You can cycle from Whitechapel in east London to Vauxhall south of the river entirely on quiet streets and protected cycle lanes.
The route is 8.5km long (5.3 miles) and makes use of Cycleway 3, Cycleway 2, the Mansell Street link, Westminster Bridge and Cycleway 5.
If you find this video useful or you just enjoy watching it please remember to subscribe to the channel and hit the bell icon so you’re alerted to new videos, as I try to post new ones like it every week.
And if you like what the channel is doing and want to support it, you can also contribute to the London Cycle Routes Patreon below. It really helps keep the channel going:
http://patreon.com/londoncycleroutes
You can see a digital map of the route and download a GPS/GPX file to use on whatever device or app you want here:
https://www.komoot.com/tour/2686345030?share_token=aR3YgqnkbacX69plXjgj2ssxZe8GfA4aD7CFmC5t9ZJoF29Aus&ref=wtd
And you can find a viewer-created and maintained map of all the London Cycle Routes videos here:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1h9Hxm57fPvZmcuSXajM_Wu0G0s6f_bs&ll=51.50521349609208%2C-0.1285238120117249&z=12
I also highly recommend the Safe Cycle London map for route planning, which is compiled by @SafeCycleLDN on twitter:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1XlpvN9R-Wg7qZHyezO8y-eVlftr4e0WX&hl=en&ll=51.516975804561284%2C-0.21828576419061996&z=11
25 Comments
I really appreciate your emphasis on courtesy for pedestrians and safe cycling – it's always on my mind whenever I'm on a bike and being gracious to others really adds positivity to any bike trip
Didn't know about that corner cut on the pavement on to Mansell Street!
Was this filmed last year? I noticed that one of the new public spaces along the embankment has opened. The closed pavement at 09:15 is now fully opened I think.
There are William Blake inspired mosaics in the railway arches near Archbishops Park in Lambeth including Centaur Street.
Wonder if there is also a third or fourth option that makes use of C7 down to Kennington: one via Southwark Bridge and the other via Blackfriars. While the latter is probably the easier of the two, Southwark Bridge lacks decent onward connections so it would be interesting just as an experiment to see what routes could connect it better at the southern end.
This should be a nice route, but like you point out, I wouldn’t do it like that because of Westminster bridge, which I now totally avoid southbound (please just stop the ice cream vans someone). I was trying to figure out what route I’d take and it’s probably Southwark bridge. I know you’re not a fan of including it because of the southern end of it, but the bridge itself is nice and quiet to cycle on
Really looking forwards to your new infrastucture video! Hoping you have uncovered more new projects in SE London! Places like Lewisham badly need more.
Why is London so dirty ?
it is so interesting to see London's bike infrastructure getting so close to my native Dutch's cycle infrastructure level… and then you're sent onto the pavement at the 3 minute mark. 😀
truly, the improvements are remarkable nonetheless and I love your videos, thank you for making them!
5:33 that's an excellent point, the many traffic lights, rather than zebra crossings feels to me like the design philosophy was more along the lines of 'the bicycle is a really really really small and light car' rather than infrastructure designed for bicyclists and pedestrians in and of themselves.
Loved this route, seeing some of the sights of London on the way. But Westminster Bridge is too much for me. Your comment at the end is valid – Westminster Bridge needs to be sorted; it is not good for pedestrians, cyclists, cars or buses. A proper rethink is needed and if they can get rid of the Ice cream vans and the scammers at the same time all will be well. Thanks for sharing.
Nice route, great video! 👍
I agree with you about substituting cycle traffic lights for zebra crossings- where appropriate.
Blackfriars bridge I find very complicated- also lots of long waits at cycle lights .
Agree with you about Westminster bridge.
Agreed with every one of your comments, you read not only other cyclists, but the wider society, especially pedestrians.
I too love the 'flight' along Thames, but as an outsider (even being London born and early raised), I'd walk across Westminster Bridge. I'd rather walk with no issues than ride with many occurrences, even if just close calls. Unless you're late, it's just not worth it, and if you're late, take another route.
For all her faults and shortcomings….London is looking good.
Really enjoyed the visit!
Thanks for the video as always, these routes have been great at joining up my knowledge of how to get around the city from my corner of south east London.
My heart was in my mouth at 3:31 when the lane merges with the pavement right before cars come towards you on a narrow one way system around the corner. Unless it was far better signposted than I could tell from the video (think I can just about make out one sign but not sure) this looked quite dangerous to me – did it feel particularly sketchy to cycle? You seemed to know what you were doing and obviously wouldn't lead us down a treacherous route but it felt fairly poorly designed from the perspective of the viewer at home!
Another great video. I do a similar journey regularly and mix up the route to Vauxhall depending on time of day, if there are any major issues in Westminster, or how much spiciness I'm prepared to tolerate. Sometimes it's Blackfriars Bridge and The Cut, or I'll go through Westminster to Vauxhall Bridge similar to a route you've done before. If I'm time saving and going to Lambeth over Westminster Bridge I just take the lane. More predictable and more space to manoeuvre if needed.
Tip for crossing to Shorter Street from Royal Mint Street or Mansell Street that not a lot of people seem to know about. If you time it right, you can join the island for the toucan crossing. It's (signposted) shared pavement outside the car park and you can use the dropped kerb on to Shorter Street.
Using the toucan should set you up for quicker green phase for Tower Hill, whereas the cycle green to cross from Royal Mint Street usually means waiting longer at Tower Hill because there's a pedestrian phase, then bus phase, then another pedestrian phase before the cycle green.
Sadly doesn't work as well eastbound as the lights and stop line are before the dropped kerb, but easy enough for most people to reposition on to the pavement for the toucan.
See plenty of cyclists just blow through the red at that junction if the toucan is green because they see no vehicle movements, although there is potential conflict with the pedestrian phase at RMS, but the correct way to do it and avoid conflict is to position accordingly and use the toucan.
I can’t believe how nice Vauxhall walk looks. Props to Council
I think the route having non-transport benefits is also important, in urban planning people usually prioritise a more scenic or utility-maximising route depending on their needs so I think this route passing by the Thames embankment is definitely a consideration for people using it.
Very pleased to hear about the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens LTN. Vauxhall Walk has become something of a minor rat run with the Lambeth Bridge works — I've been tailgated (and tooted at) a couple of times in the last few months. By the way, have you seen Camden's proposals for the Holborn Liveable Neighbourhood? Epic!
For me going over Westminster Bridge is a beautiful experience and I really enjoyed it as part of my commute for a few months this year. Yes it's packed with oblivious tourists but you can simply accept the situation, slow down and be courteous.
Bad bad fixie fiend at 2:31 and 2:36. I think kamikaze meant him.
Great video and a really inspiring route! Thanks for making this. Typically if I'm on the embankment (because it's nearly always very windy which slows the journey) I would peel off at Southwark Bridge and then cross over on to C5 by Flat Iron Sq for an easier ride. If I do end up on Westminster bridge going south I mostly use the bus lane now but even that can be overwhelming! On another matter, oversite developments are a really interesting topic. The greatest recent station upgrades: King's Cross, St Pancras, London Bridge, Paddington etc don't have them and are all amazing! But Euston in it's current form has a giant defunct parcel yard above it, will have offices etc in the future and yet still has loads of character. So it can work for sure! 🍀✨
Great route I will remember for next time. Thanks for sharing!
I wish I could go cycling with you one day! with that lovely British accent
I would definitely take the Victoria Embankment route.Those seemingly quiet C5 streets are very deceptive – I commute from Vauxhall to Waterloo and got almost badly ran over by through traffic three times over the last 4 months! Very scary situations. Vans can come speding out of nowhere, especially because of the industrial businesses under the arches at Randall Rd and Newport Rd. I'm glad to hear Lambeth is introducing LTNs in those streets — it's badly needed. A change is truly needed.
(Btw I loved this video. I used to live in Whitechapell before Vauxhall, so you beautifully linked my past to my present!)