West Drayton to Hanwell by the Grand Union Canal

April 4th 2026 - Easter Saturday - and I arrived at West Drayton Station bang on time, and who do I find waiting for me? Well - no-one! Perhaps they’re in the tea-shop next to the station, I thought, but nope, no-one. This didn’t bode well, but then I spied a Costa at the far end of the road and heading towards it I received a text message saying that is where they all were. Hurrah, it’s not going to be a “Billy No-mates” walk after all. In the shop I met up with Cathy, Richard, Louise, Lynne, Madeleine and Sue.

After enjoying our refreshments, we departed and crossed over the road to join the Grand Union Canal and turn left onto the footpath heading eastwards. As far as directions go, this is a very simple walk, basically follow the canal for about 6 miles until you reach the turning off. We passed West Drayton Station, where on the recce, I’d seen a Red Kite flying overhead, but it wasn’t there today, possibly as it was raining lightly, not the lovely weather I’d said it would be, but not too bad and it did clear up soon after.

We walked along the canal, passing moored narrowboats, and riverside housing and office developments. Much of the area used to be brick-fields, where the bricks were loaded on to the working barges for transport. We passed a very pretty section of bank which was a mass of blue and white Bluebells, and after about 3 miles we reached Bulls Bridge where the Paddington Arm of the canal joins the main canal (13 miles to Paddington). Ignoring this turning, we continued to a canal-side park where we stopped to have lunch.

After lunch we continued along the canal, passing some goslings resting on the footpath and a couple of Mandarin Ducks, with the male looking very colourful in his bright plumage. We reached a couple of locks, the first we had come across, with a boat going through the lock. Rather then picking up his crew, the skipper continued leaving them stranded. However, as he reached a winding point (where there is space to turn the boat), he turned it round, and I assume collected them on the way back, but we didn’t wait to find out, they might still be there!

We soon reached Three Bridges, where a road crosses the canal, which together with an adjacent footpath cross over a railway line beneath, designed by Brunel. We continued to the Hanwell Lock flight of 6 locks. At the bottom lock, there was a boat about to enter, so we watched it pass through the lock, before we left the canal, taking a footpath next to the River Brent. As we neared the end of the path, we saw a couple of crows mobbing a Red Kite. That’s why, we didn’t see it earlier, it had decided to greet us at the end!

We soon reached Hanwell Station for the train back home. The walk was about 6½ miles, all on level ground and we even had a bit of sunshine to accompany us. A very pleasant waterside walk.

Trev (Pathfinder) Eley