubs Lane Bridge 6
Excellent girder bridge carrying railway lines into Old Oak Common Scrubs Lane Bridge Railway Bridge 7d Railway Bridge 7d (BR number 36) several old warehouse/factory buildings alongside the Paddington Arm
Girder Railway Bridge Scrubs Lane Bridge Railway Bridge no: 7d (BR36) Railway Bridge no: 7d Workshops alongside the canal

Particularly on this part of the Paddington Arm the canal is crossed by quite a few railway bridges many of which are really beautiful girder bridges. These carry railway lines into Old Oak Common railway yards - always as you wander along you can hear trains rushing by and even get a glimpse of them over the old nicely bricked wall. It all must have been a fantastic sight in the old Western Region days of steam engines - it's easy to imagine Halls, Castles and Kings pulling their passenger and freight trains through the area whilst tank engines huffed and puffed around shunting various wagons and carriages here and there.

Foot Bridge 7ba Railway Bridge 7b Railway Bridge 7b Railway Bridge 7a Railway Bridge 7a
Footbridge no: 7ba Railway Bridge no: 7b Railway Bridge no: 7b Railway Bridge no: 7a Railway Bridge no: 7a
Old Oak Lane Bridge 7 Old Oak Lane Bridge Railway Bridge 8c Railway Bridge 8c Railway Bridge 8
Old Oak Lane Bridge 7 Old Oak Lane Bridge Railway Bridge no: 8c Railway Bridge no: 8c Railway Bridge no: 8
Railway Bridge 8 site of a demolished railway bridge Pipe Bridge 1 Pipe Bridge 2 Pipe Bridge 3
Railway Bridge no:8 Site if a demolished Railway Bridge Pipe Bridge 1 Pipe Bridge 2 Pipe Bridge 3
Pipe Bridge 4 Acton lane Bridge Acton Lane Bridge 9 Pipe Bridge Pipe and Abbey Road Bridge 10
Pipe Bridge 4 Acton Lane Bridge 9 Acton Lane Bridge Pipe Bridge Pipe and Abbey Road Bridge

 

Abbey Road Bridge 10 Aqueduct takes the Arm over the North Circular Bridge 11c Bridge 11b Bridge 11b
Abbey Road Bridge 10 North Circular Aqueduct Bridge no:11c Bridge no:11b Bridge no:11b
Paddington Arm old workshops Railway Bridge 11a Railway Bridge 11a Ealing Road Bridge Ealing Road Bridge 11
Canal-side workshops Railway Bridge no:11a Railway Bridge no: 11a Ealing Road Bridge 11 Ealing Road Bridge
Manor Farm Roadbridge Manor Farm Bridge 12 Ballot Box Footbridge Ballot Box Bridge Ballot Box Bridge 13
Manor Farm Road Bridge Manor Farm Road Bridge 12 Ballot Box Footbridge Ballot Box Bridge 13 Ballot Box Bridge
Foot Bridge 13a Footbridge 13a Greenford Roadbridge 14 Greenford Road Bridge Black Horse Bridge 15
Footbridge 13a Footbridge 13a Greenford Road Bridge 14 Greenford Road Bridge Black Horse Bridge 15

 

Black Horse Bridge 15 Lyons Bridge 15a Lyons Bridge 15a Blocked entrance to Lyons Dock Beautiful Girder Railway Bridge
Black Horse Bridge 15 Lyon's Bridge 15a Lyon's Bridge 15a Entrance to Lyon's Dock Girder Railway Bridge 16
Railway Bridge 16 Bridge 16a Bridge 16a A40T Bridge 16b Bridge 16b
Girder Railway Bridge 16 Bridge no: 16a Bridge no: 16a A40t Bridge 16b A40t Bridge 16b
Bridge 17a Bridge 17a We don't know what this is - a folly? Bridge 17 A pipe and Bridge 17
Bridge no: 17a Bridge no: 17a Unknown - not on our map Bridge no: 17 Pipe and Bridge no:17
Bridge 18 Bridge 18 Bridge 18ad Parking area for a few narrowboats Foot Bridge
Bridge no: 18 Bridge no: 18 Bridge no: 18ad Narrowboat moorings Paddington Arm footbridge
Paddington Arm Footbridge Willowtree Marina entrance Bridge 19 Bridge 19 Uxbridge Roadbridge 20
Foot bridge Willowtree Marina Bridge 19aa Bridge no:19 Canal Bridge 19a Uxbridge Roadbridge 20
Pipe Bridge Railway Bridge 21a Railway Bridge 21a Bulls Bridge 21 Bulls Bridge 21
Pipe Bridge Railway Bridge 21a Railway Bridge 21a Bulls Bridge 21 Bulls Bridge Junction Bridge 21

The Paddington Arm finishes it's journey from West London at Bull's Bridge Junction where it connects up with the Grand Union Canal. Turn left along the Grand Union's towpath to head on back into London where the canal meets up with the River Thames opposite Kew Gardens or turn right along the towpath heading towards Denham, Northampton and eventually Birmingham.

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