Some will ask…’hey what’s this all about, Paddington isn’t at the end of the line?’…Well let me explain. Tfl took over the Paddington to Heathrow (T4) main line earlier this year in preparation for the Elizabeth line next year. So once the new line is fully functional, Paddington will be a pass through destination, but for now, it’s the end of the line – so hope that helps?
Built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel (IKB), it’s the gateway to Wales and the West of England, and all of you who have journeyed through Paddington over the years will know it for it’s hustle and bustle. Trains of the modern era now steam free but in its heyday, the cavernous auditorium would have been filled with coal fired steam and the sound of whistles aplenty
As well as the Tfl line, the station serves the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City, Bakerloo lines, Chiltern Railways, Heathrow Express and of course Great Western Railway services, and if you walk beyond the end of the platforms, through to some of the station’s engineering work areas, you’re also within viewing distance of Royal Oak underground station.
The station is full of shadowy shapes and colours, with some historical references too. Several statues adorn the station, and you can listen to the statue’s story using accessible QR codes; a novel yet simple idea for the curious passenger. Two of these are the GWR Memorial to ‘The Soldier’ and IKB himself
A wander in the immediate vicinity outside the station demonstrates how much the area has changed and continues to with Elizabeth line preparation for new station entrances and modern office complexes in Eastbourne Terrace and grand Georgian houses lining the leafy Westbourne Terrace
A bit further afield, and as is often found across London, look for the hidden mews, often reinstated, modernised and tastefully painted to offer a pleasant vista for the onlooker. Today I came across Conduit Mews and Junction Mews which has within its confines a building that was once a ‘Boatman’s Institution’: formally the Boatmen’s Chapel which was used for promoting Christian knowledge amongst Canal Boatmen in 1828.
Following an earlier visit to the Paddington Basin (see Edgware Road), I promised upon my return I’d walk to Little Venice and onward. It was a glorious day for it and to be honest I hadn’t realised how close this little haven is from Paddington, and en route seeing those hiring boats enjoying themselves and those journeying along canal water-buses with destinations to Regent’s Zoo and beyond to Camden Lock.
A very pleasant day with reminders of my own travels through the station as I travelled to London from Wales in my earlier working days. I end with some other pics for your enjoyment
For more info, look up Paddington on Wikipedia
For more info, look up Paddington Station on Wikipedia
Picture of the Day
This is taken under the Bishop’s Bridge Road flyover as it crosses the Paddington Basin just north of the station. An otherwise dark and gloomy underpass en route to several restaurants and where you’ll also find one of the Paddington Bear statues dotted around the area.
This colourful metal display has been erected to brighten up the area, and it does do that. A little difficult to capture as there was a stream of passers by making their way to/from the restaurants, or generally milling around. The first few shots using a flash failed to capture the true colour but I persevered and only slightly enhanced it with a green filter in post production to heighten the colour range.
Settings: Camera – Canon EOS 200D; Aperture – ƒ6.3; Shutter Speed – 1/200; Focal Length – 53mm; Film Speed – ISO500; Google Photo Filter – Alpaca
Social Media
YouTube, Instagram, Google Photos, Triptipedia – here I share some tips I use when travelling around London. A different twist on my ‘end of the line’ story
The End Of The Line 
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