Introduction
Parting begs a ritual. That is why we have missionary farewells, high school and college commencements, funerals, etc. One never walks away from a loved one without saying “Goodbye” in a special way.One of the things I love most about London is its special way of doing pomp and ceremony. Therefore, some time ago I devised my own ritual that I always use to say farewell to my beloved London. It is my way of experiencing her energy and excitement one last time. It is my way of seeing that she is in good hands and will carry on when I am gone. It is my way of remembering the places I have walked before. I call it the Farewell Walk. Basically it involves crossing Zone One on the tube map from east to west—from the Tower of London to the BYU Centre. It is a way of saying “This town is now, and always will be, an integral part of me.”When I initially looked at a map of London, and then saw how long it took to ride the tube to the Tower of London, I was struck with the seeming distance across central London. So I was pleasantly surprised to find out how relatively easy one can walk this walk. You may want to take a London map with you, just in case you stray off the straight and narrow.
#1 Start: Tower of London Tube Station
Take the tube from Notting Hill to the Tower Hill tube station. Walk forward to Tower Hill Road and turn left to Minories. Follow Minories to Aldgate and turn left along Aldgate to Leadenhall Street. From here it is a straight shot to the BYU Centre. Leadenhall turns into Cornhill. At the Royal Exchange take Poultry, which becomes Cheapside, which turns into Newgate Street at St. Paul’s.I trust that this trek will reinvigorate your memories of previous walks through now-familiar areas and of the excitement and vitality that truly is London. Enjoy it! It will be your last view of central London—at least until you return once more.
#2 The End: Return to the BYU Centre
Newgate Street becomes Holborn Viaduct and then Holborn, and eventually High Holborn. This can be a tricky junction, so make certain you are on the right road. This in turn becomes New Oxford Street and then Oxford Street, which at Marble Arch becomes Bayswater—and home.
