Thames Estuary in pictures

One is small, the other is very far away

This is the third time I've spotted the Hamburg Sud container ship on my saturday walks. It was well beyond Southend Pier and disappearing into the gloom.

The Thames Path - 3

Kew Bridge to Putney Bridge

I had intended to return home from Kew but the day was sunny and pleasant so I decided to plod on to Chiswick Bridge. Downstream from Kew Bridge on the northern bank is Strand on the Green, a fine row of Georgian houses. There are several interesting pubs I'm looking forward to visiting on the return leg. The Path is temporarily diverted here through the pretty streets of Kew and rejoins the Thames near the National Archives. Approaching Chiswick Bridge I noticed there appeared to be a large number of boats, a whole flotilla in fact. What was taking place was the Head of the River Race (for women). This takes place over the University Boat Race course, but in the reserve direction and with a lot more crews, 300 in all. The race is a time trial and the crews were lining up in their race order for the start at Chiswick Bridge. Obviously I couldn't stop now so I plodded on towards Barnes Bridge.

Strand on the Green

Thames Boat House

Getting ready for the race

University of Birmingham's C team in a bit of a pickle

I decided to take a rest at the White Hart and was settling into a riverside seat when the first boats came past. A big cheer went up as a Cambridge eight went by. Sadly I missed all the Durham crews in the race but I spotted one boat paddling back. I decided to continue to Putney Bridge so I could watch the racing. The towpath on the Surrey bend was crowded with race watchers and locals enjoying the fine spring weather, add loony men on cycles yelling encouragement to their troops, (keep going! how useful is that?) it was only a matter of time before someone got creamed by a bike. That someone was me! The bloke said sorry, took one look at my face, jumped on his bike and rode off before I had a chance to remonstrate. I arrived at Putney as the last boats were finishing. The race was won by an Elite composite crew in 18:28.27 about half a minute ahead of the next boat. I'm pleased to say the Durham A boat finished in the top 10 ahead of both Oxford and Cambridge.

Battling it out

Fulham FC

The finish line at Putney Bridge

The men's Head of the River race takes place on the 21st March 2009

If you are thinking of walking the Thames Path in London, Transport for London produces four excellent leaflets;
London’s Rural Thames – Hampton Court to Chelsea
Heart of London’s River Thames – Albert Bridge to Tower Bridge
Seafaring London by the River Thames – Tower Bridge to the Thames Barrier
London’s Working River – Thames Barrier to Crayford Ness.

The Thames Path - 2

Richmond to Kew Bridge

Six weeks on I picked up the Thames Path where I left it in Richmond. It was a warmer day, quiet pleasant in the early spring sunshine and no breeze to speak of. I crossed Richmond Green and through the gatehouse of Richmond Palace, the last remaining bit of the Tudor Palace. It was a favorite home of Elizabeth I who died there in 1603.

The section from Richmond to Kew Bridge is just over 3 miles and is very interesting historically. Old Deer Park, once an Elizabethan hunting ground, is now a huge park and home to former Royal Observatory. On the opposite bank is Syon Park, London home to the Dukes of Northumberland. In Syon Park is the only surviving natural river bank of the Thames in London. A couple of battles were fought there as well. The Grand Union Canal enters the Thames at Brentford across the water from Kew Gardens. By Kew Bridge is the Steam Museum with its Italiante campanile. Inside Kew Gardens is Kew Palace, recently restored, once a favorite home of George III and his 15 children.

All the people in the front of this boat appear to be Sherlock Holmes!

Syon House

Crocuses in Kew Gardens

Kew Palace

Kew Bridge Steam Museum

The Thames Path - 1

Hampton Court to Richmond

After dabbling with bits of the Thames Path, I decided that this year that I'd walk the part within Greater London from Hampton Court in the west to Crayford Ness in the east, a distance of about 50 miles. The Thames Path is easy walking, nice and flat, no maps required - just follow the river (and the many signposts) and easily accessible by public transport. The journey to Hampton Court should have been quite straightforward, District line to West Ham, Jubilee line to Waterloo and from there to Hampton Court. However on last Saturday, it turned into some kind of Test as there was no District line, no Jubilee line, no Circle line and no Drain (Waterloo and City line)! It took nearly two hours by replacement bus, C2C, walking to St Pauls where I caught the 176 bus to Waterloo. Luckily I had a very good book, Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson which kept me chuckling away throughout the journey.

The Thames Path is only available on the northern bank between Hampton Court and Kingston Bridge and runs alongside Hampton Court Palace and Home Park. The opposite bank is home to rowing clubs and big houses. The towpath is very popular with cyclists and runners and the river was very busy with people messing about, usually eights or fours, being followed by a little launch with a big man and a megaphone. Not exactly a place for quiet contemplation. I opted to walk the last mile through Home Park which is huge and almost deserted, the ground being far too firm for horses. Here it was possible to imagine yourself in the countryside for a little while and enjoy the view back along the Long Water to the Palace.

At Kingston the Path crosses over the bridge back to the southern bank, passing a handy John Lewis store on the way. In Tudor times, Kingston Bridge was next crossing point upstream from London Bridge and must have been a welcome sight for the oarsman on their way to Hampton Court. The Path passes through some municipal gardens and along Lower Ham Road before becoming rural again at the Ham Lands nature reserve. The next crossing point is Teddington Lock, the upper reach of the tidal Thames and scene of the famous fish slapping dance from Monty Python. At this point the Path follows both banks on the Thames but I stayed on southern side.

Beyond Teddington Lock, there is a brief glimpse of Strawberry Hill House, a leading example of Gothic revival architecture. A bit further along is Ham House, where I stopped off for some welcome light refreshment. Only the gardens were open. Almost opposite was Marble Hill House, home of the mistress of George II. After Ham House the Path emerges from the woods and you get some fine views of Richmond Hill and monolithic Star and Garter Home. This part of the towpath was quite popular, even on a raw cold day, with riverside meadows and eateries, and small children tottering towards the unguarded edge, but I think the ice cream man was rather hopeful.

I left the Path at Richmond and headed back to the railway station across Richmond Green, surrounded by more Georgian architecture. I had a vague memory of getting drunk in a nearby pub during a hot summer in the late 1970’s. It took me nearly five hours to cover the nine miles from Hampton Court, (it felt further). I then had the joy of working out how to get home (District line to Westminster, Jubilee line to West Ham, C2C to Barking, replacement bus to home in just under 2 hours). It was a fairly uneventful journey until we reached Earls Court when every New Zealander in London got in my carriage on their way to celebrate Waitangi Day. (The Mayor’s no drinking policy on the Tube was working well!).

If you are thinking of walking the Thames Path in London, Transport for London produces four excellent leaflets;
London’s Rural Thames – Hampton Court to Chelsea
Heart of London’s River Thames – Albert Bridge to Tower Bridge
Seafaring London by the River Thames – Tower Bridge to the Thames Barrier
London’s Working River – Thames Barrier to Crayford Ness.