Pedestrian access from LHR T4

[t1grm]

I've a 11 hour stopover in London in a couple of weeks (LAS - LGW - LHR - MLA). Instead of doing the usual of going into town and sitting in the pub I though I might try and get a bit of walking done. I'm going to try to get to the Grand Union Canal from T4 via the River Crane by foot and then make my way along the canal towpath from there. My plan is as follows:

Arrive T4 tube
Exit T4 to Hilton via walkway (I don't think you can walk out of T4 to the A30 via the exit road from the pick up and drop off zone - is that right?)
Make my way from the Hilton to the A30
Head east on A30
Pick up the river crane just past Hatton cross and then head north under the A4 and to the Grand Union Canal from there

Does that sound feasible? Does anyone know if there is a footpath along the river crane all the way to the Grand Union?

[wiggy]

Originally Posted by t1grm

I've a 11 hour stopover in London in a couple of weeks (LAS - LGW - LHR - MLA). Instead of doing the usual of going into town and sitting in the pub I though I might try and get a bit of walking done. I'm going to try to get to the Grand Union Canal from T4 via the River Crane by foot and then make my way along the canal towpath from there. My plan is as follows:

Arrive T4 tube
Exit T4 to Hilton via walkway (I don't think you can walk out of T4 to the A30 via the exit road from the pick up and drop off zone - is that right?)

Not sure, never tried that and there is a lot of building work going on just outside T4 ATM ( new hotel going up) so the walkway is not a bad idea..but at the far end I wouldn't head for the Hilton, ....I'll offer a perhaps better way via PM

.
Make my way from the Hilton to the A30
Head east on A30

..

Yep, make sure you pick up the A30, not the perimeter road, otherwise you run out of footpath

..
Pick up the river crane just past Hatton cross and then head north under the A4 and to the Grand Union Canal from there..Does that sound feasible? Does anyone know if there is a footpath along the river crane all the way to the Grand Union?

This is the tricky bit:.

If you stay on the A30 then east of Hatton Cross you are blocked from turning to the left/north by the tube line (which above ground at that point) until you get to well east of the Crane at the junction of the A30 with the Parkway..(the road to Hayes..), Instead when you reach Hatton X you'll need to try and "sidestep" north and pick up the Eastern Perimeter Road or Envoy Avenue, (which definitely has a foot path on it)..you then need to pick up Earhart way to get to the Crane, (just be warned a short section of it is signed as restricted access,) but I've walked it without any bother .....however on the occasions I've been along it, either on foot or in a vehicle, I don't ever remember ever seeing a footpath on the Crane...

[t1grm]

Very helpful. Thanks. I figured getting on the Crane was going to be the most difficult part. Worst case scenario, I can make my way from the A30 to the A4 via local roads and then walk through Cranford Park.

[DaveReidUK]

Another option would be to jump on a Tube from T4 to Boston Manor, which is a stone's throw from the canal at Osterley Lock.

[t1grm]

Kind of defeats the object of walking it though.

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by t1grm

Kind of defeats the object of walking it though.

Fair enough. I simply thought you would rather spend more time walking the towpath than navigating suburban streets.

[wiggy]

Hi again...this:

https://ramblingman.org.uk/walks/lon...ss-to-uxbridge

sounds remarkably like what you are intending to do...the comment about a security guard rings a bell...pity there’s not a map...

If you decide to start closer in to London you might be able to pick up your planned walk north of the A4...as covered in the “Crawford and Avenue Park walk here”...

https://www.walkingforhealth.org.uk/...s_hounslow.pdf

Tube to LHR Central, take a bus towards Hounslow down the Bath Road/A4...and either get off at New Road ( if you want to stay in the free fair zone, or pay and get off a bit further east opposite the Premier Inn.) .walk east down New Road and you can access the southern end of Cranford/Avenue Park...that footpath is signed.

[t1grm]

Great links, thanks

[Skipness One Echo]

Arrive T4 tube
Exit T4 to Hilton via walkway (I don't think you can walk out of T4 to the A30 via the exit road from the pick up and drop off zone - is that right?)

You can walk out of T4 arrivals and walk to the A30.

[WHBM]

Originally Posted by DaveReidUK

Another option would be to jump on a Tube from T4 to Boston Manor, which is a stone's throw from the canal at Osterley Lock.

Likewise you could take the Heathrow Connect train from T4 to its first stop outside the airport, which is Hayes, next to the main line of the canal, then walk east along the towpath to Boston Manor underground station, probably 1.5-2 hours walk, then back by Tube.

Longer walk, go the other way from Hayes, westwards, nicer scenery including some quite rural stretches for London, some canalside pubs, to Uxbridge, then back on the Piccadilly Underground changing at Acton Town.

[wiggy]

Originally Posted by Skipness One Echo

You can walk out ot T4 arrivals and walk to the A30.

Last time I was in that neck of the woods about a month back I know a lot of the pedestrian access was compromised/blocked by the new Arora hotel going up between the southern perimeter road and T4 itself....maybe it has all changed again. As luck would have it I will be at T4 tomorrow. . Since this is obviously a burning issue if I have time I'll check it out and report back....

[t1grm]

All good suggestions everybody. Walking out of Heathrow is an integral part of the "mission" to me so I'm going to try to avoid getting public transport to the canal. I know it's going to be mostly ugly suburbia and I'm probably being a bit of a masochist but, I've flown over it and driven past it so many times I feel I should at least get out and take a walk around there once in my life.

I haven't decided to go east or west when I get to the Grand Union yet. I grew up in Uxbridge and remember the Swan and Bottle well. My parents used to take me there as a kid when it was a Bernie Inn (or was it Schooner Inn?). This was back in the day when a Bernie or Schooner Inn were the classiest night out in town! So going east to the Swan and Bottle then getting the tube from Uxbridge is an option. If I go west I'll probably head north at Bulls Bridge along the Paddington Arm and see if I can get to Little Venice then take the Heathrow Express back. At 13 miles from Bulls Bridge that might be a bit ambitious though.

[c52]

I posted this an hour ago but it hasn't appeared

Last time I was there - maybe a year ago - it was possible to walk along the perimeter road to Hatton Cross - note, verge, not footpath. At Hatton Cross you meet the London LOOP, a long-distance footpath that will take you to the GUC or in a circle right round London if you go far enough.

[wiggy]

Originally Posted by c52

...

Last time I was there - maybe a year ago - it was possible to walk along the perimeter road to Hatton Cross - note, verge, not footpath..

True: if you want to avoid the verge (and I’d recommend you do so because the southern perimeter road is v busy and that verge is narrow) the trick is to transition off the perimeter road footpath and take the footpath which runs along the north side of the adjacent and parallel A30. You can do that by going through a cunningly positioned opening in a fence that divides the two roads about 100 metres or so east of the T4 Premier Inn...adds about a metre or two to your walking distance to Hatton X.

Still hopeful of checking out the first bit of this legendary walk after cease work tonight.....

edit it to add: Skipness 1 E is correct, it can be done...for the benefit of the OP.
Turn left leaving arrivals.
head past all the bustops, at the far end you have to turn right, through a bike/motorbike parking area.
At the end of that exit to the left and pick up the footpath opposite that runs under the walkway to the Hilton/Prem Inn. Follow that for 100 metres - You’ll find yourself on the southern perimeter road.

Good luck...

[WHBM]

Originally Posted by t1grm

I haven't decided to go east or west when I get to the Grand Union yet .... So going east to the Swan and Bottle then getting the tube from Uxbridge is an option. If I go west I'll probably head north at Bulls Bridge along the Paddington Arm and see if I can get to Little Venice then take the Heathrow Express back.

I think you may have your East and West transposed.

Walking out of Heathrow is an integral part of the "mission"

I know what you mean. We live about 25 mins walking from London City, and walking to/from the airport is an interesting novelty. Once had a day's business meeting in the airport hotel across the car park in Dublin, and so walked at both ends of an international flight. It was a topic of conversation all day.

[t1grm]

Originally Posted by WHBM

I think you may have your East and West transposed.

Ooops! Yeah. Good job I have GPS on my phone

[t1grm]

So I did this on Saturday and it was great. Luckily had fantastic weather and avoided the thunder storms later in the weekend. By the time I'd transferred from LGW and showered and changed after an overnight from LAS it was 13:30 when I got out of T4. I think making Paddington was a bit ambitious. I got as far as Greenford. Paddington would have been another 2.5 hours. I walked until 17:30 and covered 12 miles then stopped for a pint and some fish and chips and got the tube back to T4 for a 20:30 flight. The walk from T4 to the Grand Union Canal basically breaks down into 4 stages:

1. T4 east to River Crane along a mix of perimeter road and A30 - not particularly interesting but what I expected really. I was able to walk right out of T4 down the exit ramp from the arrivals drop off to the A30. As someone mentioned you have to switch back to the perimeter road after Hatton Cross to get to the River Crane. Earhart Way is blocked to traffic and looks closed but when you get up close there is still pedestrian access.

2. A30 north to A4 North along River Crane - this was the only disappointment - the footpath along both banks of the river was completely waterlogged. You would need wellies or waders to cross it. I ended up cutting through the Cranford housing estate on the East of the River.

3. A4 north to M4 through Avenue park and Cranford Park - this is by far the best part of the walk. Avenue Park is a nice green open space and Cranford park is a lovely oasis right next to Heathrow. Lot's of open parkland.

4. M4 north to Grand Union Canal - Not as nice as Cranford park but mostly through woods so a different sort of scenery. Once you cross North Hyde Road you have to walk through an industrial estate to get to the Grand Union Canal. From there it's a short walk to Bulls Bridge and then you can either go straight on towards Brentford or turn left and head towards Paddington.

I would definitely do it again if I had a long stop over and it was a nice day. Next time maybe 'll start at Paddington and go from there. GPS track and some pics attached.

[wiggy]

As someone mentioned you have to switch back to the perimeter road after Hatton Cross to get to the River Crane

That was me and I owe you an apology ..it appears you can stay on the A30 footpath eastbound until about 400m east of Hatton X, then go to the LHS of the walled Picaddilly tube line cutting and you are almost at the Earhart Way barrier.

Glad you enjoyed the walk, but yes, it's has been a bit wet recently...