Admiring the marvel of Osterley and Brunel's Three Bridges
10 people attending
10 places left
A leisurely day out combing a 11 km circular walk which includes a look at the outstanding achievements of Isambard Kingdom Brunel combined with a visit to the National Trust's beautiful Osterley Park and House.
Our walk will take us along the Grand Union Canal, we shall pass the Hanwell Flight of six locks and then Brunel's remarkable Three Bridges construction. The Hanwell Flight of six locks is an impressive "staircase" that raises the canal 16m in just over 549m. The Three Bridges is a unique construction where rail, road and canal all cross each other.
Osterley Park and House is a Georgian country estate which is only a short hop from central London by tube but a world apart. It is one of the last surviving country estates in London. It is set in 140 acres of landscaped park and ornamental lakes, and is home to some of the country's best collections of work by Scottish architect, Robert Adam. It was Adam who transformed the building into a neo-classical villa for the Child family to entertain and impress their friends and banking clients. The building is now protected by the National Trust.
Please note the entrance fee to the House & Gardens is £12.00 unless you are a National Trust member in which case it is free.
What to bring
Water: bring at least a litre
Medicines: if you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments etc.
Rucksack: or any other bag
Footwear: hiking boots, sturdy trainers or wellies
Layered clothing: lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid layer (a micro fleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece)
Trousers: ideally not jeans which become heavy and cold in the rain, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry and on warm days shorts are OK
Waterproof jacket: breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry
Hat or cap: stay warm in winter and shaded in summer
Sunglasses: for any sunny day, even in winter
Sun cream: can be useful even on cloudy and winter days
Snacks: bring biscuits, energy bars, gels, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit for example and put them somewhere easy to get hold of
Lunch: bring a packed lunch unless otherwise stated
Food & drink
We shall have a picnic lunch in Osterley Park. Please bring food and drink, or else there is a café where you can buy sandwiches and refreshments.