The Bakerloo Line was tackled from North to South, thus starting at Harrow & Wealdstone and passing down through central London to Elephant & Castle in the south of the capital.
This was completed in 2004 and is available as a download or in book form from www.lulu.com
This line opened in 1906 amd was the first to cross London from north to south. Originally it was the Baker Street and Waterloo Line; its current name was adopted from the writings of a columnist in the London Evening News. The original route ran from Baker Street to Kennington Road (now Lambeth North), but it has changed many times since, gaining sections and losing them - for instance, until the advent of the Jubilee Line in 1979 it ran from Baker Street to Stanmore.
There are many interesting features along the route taken on this walk and here are a few to whet your appetite.
WILLESDEN JUNCTION
Just near this important railway confluence are two of the most delightful little streets; Stoke Place and Crewe Place. Looking like something from a film set, these cul-de-sacs are fine examples of terraced cottages from the mid 19th Century. Neat frontages and cobbled paving are set off by smart street lamps and great character.
KENSAL GREEN CEMETERY
The route of this walk takes you through St Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery and then straight into All Soul's Cemetery. These are extraordinary places, with All Soul's the more famous of the two containing the graves of people such as Anthony Trollope, Wilkie Collins and Ismabard Kingdom Brunel. Built in 1833, huge plots such as this were used to relieve the overcrowding in graveyeards around local churches. It is one of those parts of the walk where it is worth spending some time.
MAIDA AVENUE
With the Regents Canal (part of the Grand Union Canal) alongside you on one side and some impressive houses on the other this is a delightful part of the walk. The boats which sit on the canal are often brightly painted and carry names such as 'Painted Lady' and 'Heron'. At Number 2 here lived the great British actor Arthur Lowe. Best remembered as Captain Mainwaring in the long running comedy series 'Dad's Army', Lowe lived here from 1970 until his death in 1982. Further along at Number 30 is a blue plaque which tells you that the poet and novelist John Masefield lived there. Masefield became Poet Laureate in 1930 and perhaps one of his most famous works is the children's book 'The Box of Delights'.
THE HAND & RACQUET PUB
This is a rightly famous establishment. There has been a pub here since the 17th Century when a brewery was fouded here by William Whitcomb (hence the name of the street it is in). Two local landowners were remembered by the brewery (and, incidentally, by nearby roads also on the route), namely Colonel Thomas Panton and Sir Henry Oxenden - Panton Ale and Oxen Ale were both brewed here.
The current building dates from 1827 and is named after some tennis courts which once stood nearby. It attained fame for its connection with some of the comedy greats of this country. The likes of Sid James, Tommy Cooper and Tony Hancock often frequented the upstairs bar here, as did Ray Galton and Alan Simpson who wrote for Hancock and incorporated the pub in their writings.
