Thames Path Walk - 5th Leg: Greenwich to Woolwich
July 18th 2015 - a lovely sunny Saturday - saw the Effoggers on the next leg of the Thames Path series of walks. The last walk left us in front of the Cutty Sark at Greenwich, and for this stretch the walkers assembled in front of Cutty Sark DLR station to continue on the trail - trying not to be confused with a Ramblers walk, the Hawksmoor Church Walk or another group who were all meeting at the same location!.
Greenwich is all about the river. The Royal Naval College dominates the first stretch of the walk, with the views through to the Queens House and the Royal Observatory up the hill. For those interested in history, our first stop was at a pink obelisk, a monument to Joseph Bellot. His is not a name that is particularly well known, but he died in 1853 on an unsuccessful mission to find out what happened to the Sir John Franklin expedition that aimed to find the north west passage around Canada. This section of the walk has the best architectural views as, after passing through a small paved alley with a row of Victorian terraced houses we stopped to admire the Trinity Hospital almshouses, built in 1616 and still in use as a home for the elderly. Just beyond Greenwich Power Station there is a row of Georgian houses ending in the old Harbour Master's office, beyond which the architecture comes bang up to date. Shiny new flats and endless building sites mark this as an area very literally on the rise.After about a mile, where the buildings of Canary Wharf and the O2 Arena seem to trade places on opposite banks, we passed the area known as Blackwall Point. In the 17th century the bodies of hanged pirates were displayed here in cages as a warning to anyone thinking of entering the profession. On the opposite bank is Trinity Buoy Wharf, home at present to a centre for the arts but previously a training centre for lighthouse keepers.
Rounding the O2, we stopped at the Emirates Cable Car cafe for a little light refreshment and to watch the travellers coming a
nd going overhead in the pods, and doubtless getting a very good view as they crossed the river. The next stretch of the walk started with a flock of small yachts, making the area look very much more like the seaside than a couple of miles from the centre of London. The group took a small but delightful detour around the Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park, a nicely-planted man-made, with lots of wildlife and water lilies making for a pastoral setting. From here the path reverts back to industrial London, albeit not anywhere as busy as in it's heyday although a number of the buildings and sites are still operational. What catches the eye along this stretch is the Thames Barrier, a row of shiny upturned boat shapes that has been keeping London safe from major floods since 1982. Stretching along the length of the tunnel under the barrier is representation of the entire river from start to finish, and on this we were able to see our walks from Hampton Court to this point. The Thames Path technically ends at the barrier but there is now an extension path, the first part of which we followed into Woolwich.
nd going overhead in the pods, and doubtless getting a very good view as they crossed the river. The next stretch of the walk started with a flock of small yachts, making the area look very much more like the seaside than a couple of miles from the centre of London. The group took a small but delightful detour around the Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park, a nicely-planted man-made, with lots of wildlife and water lilies making for a pastoral setting. From here the path reverts back to industrial London, albeit not anywhere as busy as in it's heyday although a number of the buildings and sites are still operational. What catches the eye along this stretch is the Thames Barrier, a row of shiny upturned boat shapes that has been keeping London safe from major floods since 1982. Stretching along the length of the tunnel under the barrier is representation of the entire river from start to finish, and on this we were able to see our walks from Hampton Court to this point. The Thames Path technically ends at the barrier but there is now an extension path, the first part of which we followed into Woolwich.Woolwich has been a dockyard since 1512 and played a big part in the development of the Royal Navy. The docks closed in 1869 as ships grew too large for this section of the river but many of the buildings remain unused and unloved. The path here diverts inland for a while along the untidy and busy Woolwich Road, to emerge back on the river opposite the Tate and Lyle sugar factory. A short way further along is the Woolwich Ferry, still free to usel and transporting pedestrians and vehicles from one side of the river to the other. The path goes around the entrance to the ferry and back onto the riverside before passing a waterfront leisure centre. Shortly thereafter we arrived at the Woolwich Arsenal. The original home of Arsenal football club, the depot was established in 1671 and became a centre for the research and manufacture of arms, the site growing to 1300 acres during the First World War. The bulk of the land has been sold off by the MoD, and much of it is now converted into flats, but for a short while until it too closes the site houses the Royal Artillery Museum. See it while you can as the exhibits are already earmarked for other sites and the many fine buildings are no doubt due to be turned into flats.
The walk finished at Woolwich DLR station, the starting point for the next, final leg of the Thames Path.
Sue C. 29th July 2015