After a couple of false starts, we finally got to Barking Riverside today. The trip we did can really only be done at a weekend as the riverboat doesn’t run to Barking Riverside during the week (apart from rush hour).

As with most of our London journeys, it started with a fast train to London Bridge. From there it was a brisk walk through all the new developments to London Bridge Pier. After negotiating a confusing ticket machine, we we waited a few minutes for our boat:

After loading, we set off past the Tower of London and under Tower Bridge:

Finally, we got up to speed and headed past Docklands to Greenwich:

Then onto the O2 Dome and North Greenwich, tracing the route we walked the other day!

By this time, most of the tourists had got off and we were left with an almost empty boat:

Next, we went through the Thames Barrier:

And past the (non-operational today) Woolwich Ferry:

An hour after leaving London Bridge, we got to Barking Riverside Pier, as far east as the boat goes. By this time, there were only us and one other passenger on the boat!

From here, it was a short walk along deserted streets to Barking Riverside station:

We had a bit of an explore – I’m sure it’ll all look different when fully developed and the area is full of people!

It was quite windy, so we soon headed back to the station and caught the next train:

The track and the station, was only opened last year, so it’s all very new. A viaduct takes the tracks over the existing railway and then we join the main line and head to Barking:

We got the train to Wanstead Park station (we were here last year!) and walked to nearby Forest Gate station past an interesting display made of bottle tops:

Luckily, there was a pub by the station, so we stopped for a quick drink:

Then on to Forest Gate station and an Elizabeth Line train to Shenfield:

Time for a second beer at Shenfield:

And then back home via Stratford and London Bridge. A good day out!