Let’s Roam – Exploring Newham and Beyond by Bike

Lets Roam – Traffic Free Loop 

A Let’s Roam favourite. 95% traffic free route which includes some of Newham’s cycling gems. This route can be done in either direction and be started at any point.

The Greenway cuts through the centre of Newham. The elevated walkway stretches from Stratford to Beckton. The path is built on top of a Victorian sewage pipe, it offers wonderful views over the city and traffic free roaming. Beckton has a number of traffic free routes interspersed with small sections of on road cycle paths.

To the south of the borough you can enjoy the views over the docks on traffic-free paths, taking in planes landing at London City Airport and consider the industrial legacy.

The West of the borough is is marked by the River Lea. From the Leamouth in the south you can meander all the way up to Stratford and beyond. A small road section through Industrial Canning Town is needed to cut through to the wonderful Cody Dock.

From Cody Dock onwards you roam north along the waterside. Follow the River and Canal up to Three Mills before the final stretch into Stratford.

The Olympic Park offers endless opportunities for traffic free roaming with lots of hidden paths snaking round the stadiums and waterside tributaries. Take in the Olympic Stadium, Aquatic Centre, Velodrome and Olympic Rings.

Roaming Beyond Newham’s Borders

Let’s Roam – The River Lea Waterways.

The West of Newham is marked by the River Lea and the canal network which travels north. This route includes traffic-free roaming through marshland and waterways.

Starting in the south there is Three Mills and the Channelsea river which meet the Greenway. There are wonderful traffic-free paths which hug the canal taking you through the Olympic Park.

You can continue to roam north towards Hackney and Walthamstow. The recent renovation of the Reservoirs into Wetlands enables you to loop back on traffic free paths. 

You can roam back towards Stratford hugging waterways through Hackney Marshes.

Let’s Roam – Roding Valley Way

The Roding Valley Way can be accessed just off of the Romford Road. You can roam along an idyllic small unpaved track surrounded by a canopy of trees.

You follow the River Roding north with the golf course and cemetery on either side. You cross the Roding while wiggling through green open space and allotments.

You cross underneath the Redbridge roundabout about before turning north on hard packed unpaved surfaces. You cross the road at Woodford roundabout before encountering more tree-lined traffic-free paths through Roding Valley Park.

The route works well as an out and back. Why not try roaming further north where the paths along the river get rougher?

Let’s Roam – South of the River

Starting out in North Woolwich you have a range of options for crossing south of the river and following cycle paths east or west along the River Thames. These waterside paths offer wonderful views and traffic-free cycling.

You can cross the river by ferry or foot tunnel. This route takes you east along the Thames and offers wonderful views of tarmac surfaces.

The route also takes in the hard-packed surfaces of the Crossway which is an elevated path built onto of a sewage outflow path. Thamesmead has traffic free paths to link back to the Thames.

If feeling adventurous you can roam along the Thames east all the way to Erith to the east, or follow the well marked routes west to the O2 and Greenwich.

Let’s Roam – C16 to Fairlop Waters

The C16 cycle route is a well marked cycle route on low-traffic roads.

Setting out from Stratford and the Olympic Park it travels over to the wide expanse of Wanstead Flats.

Cutting through Wanstead Park there are lots of opportunities to deviate into quiet woodland.

Heading East you travel through Valentine’s Park and on towards Redbridge. 

Fairlop Waters offers a beautiful green space with hard packed sand surfaces.

This route works well as a low-traffic out and back to build confident on the roads.