Greenwich to Tower Bridge (North Bank)

After nearly being washed away by the floods in Oxfordshire last week, we decided to return to a more urban route until the path upstream dries up again. The Greenwich to Tower Bridge section of the path is a rare bit of walking on the north bank of the Thames in central London which is not primarily a road walk. It was a walk through the most moneyed part of redeveloped docklands with small patches of older social housing in North Greenwich (old definition before that tag crossed over to the south bank of the Thames and became used to describe the area around the dome) and also in Millwall. In the background for most of the walk were the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf. The second part of the walk was along the waterfront of the most densely and claustrophobically built-up part of the old docklands in Limehouse and Wapping - an area which is primarily up-market residential rather than offices. Just before Tower Bridge we reached the originator of docklands redevelopment St Katherine's Dock which began transforming itself into luxury hotels and a marina 40 years ago in 1968. Picture above shows the entrance to Greenwich foot-tunnel with Canary Wharf in the background.

Greenwich Foot Tunnel

Ian and Raja on Island Gardens beach, Greenwich Power Station in the background

Climbing plants on wall in Island Gardens

A spectacular leap between two Millwall skycrapers

Traffic light tree at Heron Quay contains 75 working traffic lights

Broken Umbrella on riverside at Wapping

The tower of the Wapping Hydraulic Power Station which in 1977 became last hydraulic power station in the world to close

The gallows outside The Prospect of Whitby where we had lunch. It is the oldest surviving Thameside pub dating from 1520. The gallows commemorates the fact that it was the favourite drinking spot of Hanging Judge Jeffries who was responsible for convicting 300 people to be hung following the suppression of the Monmouth Rebellion in 1685.

Execution Dock where prisoners who had been hung were washed over by three tides and where the famous pirate Captain Kidd was hung is slightly further along the road at Wapping Old Stairs by the Town of Ramsgate pub.

Umbrella tree outside Wapping Hydraulic Power Station

Sailing ship at Bermondsey

Tower Bridge from Wapping

Tower Bridge roadway at dusk

Sunset sky behind London City Hall above Tower Bridge

Pangbourne to Goring

We returned to the Thames at Pangbourne after last week's estuary walk to find meadows where we had walked two weeks before under several feet of water.

The path was difficult with very heavy mud and at one point we had to turn back when it disappeared under the swollen river. Detail from bodice made of maps in a Whitchurch gallery

The path veered away from the river into the Oxfordshire Chilterns

Natasha on the edge of of Hartslock Wood

The path was cut into a steep wooded slope and was high enough up to keep us out of the floods for a while.

Looking down into the valley the flooding was such that it was hard to see where the dry season Thames course lay.

The birds were also confused...

Fallen tree with moss and autumn leaves... Gatehampton Railway Bridge built by Brunel in 1839 Natasha in the John Barleycorn Inn in Goring where we had lunch and had a go at Bar Billiards without knowing the rules

Crayfordness to Woolwich

We returned to the lower Thames for a mid-winter estuary walk past the industrial towns and marshes downstream of Woolwich where the Thames walk began in September. The photograph (right) shows the route. At the bottom of the photograph you can just see Tower Bridge. After one bend to the left (north) the river begins to flow around the Rotherhithe peninsula where the Surrey Docks used to be. You can just see Greenland Dock which is one of the few remaining expanses of water in this prominentry. The next prominentry on the north bank is the Isle of Dogs (Canary Wharf), followed by a third very pronounced prominentary - The Greenwich peninsula where the Dome is. Beyond that the river straightens out for a while and you can see the Thames Barrier as a sort of dotted line across the river. On the left of the river on the north bank you can see the Royal Docks. At the end of this straight section of river is Woolwich. Our walk this week covered the section beyond Woolwich where the river flows around a broad prominentry on the south bank where the towns of Thamesmead, Erith and Slade Green are located. The size of this peninsula helps explain why this walk (at 11 miles) was the longest we have done so far.

We began at Slade Green where a short walk from the station brought us out onto the Crayford marshes and past Howbury Moat where Odo the Bishop of Bayeaux used to live. The walls date from the 12th century, but the site is a full two or three hundred years older than that. The last occupied house within the walls was of 17th century build and was lived in until 1935.

Dartford Creek or the River Darent

Alfie, Ray and Alan (aka Maggot) on the Dartford Creek dyke

We walked alongside the Dartford Creek until it flowed into the Thames near Crayfordness

The Dartford Creek/Thames confluence with the Dartford-Thurrock bridge in the background

Erith viewed from Crayford Ness

The raised Thames path gave a good view over the Crayford and Dartford Marshes where quite a few "Marsh ponies" were grazing

Maggot and Alistair on the escalators into Erith Shopping Centre where we found a surprisingly good cafe. The Wikipedia entry on Erith's redevelopment is quirky. "Demolition of the old town started in 1966 when the mayor of Bexey (sic) smashed Headley Mitchell's shop window, and continued in phases until by 1980, all that remained of the old town was Queens Church, The Crosskeys pub and Christchurch" I don't think its completely accurate.

Erith pier is London's longest pier and was 444 ft long when first constructed in 1842.

Alfie on Erith Pier

Alistair approaches the end of Erith Pier

The Columbia River passes Erith Pier having discharged its cargo of American sugar beat at the Tate and Lyle factory in Silvertown

Erith riverside industries

...and also wooden jetties and regeneration style housing

Cormorant and landfill site in distance on the north bank of the Thames at Coldharbour

Sista and Pikey tags - Erith riverside

skewiff and denuded estuarine sign

Seabird colony

Over bridges, under jetties the enclosed industrial rollercoaster Thames path

Does anybody know what these strange contraptions are?

This power station fuelled by sewage has been generating 5MW of power since 1998.

Golf driving range with Sir Joseph Bazalgette's sewage pumping plant in the background. Crossness is the place where South London's sewage was released untreated into the Thames at high tide.

From left to right Maggot, Alistair, Alfie, Ray and Raja

Reading to Pangbourne

Raja, Ray, Chris and myself started the New Year by walking the six miles from Reading to Pangbourne on Saturday January 5th.

At Purley on Thames, one of the sprawling suburbs of Reading the railway line went right up against the river forcing the footpath through a housing estate

Later in the walk the sun did finally come out but the mud was severe at times

Finished the walk with a stroll through the village of Whitchurch on Thames, Oxfordshire where we had a drink in The Greyhound. Low ceilings and a great smell of woodsmoke.