The Ebury and Pimlico Walk

Also known as “The Pimlico and Ebury Walk...!

This is a self-guided walk of approximately two and one half miles from Sloane Square Underground station to near Victoria Station. Minor modifications of your own design can easily be made to adjust the specified start and finish points. This will probably extend the walk. This text should prove adequate, but taking a map adds to the fun. It consists almost entirely of paved walk. It incorporates local architecture, history, the River Thames, views of Chelsea Hospital grounds (a strongly recommended detour if time allows), extensive views over the numerous railway lines meeting at Victoria Station, and many other points of local interest including all that remains of the Grosvenor Canal. Although work has not yet (2013) started on either site, the walk includes a look at two of London’s biggest planned development areas, Battersea Power Station and the former Chelsea Barracks.

View Ebury Bridge & Pimlico in a larger map 

Leaving Sloane Square Underground station, you arrive at ground level on the south east corner of Sloane Square. Turn left and follow Holbein  Place south east and then south, ignoring Whittaker Street on the left,  to it’s junction with Graham Terrace. Turn left for 50 yards, then dog-leg left (unless the delightful Fox & Hounds PH tempts you to linger) until the Terrace meets Bourne Street where you should turn right. After 150 yards Bourne Street meets Orange Square, which is  actually neither of these. Look for the fascinating collection of local specialty shops, a statue of Mozart aged eight (started composing here as a child, because his father was to ill to tolerate actual playing!), local information boards and various plaques celebrating the lives of local residents.

Turn right along the A3214, Pimlico Road for two to three hundred yards, where you turn left into Chelsea Bridge Road. You are now heading south east towards the River Thames. On the left through hordings you can glimpse the site of the former Chelsea Barracks, one of the largest  building sites in London.  Its future has been debated for many years. At  the bottom of Chelsea Bridge Road just after passing the splendid facade of the Lister Hospital you can make a short but careful diversion across Chelsea Embankment and on to Chelsea Bridge to take in extensive views  up and down the river. Additionally a short detour west will take you to  the southern entrance to the Royal Hospital, well worth a few minutes or  more of your time.

Return to the Junction, noting another blue plaque .If you reach the bridge where the railway lines go over head you have missed the entrance on the left, just over the basin entrance to the Grosvenor Canal. Descend  a few broad steps and slowly meander north for a hundred yards along the  Grosvenor Canal, before bearing northwest past one of the area’s most unusual storage sheds! On your right as you make the turn you can see the back of the local British Transport Police station.  Continue to Ebury Bridge Road, eventually reaching the Rising Sun.  A short detour along the  side of the pub, along St Barnabas Street and then left into a short  dead end gives glimpses through the hordings of the Barracks Chapel, a  listed building.  Return to the pub, then left along to the busy junction  with Pimlico Road, where you can admire the mosaics on the fountain fifty yards round to your left.

Return to Ebury Bridge Road and cross it onto the approach to Ebury Bridge, walking on the right-hand side.At the top of the bridge an entrance gives wonderful views along the railway lines that end just to  your left, out of site in Victoria Station. Beyond the railway you can  see the chimneys of Battersea power Station, across the river. Over the bridge at the mini roundabout bear rightt towards the White Ferry House pub and hostel, and immediately right, before the pub, through the gates into the Peabody Estate.

After about three hundred yards, go through the modern square arch past  the playground, out into the wonderfully named Turpentine Lane, then  left and up some steps after a few feet to the west end of Lupus Street. Where it turns sharply right, keep going north into Sussex Street, which almost immediately veers NE for 4 blocks of impressive houses, before meeting Alderney Street.We turn right here, but will  rejoin Sussex Street one block further on a bit later.  Follow Alderney Street for two blocks, crossing Gloucester Street, before crossing and turning left into Charlwood Street, then right after one block into  Cambridge Street. Still with me?  At the end of Cambridge Street turn left and we are back in Lupus Street, with its local facilities.

Again after just one block, turn left into St George’s Drive, one of the finest streets in Pimlico. Opposite its junction with Denbigh Street, stop and enjoy the statue of Sir Thomas Cubitt, who designed and built most of the area. Walk on for several blocks until you reach the southern  corner of Warwick Square. If time and legs permit, walk in either  direction round all four sides of the square, being carefully to not trip over the Victoria Underground line which runs some yards beneath  your feet.

Back at the southern corner of Warwick Square, walk around the square  that holds St Gabriel’s Church, noting that Cambridge Street runs along  both the SE and SW edges. It’s probably to confuse the locals. Leaving St Gabriel’s Church behind us, continue one more block along Cambridge  Street until you reach Clarendon Street. Turn right, then left back into  St George’s Drive. Cross Warwick Way. Turn left and walk on until you have Eccleston Square across to your right, and a plaque for Churchill on your left. Take a half loop around this second delightful Pimlico square until you reach its north corner. 

Cross Belgrave Road, A3213, and enter Gillingham Street, which leads you to its junction with Wilton Road. Turn left and head towards Victoria Station.  (Alternatively walk SE along Belgrave Road, turn left into Warwick Way and left again into Wilton Road.)

NOTE: I welcome any feedback.  At the moment, November 2013, the lower entrance to the Royal Hospital is closed temporarily, but probably for a while, due to road surface laying.  There is nothing on the hospital website at present, but do check for updates.

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