Every year Wheelers try to organise an outing around our borough boundary and this year we decided to break with tradition and do it in the winter. Our claim is that Tower Hamlets has the best boundary of any London borough – because a very high proportion of it is along the rivers Thames and Lee, through Victoria Park and along the canal – and 21 people turned out to check whether we were telling the truth.

We decided to deploy a new strategy and start the ride at our favourite café Vesuvios on Three Colt Street on the basis that a) it was nearer the boundary than our usual Mile End Green Bridge meeting point and b) it meant we could have coffee in the café whilst waiting (useful in cold weather). Leader Owen had decreed that 2012 was to be an anti-clockwise year so the assembled throng set off southwards keeping as close to the river as possible, to reach the southernmost point of the borough at Island Gardens (technically of course the most southern point is in the middle of the Thames but no-one felt like descending into the foot tunnel just to tick that off).

Southernmost point - Island Gardens

Then heading north we worked our way up the Isle of Dogs, around Blackwall basin to Trinity Buoy Wharf to collect the easternmost point. Happily the lighthouse was open so we called a short break to enable everyone to go up and visit Longplayer.

Easternmost point Trinity Buoy Wharf - lots of bicycles, not many cyclists, they're all up the lighthouse!

Amid much discussion about whether there really could be otters living there, we then skirted around Bow Creek park, straying temporarily the “wrong” side of the river and hence into Newham. We soon regained the Tower Hamlets side before anyone could demand our passports, and worked our way through minor streets up to the Blackwall tunnel approach road. There is no route alongside the river here, but the area is changing fast – where there were derelict factories on previous rides, there are now shiny new apartment blocks. We reached the river again at Bow Locks with its impossibly steep footbridge, and then continued between navigation and tidal river to Three Mills. Beyond there we were able to cycle peacefully under Bow Roundabout and across the canal on the superb bridge and floating towpath. After Old Ford Locks we had a good view of the Olympic site, now looking slightly forlorn. A quick ride of the backstreets of Hackney Wick (it partially belongs to Tower Hamlets you know), over the footbridge and we were in Victoria Park, heading for the northern most point of the borough by Molesworth gate.

Northernmost point - Victoria Park Molesworth Gate

Coffee stop Victoria Park - admiring the new pagoda and fountain

With three corners ticked off, we made a diversion for a quick coffee stop at the café, which was as always very busy with most of the customers having apparently come by bike judging by the cycle racks. From there we travelled the short length of the towpath as far as Broadway Market before embarking on the least cycle friendly part of the boundary along Hackney Road, and then down via assorted small and large streets to the Tower of London. At one point we found ourselves traversing Petticoat Lane market which was in full swing on a Sunday – slow going walking our bikes but a genuine splash of East End tradition and colour.

At the Tower we posed for “most western point” pictures – although technically that honour goes to a bit of river near the stern of HMS Belfast or a bit of road somewhere near Bishopsgate depending on how you look at the map. From there it was an easy run back through Wapping to Limehouse, although leader Owen insisted on taking every small section of riverside path in order to follow the boundary as closely as possible. In fact to really follow it faithfully, the best way to do about two thirds would be to take a Clipper ferry from Tower Pier to Trinity Buoy Wharf, and then maybe a rowing boat up the Lee, but I guess that doesn’t make a great cycle ride.
Funnily enough we ended up back at Vesuvios again, so several of us went for a late lunch, content in the knowledge that the borders had received their annual inspection.

Do join us next year. Will we go in summer or winter? Clockwise or anti-clockwise? How many tea stops will we have? Will we just take a boat? Find out in 2013.

Westernmost point (ish) - one Wheeler is determined to get into all the pictures...

                                                                            .......but doesn't quite make it.