Thames Path: Westminster to Greenwich via the south bank Walk
The Thames path through central London, past Tower Bridge and the regenerating East End, to historic Greenwich.
History
This is a list of previous times this walk has been done by the club (since Jan 2010). For more recent events (since April 2015), full details are shown.
Date | Option | Post | # | Weather |
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Thu, 16-Nov-23 | An Evening Dawdle Along the Thames (Westminster to London Bridge) | 7 | dry | |
Fri, 30-Dec-22 | b | Evening Walk - Farewell to 2022 Evening Walks: Deptford to London Bridge or shorter | 7 | dry and warm |
Wed, 26-Jan-22 | Thames Path - Westminster to Greenwich: a mid-week temporary respite from the mud | 8 | overcast conditions which turned beautifully sunny in the afternoon | |
Fri, 26-Nov-21 | Black Friday Evening Walk: Taming the Thames from London Bridge to Greenwich | 11 | cold clear conditions with occaisional wind gusts | |
Thu, 15-Oct-20 | Evening Walk: London Bridge to Greenwich along the Thames Path | 11 | most dry conditions | |
Sat, 30-Nov-19 | Westminster to Greenwich | 8 | bright and clear with good views and a keen Easterly breeze | |
Thu, 24-Oct-19 | a | Evening Walk - Thames Path: London Bridge to Greenwich (Bermondsey, Rotherhithe, Deptford) | 13 | dry |
Sat, 29-Dec-18 | North Greenwich to London Bridge - a wander along the Thames Path "Sowth of the River" | 14 | cloudy and mild | |
Fri, 23-Nov-18 | b | Black Friday 2 For 1 Special Offer: Scandinavian Christmas Market plus Bermondsey Beer Mile | 16 | dank and grey |
Thu, 19-Jul-18 | a | Evening Walk - Thames Path: London Bridge to Greenwich (Bermondsey, Rotherhithe, Deptford) | 14 | warm and slightly cloudy |
Wed, 23-Dec-15 | Mid-week day walk - The Thames Path | 12 | sunny and mild |
Thursday 16-Nov-23
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Fri, 17-Nov-23
7 of us met at Westminister station , and walked along the south bank to London Bridge. It was an enjoyable stroll and hot mulled wine taken in by some along the way.
The weather was dry, and a fun time was had by all.
The walk could have gone on for ever as the building work by Southwark bridge meant that we could have gone round and round forever. As the lack of signs brought confusion. However we were intelligent enough to find a way forward.
Six of us went in the very busy, as pretty well always, Market Porter in Borough Market (9th best pub in London), and I enjoyed three pints of the Portobello breweries Market Porter beer. Some of us had a small meal.
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Fri, 17-Nov-23
7 dry
Gavin your “9th best pub” comment sounds very definite - do you have an authoritative source?
Friday 30-Dec-22
Should you really require walk directions, map, and gpx/kml files, click here . T=swc.245.b
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Fri, 30-Dec-22
3 off the train, met by a local SWCer at the exit, and the 4 were then apprehended by a 5th (also a local) at the Evelyn Street/Deptford High Street junction. Together we moved on to The Dog & Bell for a first stop, then to The Blacksmiths' Arms for a second (Live Music!). There had beeen a short sharp shower while I waited at LBG for the train, but that fizzled out by the time we started to walk, but then - and for the rest of the walk - it was dry and warm and with very clear air.
On we went to The Mayflower, where we knew two others were waiting, having walked in from Canada Water tube. Another drink then, and more conversation, after which two said goodbye (1 for the bus back to SE8, 1 for the Overground across the river).
In Bermondsey we turned left off the river towards The Gregorian for a last sip, although 1 of the 5 remaining skipped that and went straight for the tube. A very fine conclusion to the 2022 Evening Walk Season. 7
Wednesday 26-Jan-22
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Wed, 26-Jan-22
I ducked out at The Dog and Bell, in Deptford.
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Wed, 26-Jan-22
8 of us today, for this mud-free inner London walk, and very enjoyable too, and a nice change from our usual country walks.
We set out along the Embankment in overcast conditions which turned beautifully sunny in the afternoon , and not too cold, either: good winter walking conditions.
After a little over an hour 's walking we stopped for lunch at the Mayflower pub, where four of us had lunch and the rest had refreshments on the pub's front balcony, overlooking the river. In recognition of Burns night, haggis was on the menu, and very good it was, too.
After lunch, our two younger walkers felt obliged to leave us and return to work - being retired has its merits. But good of them to come along for the morning: we enjoyed their company.
We stopped at the City farm to observe the residents - the goats were frisky, the sheep sleepy, but not much else was going on. Onwards then through the inland bit in Deptford - where Gavin, per his comment, stopped for a tincture. On reaching Greenwich two continued on the walk to North Greenwich, where presumably they took the Jubilee line back to Central London. That left the remaining three of us to take refreshments in the Gipsy Moth pub, before we took the Uber Thames Clipper catamaran back to Central London - a treat.
Back home, it made a pleasant change to take off the day's footwear and not be faced with a mud cleaning job.
Next week - back to country walking proper.
Friday 26-Nov-21
Distance: Approximately 6.2 miles or 10 km for those more metrically minded
Difficulty: 1 out of 10
Meet: 18:30 at exit to London Bridge Mainline Station across from Hays Galleria
Return: Greenwich DLR, mainline train or Thames Clipper
This is an easy and varied walk along the south side of the Thames. It passes from iconic London landmarks, such as the Tower and Dickensian wharfs reminiscent of Oliver Twist, through quieter areas of Rotherhithe (where the Mayflower famously made a stop before setting across the seas) and Deptford before reaching Greenwich. Along the way are plenty of historic refreshment points, such as the Angel, the Mayflower and the Dog and Bell….Spoiled for choice!
Additionally, tonight we will be treated to festive fayre from the Christmas by the River market!
Navigation is easy, just keep river on your left and follow the Thames Path markers. More information about the route can be found here.
Enjoy the walk!
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Sat, 27-Nov-21
9 assembled at the appointed meeting place and set off promptly to the Thames Path through Hays Galleria. As promised the Thames Path was festooned with Christmas market stalls offering a variety of trinkets and refreshments. To my knowledge no one paid custom to any of the vendors. We were soon caught up by late starting number 10....Leaving the hustle and bustle of London behind we carried on through Rotherhithe admiring fine views back to Tower Bridge in the crisp sharp air and some riverside sculptures. On we went passing the Angel and the Mayflower where we picked up number 11. Next up was Deptford where at last we stopped to quench our growing thirst at the Dog and Bell, a fine pub with a wonderful selection of ales. As it was rather busy and the only space available was an unheated outdoor table, we limited our visit to one delicious pint and moved on to Greenwich for further nourishment. In Greenwich, a number headed straight home while 5 tried a new and overpriced Turkish grill, having struck out at the thai and Bill's.....An enjoyable outing in cold clear conditions with occaisional wind gusts .
Thursday 15-Oct-20
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Fri, 16-Oct-20
8 assembled outside London Bridge more or less on time....so 6 set-off promptly leaving 2 to wait for a late arrival...The lead group stopped at the historic Mayflower for a drink on their patio....while the second group passed us up and stopped at one of the later watering holes....where we then passed them...in Deptford, we bumped into one more who waited to join the second group....In Greenwich, the first group managed to just scrap into an evening meal at the Old Brewery...at 9pm....to enjoy possibly one of the last indoor group meals for a while....so a total of 11 in most dry conditions . The night sky along the river was fabulous with the City and CW lights....the tide very low...and the fox count very high...
Saturday 30-Nov-19
Length 8 miles (13 km) Toughness 1 out of 10
Getting there
Westminster underground station is served by TFL's Jubilee, District and Circle lines. There are also many bus routes through the area.Meet at the exit of the Underground Station's ticket hall (with the Houses of Parliament opposite) for 10:30 am
Getting back
Catch a DLR from Greenwich which has many connections with the tube network, alternatively, stroll up to Greenwich mainline station with connections to Deptford and London Bridge and to Rainham in KentTickets
An Oyster Card covering your starting zone and zones 1 and 2.Overview
An easy flat walk on footpaths. This walk initially crosses Westminster Bridge turning left onto the Southbank to pass the London Eye and generally follows the river (on the left) to Greenwich. The suggested Lunch stop is the Mayflower Pub in Rotherhithe which should be reached shortly after midday.T=swc.245
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I'm going to suggest 8 added their marks to the day's social canvass, with 5 tackling the full route, 1 starting early (to snare a rabbit at Borough Market) and finishing at lunch, my good self joining at London Bridge and a well known regular (perhaps a local?) popping in to sample a pie at lunchtime (at the Mayflower - delicious even if the maître d' was a little firm).
The weather was bright and clear with good views and a keen Easterly breeze . As we approached our destination we could see the Cutty Sark from some distance away.
Thames Path closures and diversions kept us on our toes but we made it to Greenwich in good time to sample the hot desserts in the 'Spoons and, for those with more time to make a day of it, had a quick look around Greenwich Market.
There was no mud-larking and no mud underfoot.
Overall just enough walking was had to justify the calorie intake.
Thanks to Mike for posting this interesting urban walk.
Thursday 24-Oct-19
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Thu, 24-Oct-19
Whose planning to go this evening? Gavin
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Thu, 24-Oct-19
After lots of heavy rain, the walk was entirely dry (from above).
12 assembled at LBG, 1 other joined at The Angel pub on Bermondsey/Rotherhithe borders: 13. We 'lost' 2 at The Mayflower (where we had a 15 minute break), as they decided to have dinner there, and then lost 1 other later on to a right turn to Surrey Quays Overground. Of the remaining 10, 9 went for a meal at the end of the walk in Greenwich at The Old Brewery.
The City, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, even Canary Wharf looked resplendent in the evening lights, the paths were adequately lit and - apart from some groups of weed-smoking youth - there were no irritating or scary encounters.
All in, a very fine ending to this year's (summer) evening walk season.
Saturday 29-Dec-18
The Greenwich Peninsular, Greenwich, Rotherhithe, Shadwell and the Pool of London
The main station atrium at the top of the station escalators for 10:30 am.
- North Greenwich to Greenwich Town 5 km (DLR station)
- North Greenwich to Surrey Docks Farm 9 km (C10 bus to Rotherhithe)
- North Greenwich to Rotherhithe 12 km (Overground station)
- North Greenwich to London Bridge 15 km (Tube and National Rail)
Further on there is:
Leave the station following signage to the O2, but keep straight and slightly to the right towards Wagamama. Turn right here and continue alongside some parkland on your right for about 160 metres until you reach Edmund Halley Way. Turn left here and pass the Emirates Airline on the right until you reach Olympian Way. Turn left here keeping the river on your right. In about 150 metres the Quantum Cloud Sculpture can be seen on the right.
However there are sections where you need to divert inland and these are detailed in the GPX route. There are also many Thames Path signs to assist too. Bear in mind this is an ever changing landscape so be on the lookout for recent alterations to the route.
TFL's Thames Path Booklet may be downloaded Here
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Sat, 29-Dec-18
14 on this urban Thameside ramble. I have walked this area for over 30 years and the transformation from 1980s ruined industrial landscapes to bright modernist buildings/urban dystopia (delete as appropriate) is startling.
With the tide out there were a few shoreline mudlarks and dectectorists out and on the route itself artwork to enjoy and information notices to peruse.
One SWC stalwart recovering from an Xmas illness stopped at Greenwich where we had popped into a gallery. 10 of us went on to the Surrey Docks Farm where the cafe is now sadly permanently closed. Here the group took an er... faster mode of transport than Shanks's pony to reach the splendidly atmospheric Mayflower pub. I was 80% sure there was another pub not bfar away en route so I walked on and I was right. I had a solo lunch at the Blacksmiths Arms and then met up with the others at the Mayflower. Here most ended their walk whilst 3 of us walked on with 2 having a quick snifter in the Angel before continuing on to Tower Hill and London Bridge (me) for the journey home.
A grand half-day out and it was lovely to meet up with and chat with some old SWC salts. Weather cloudy and mild .
Friday 23-Nov-18
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Tue, 20-Nov-18
'tis the SWC, you can do what you like, when you like! but we'll be there ca. 16.00 hours...
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I think Thomas is referring to the time that we should arrive at the first stop on the Beer Mile – Fourpure Brewery (though it may be a bit later than 4 pm).
If you would like to join us anywhere along the way, including those wishing to join us after work, I am happy to send you my mobile number so that you can call and check where we are.
Please send an email to john_c_powell AT Hotmail DOT com and I will send you my number. Additionally, if you are on WhatsApp, please send through your mobile number and I’ll set up a WhatsApp group to which I’ll endeavour to send out updates each time we move from one brewery to the next.
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Thu, 22-Nov-18
Post now updated with a link to a map of the Beer Mile. As clear from that map: anyone wanting to join for just the 'socialising' part of the walk (the drinking), pls make your way to Bermondsey South station and from there to Fourpure Brewery as per the map.
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Thu, 22-Nov-18
(Unofficial SWC Representative for Pimlico & Belgravia, part time)
A map tracing a suggested route for the SWC Bermondsey Beer Mile stroll, from the Southwark Park exit to the Southwark Brewing Company, can be found here. (The map seems to work well in Google Maps on my Android phone.)
The route passes 9 breweries / brewery taps which will be open on Friday (and are listed in the directions), plus a distibutor, a bottle shop, a cidery & various other establishments (which are not listed due to constraints of space). From Southwark Park to Southwark Brewing Co it is a total staggering distance of some 2.4 miles (3.9 km)!
The first brewery - Four Pure Brewing Company - opens at midday, but the next few don't open until 5pm. The final destination, Southwark Brewing Co, closes at 10pm. Those needing something substantial to eat en route may be interested in Bone Daddies which is close to UBrew (the sixth brewery tap we get to) on the Old Jamaica Business Estate.
Happy staggering!
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Fri, 23-Nov-18
5 off the train at Greenwich, a further 6 met at Cutty Sark DLR, and 5 stragglers who must have been on the next train/DLR, as they caught up with us pretty quickly. So 16 on the walk to Rotherhithe, about 12 of which had lunch at The Mayflower, the rest went straight to the Xmas market 2 mins away. A shoulder-injured walker joined us at the pub, 2 others joined up at the Xmas market, and a further 3 met the Beer Mile walkers (just more than half of the original 16 plus teh joiners) at one of the first two breweries. So, 22 walked in total, at least some substantial part of the posted route, in dank and grey weather.
The food at The Mayflower was to everyone's happiness, as were the various food and drink offerings at the Scandi Xmas market. Lots of other wares on offer there, if you haven't been: it's on 'til Sunday.
We crossed Sothwark Park and made our way through South Bermondsey, but finding the Fourpure Brewery involved going deeper into a dark industrial estate than one would have liked to, but the brewery arches themselves are a sight to behold. And warm! And well frequented. And with about 20 different (keg) beers on sale, in thirds of a pint. And with some food options. We stayed there for quite a while, then moved on to Partizan Brewery, which - in contrast - was near empty and cold. And on the crowd went to the next site. They're probably still going...
Thursday 19-Jul-18
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Fri, 20-Jul-18
13 plus a latecomer who never caught up so 14 on this warm and slightly cloudy evening. The group managed to stay together as it passed the hustle and bustle of the footpaths along the pool of London and shad Thames gradually leaving the madding crowds behind as they travelled east towards Rotherhithe. An enormous ocean going yacht called the "Aviva" was spotted moored and apparently belonging to Joe Lewis (who also owns Spurs).
Looking back towards the City, a new pointy building was also spotted, newly arisen and just to the right of the Walkie Talkie.
The pacemakers pressed on but held their speed to sub-light values so those without seven league boots (moi) could keep up. Some took light liquid refreshment at The Angel and viewed the Moated Manor House opposite. No sign of the latecomer so the group continued passing "The Mayflower" at Rotherhithe and on to Greenwich. Keen path watchers spotted the Thames path appeared to go through the lobby of a hotel - more on this later I'm sure.
On the final approach to the Cutty Sark a refreshing breeze revived spirits and a red evening sun sunk towards the City of London Skyline. Here the group split some visiting The Sail Loft and others heading for The Gate Clock (Wetherspoons) and the Tai Won Mein Noodle bar.
All in all, a great evening walk and stress buster.
Wednesday 23-Dec-15
The Thames Path - Greenwich to the Tate Modern
Book 3* Walk 245 (In reverse with a minor extension to the Tate Modern)
Brief Description
This has a good chance of being mud free, so no need for walking boots, gaiters, survival bags etc.
The walk continues past London Bridge (the end point) and passes the Clink Prison and Bills Restaurant arriving at the Tate Modern where there is a Christmas Market.
Walkers are encouraged to wear Christmas apparel such as Santa hats, Christmas jumpers, Antler hats, white beards, well you get the idea.
Suggested Lunch stop
The Pub says booking is essential at this time of year, so I've booked a table for 8 at 1:00pm.
If you'd like to be one of the eight, may I ask you to email me at "arthur_at_quitenear_dot_me" (suitable emailified) - first come first served!)
Suggested Tea stops
Maps
Returning home
- Go back to London Bridge
- Cross the Millennium Bridge and jump on a tube at St. Pauls.
- Carry on along the South Bank to Blackfriars or Waterloo
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Wed, 23-Dec-15
12 on this walk with the weather sunny and mild . Four of us - myself included- just missed the main group who had set off promptly from North Greenwich tube station. Whilst I set off the short distance to the Thames path to start the circuit around the 02 with the Thames to my right the three others set off on a radical alternative route across the peninsula where heroically two of them achieved SWC immortality by managing to cross the Blackwall Tunnel Approach road. One sadly could not make it across and retraced her steps to head home. (These sarf Landoners eh!).
We eventually all met up near Greenwich (minus one) and walked on to the pub where the walks inspector was already installed and saving our pre-booked table. (He and a companion had also taken a less fraught "peninsula route" claiming the lack of clear signage to the Thames path at the station had left him a bit confused! as to the correct direction. Just head towards the cable cars I say - after all they are crossing the Thames......)
The pub was superb. I particularly enjoyed a fruit crumble - one of the best I have tasted. After a relaxed lunch we ambled the remaining 3km to the Millenium Bridge where we went our separate ways. (Oh did I mention the walk was actually about 4km longer than specified because we did not factor in the distance from the tube station to Greenwich Cutty Sark!)
A great and for some an adventurous day out with SWC regulars and this walk or a shorter version of it would make a lovely evening stroll. Finally thanks to Mike for posting it and booking the table. Happy Xmas all.