Round Trip Ride – Hammersmith & Notting Hill 走一轉系列 – Hammersmith & Notting Hill

Looking back often brings surprises or delights, much like when I recently moved my blog posts to my new site. I noticed that there were several half-written cycling posts left gathering dust. Instead of letting them as they were, I’ve decided to tie up those loose ends and hopefully boost some more traffic to my new blog. Although these rides were made over two years ago, in the ever-unchanging British landscape, I don’t think there will be much difference today.

Following my exploration of Central London in 2021, I also had bike rides to other nearby areas, and in this post, I would share another ride further north in Hammersmith. Recalled that when I first saw Hammersmith Bridge during my last return ride from London Eyes, I was deeply attracted by its stunning view.

Along this trip, I would also go through several boroughs I’ve never visited before, such as Hammersmith & Fulham, Ealing, and Hounslow.

回顧通常都會帶來一些驚或喜，就像我早前把網誌文章搬到新網站一樣，竟發覺有好幾篇單車遊的紀錄只寫了一半，但又不知何解地被擱置於一傍。與其繼續放低不理，我決定要為這些紀錄做個了結，亦希望可為網誌增加多一點流量。雖然我這些單車騎行已是兩年多前的事，但以英國的千載不變的生活環境，相信今天看來亦不會有太大的差別。

繼 2021 年的 Central London 後，我亦有去過其他鄰近地區，而今次所記錄的就是往北一點點的 Hammersmith。還記得上次 London Eyes 回程時在 Thames Path 第一次見到古舊的 Hammersmith Bridge 時已被她深深吸引着。

行程方面亦會穿越多個未曾到訪過的 Boroughs 如 Hammersmith & Fulham，Ealing 及 Hounslow 等。

As usual, I’ll kick off my journey by cutting through Richmond Park to save some time. In addition, I’ll be going anti-clockwise along the journey.

Here’s a rough outline of the route:

• Skerne Road / Latchmere Road
• Ham Gate, Richmond Park / Roehampton Gate
• Barnes
• Hammersmith
• Fulham
• Kensington
• Ealing
• Brentford
• Twickenham
• Teddington
• Kingston

一如以往，去程會利用 Richmond Park 來省點時間，並以反時鐘方向完成。

路線大致為：

• Skerne Road / Latchmere Road
• Ham Gate, Richmond Park / Roehampton Gate
• Barnes
• Hammersmith
• Fulham
• Kensington
• Ealing
• Brentford
• Twickenham
• Teddington
• Kingston

After leaving Roehampton Gate in Richmond Park, I headed straight down Barnes High Street towards Hammersmith Bridge.

從 Roehampton Gate 離開 Richmond Park 後，便直接經 Barnes 大街騎往 Hammersmith Bridge。

Hammersmith Bridge, with its over a century of history, was constructed in 1887, spanning the River Thames and linking Barnes with Hammersmith. Due to structural cracks appearing in the bridge’s pedestals, vehicular traffic has been prohibited since early 2019. Moreover, for a period from 2020 to July 2021, pedestrians and cyclists were also barred from using it. Thankfully, my ride took place after September 2021, so I had the privilege of crossing this iconic bridge.

擁有百多年歷史的 Hammersmith Bridge 建於1887年，橫跨泰晤仕河上並連接 Barnes 與 Hammersmith 兩地。由於這座鋼鐵大橋的基座出現裂痕，2019 年初起便禁止車輛通過，而在 2020 至 2021 年七月尾的一段時間內更連行人及單車亦不准使用。由於這個騎乘是在 2021 年九月後進行的，我亦有幸能跨越這座大橋。

Since this journey was not made along the River Thames, I missed the chance to capture the classic facade of the bridge. Luckily, during my visit to Shepherd’s Bush Market last month, I had snapped a few photos by the riverbank which I could share with you.

因為這次沒有沿 River Thames 前往，所以便未能捕捉到經典的大橋外貌，還好上個月去 Sheperd’s Bush Market 時曾在河邊拍了數張相片，可以在這裏和大家分享。

My original plan was to take a break and have lunch at Paddington Recreation Ground in Maida Vale. However, upon reaching Ladbroke Grove, I realised that Notting Hill was nearby. Instead of heading to a pub for traditional British dishes, I decided to go to Notting Hill for some other foods.

原先行程是到位於 Maida Vale 的 Paddington Recreation Ground 稍作休息及吃午餐，不過當到達 Ladbroke Glove 時卻發覺 Notting Hill 亦在附近，與其又是到 Pub 食傳統英式食品，倒𣎴如改到 Notting Hill 去嘗試不同的美食。

As I was in Notting Hill, it was natural to stop by “The Travel Book Co.” from the movie “Notting Hill” and soak in the atmosphere of where Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant first met.

既然來到 Notting Hill 當然亦會去電影 “Notting Hill” 劇中的 “The Travel Book Co.” 打個咭，感受一下 Julia Roberts 同 Hugh Grant 初次邂逅的地方。

“Notting Hill” has several scenes that left a lasting impression on me. Julia Roberts’ iconic confession, “I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy…” is definitely one of them. However, it’s the “Walk through the Seasons” scene after their breakup that I find even more captivating. It might seem a little bit plain at first glance, but with the seamless cinematography and the fitting soundtrack of “Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone“, it beautifully reflected Hugh Grant’s inner emotional.

“Notting Hill” 這套戲有好幾個場景我都有深刻印象，Julia Roberts 經典的表白 “I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy…” 當然是其中之一；但劇中兩人分手後，那段 “Walk though the Seasons” 我反而更喜歡，看似拍得頗平淡，但在流暢畫面及配樂 “Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone” 襯托下，更能加深對 Hugh Grant 内心感情的描寫。

And in the ending scene where Julia Roberts, heavily pregnant, lies on Hugh Grant’s lap also brings a perfect conclusion to this romantic comedy. Honestly, when it comes to romance movies, it’s all about the happy ending—if not, might as well watch a tragedy!

另外劇終 Julia Roberts 頂着大肚，躺在 Hugh Grant 大腿上的一幕亦為這套爱情小品帶來個完美的結局，其實看愛情片就是要看 happy ending，不然找套悲劇便算吧！

Taking your bike into a restaurant for lunch could definitely be quite inconvenient, so after wandering around a bit, I ended up revisiting Sally Clarke, a place I’d been to before. Speaking of Sally Clarke, it has a history of about forty years, with its flagship store located on Campden Street. Apart from offering exquisite fine dining, it also boasts a range of bread and pastries.

On that day, I had my lunch at their other store located at the junction of Portobello Road and Westbourne Road, which had only been open for a year. Besides enjoying a delicious lunch, I must mention my embrassing experience there. Initially, I only intended to get some takeout, but as I was leaving, I noticed some vacant chairs outside. I decided to park my bike and sit down to enjoy my coffee and savory treats. To my surprise, a staff member gently reminded me that if I intended to sit outside next time, please tell them, as it would count as dining in and have additional charges. While I was ready to pay the extra fee, the staff graciously told me that it wasn’t necessary.

帶着單車上店子吃午餐是比較不便，走了一輪後最終又去了之前已去過的 Sally Clarke。講起 Sally Clarke，原來已有約四十年的歷史，總店位於 Campden Street，除了精緻的 fine dining 外，亦提供一系列的麵包及 pastries。

當天我去的是她另一間位於 Portobello Road 及 Westbourne Road 交界，開業僅一年的分店。除了吃了個美味的午餐外，我亦不得不講講另一件瘀事。原先只打算買外賣，但離開時發覺門外有閒置的枱凳，便放下單車，坐低享受我的咖啡及鹹點，怎料店員走出來溫馨的提示我：下次如果打算坐在門外座椅，記得先通知她們一聲，因這亦等同堂食，會有附加費用。那刻打算補回費用，但店員卻禮貌地回應不需要，還叫我慢慢享用。

Since I’ve already had my lunch, I didn’t plan to go to Maida Vale anymore. However, the return route remained unchanged.

Leaving Notting Hill, I’ll continue along the A404, then onto Scrub Lane until reaching the Grand Union Canal Towpath near the Old Oak Common Elizabeth Line Depot.

Compared to the River Thames, the Grand Union Canal primarily served as a route for transporting goods in the central and southern parts of England in the past. The section within London was narrower and lacked notable scenery. The towpath on both sides was also quite narrow, requiring frequent dodging of pedestrians. Therefore, I decided to leave the canal and head back near Acton after cycling only three to kilometers along it.

既然午餐已吃，我亦不打算再去 Maida Vale，不過回程路線就不會改變。

離開 Notting Hill 就繼續沿 A404 ，Scrub Lane 至位於 Old Oak Common Elizabeth Line Depot 傍的 Grand Union Canal Towpath。

相比起 River Thames，Grand Union Canal 昔日的主要功能是提供英國中南部的貨物運輸，而在倫敦市內的那部分河面較窄，亦沒有甚麽吸引的風景。兩岸的 Towpath 亦非常窄，沿途不時要閃避行人，因此我只騎了三、四公里後便決定在 Acton 附近離開。

The rest of the journey took me through Ealing, Gunnersbury Park, Syon Park and other areas. The riding was primarily on streets along the residential area. Since it already passed the rush hour, there weren’t much traffic on the road.

接下來的行程就穿越了 Ealing，Gunnersbury Park，Syon Park 等地，騎乘亦主要以住宅區的小路為主，由於已過了下班時段，路上車輛亦不算太多。

If you’re into British historical architecture, Syon Park is definitely a must-visit. The Syon House within the park is also a Grade I listed building with over a hundred years of history. While it’s open to the public, one should be aware that there are admission fees for all attractions, and personally, I find them a tad on the pricey side.

如果對英國的歷史建築有興趣的話，Syon Park 應該是一個好去處，而公園内的 Syon House 亦是個具有百多年歷史的一級保護建築，雖然是開放給公眾参觀，但要留意所有景點都會收費，而我個人覺得都頗昂貴。

After leaving Syon Park, I soon arrived at Twickenham and Teddington, before finally crossing Kingston Bridge to head back to Kingston town center.

離開 Syon Park，不久便到達 Twickenham 及 Teddington，最後再經 Kingston Bridge 返回 Kingston 市中心。

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This ride covered about 54 kilometers, and apart from the part in Richmond Park, it’s pretty much completely flat. So, it’s basically a nice, easy ride!

今天行程約 54 公里，除了 Richmond Park 一段外，路線差不多完全平坦，算是個輕鬆之旅！

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If you are interested in my rides in UK, click here for more details.

有興趣看看我其他在英國的單車遊，可按這裡。