Length: 18.1 km (11.2 mi) [longer walk possible, see below]
Ascent/Descent: negligible
Net Walking Time: 4 hours
Toughness: 1/10
Either, take the 09.52
Slade Green train from Cannon Street (London Bridge 09.56, Deptford
10.04, Greenwich 10.07 etc.), arrives Woolwich Arsenal 10.20.
Or, take Crossrail (aka the Elizabeth Line) to
get there (the 9.47 from Paddington arrives 10.13, then walk
across to the Mainline Station). Calls Bond Street, Liverpool
Street, Whitechapel, Canary Wharf et al.
Reverse-walk SWC Short Walk 42 Greenwich to Woolwich into the prevailing wind direction (surely one of the most interesting
parts of the Thames Path) to the Cutty Sark and latch on the next
stretch of the Thames Path, Greenwich to Rotherhithe (which is also very interesting). Just before The
Mayflower pub in Rotherhithe village, turn left towards Rotherhithe Overground
but pass it initially to cross Brunel Road and turn right along Albion
Street. Pass the Brutalist Finnish Church, whose Christmas Fair is open to
18.00 hours, to the Norwegian Church, whose Christmas Fair is open to
17.00 hours. Then return for the Finnish Fair and then to the Overground, or
to The Brunel pub or to The Mayflower, or on to Bermondsey or even London Bridge…
Links:
Lunch: Numerous options en route, check the webpage or pdf for
the Greenwich – Woolwich walk (link below).
Tea: the Norwegian
Church will doubtless sell some
hot drinks and stuff to eat, but the Finnish
Church has a proper café. Plus, as
mentioned above: The Mayflower and The Brunel pubs in Rotherhithe village or several other establishments further along
the Thames Path through Bermondsey.
2 comments:
6 walkers met at Woolwich Arsenal, and 5 of those had never walked the bits east of Greenwich, so progress was slow, what with all the historical buildings, info panels and vistas up and down river. Building works just after Woolwich Ferry have finished so much that the Thames Path is reinstated along the river. The (flood-prone) waterside path at the Thames Barrier was open as well, so the mural showing the course of the Thames could be studied. There or thereabouts we 'lost' the photographer. The remaining 5 went into The Anchor pub for elenvenses (and a toilet stop).
The photographer had now passed us but was sms'ed and walked back towards us. Near the Dome we then lost the shortcutter, whom we only met again at the Norwegian Church.
Lunch was had in the Octagon Room af the Enderby House pub, a splendid little room indeed (octagonal, you guessed it). Near Greenwich village we bumped into walker 7 who had walked back from Canada Water tube, having hoped to bump into us a little earlier (I did say we were quite slow, did I?). By that time we had already lost 1 walker though to taking the train home from Greenwich mainline (work given as reason), later we lost another one to Deptford mainline station.
Once into Surrey (as it were), and on account of definitely wanting to get to the Christmas Fairs a good time before their closure, we then cut through the Rotherhithe Peninsula from South Dock via Greenland Dock and Canada Water to the churches on Albion Street, where we bumped into walker 8.
Everyone ate and drank something and most if not all also bought more stuff to take home. Earlier spittle and drizzle had by now been replaced by rain, so everyone dispersed into their respective directions by Overground, Underground or bus.
w=dry-start-then-increasingly-wet n=8
Additional feedback from shortcutter (in my defence the section around the dome is not that scenic and I have walked it before). At the dome a Peninsula market with food stalls and the odd Christmas fairs was present. Regarding the walk it was a challenge to follow the text in reverse but commendations must go to Thomas. The predictive rain did arrive but not till later hence it did not deter from the enjoyment of the walk.
Post a Comment