Jubilee Greenway section 6 directions - Walk London

V1 : Aug 10Start:Jubilee GreenwaySection 6River Thames to GreenwichWoolwich Foot Tunnel (TQ432795)Station: Woolwich Arsenal (rail and DLR) orWoolwich Arsenal Pier (Clipper)Finish:Greenwich Pier (TQ382779)Station: Cutty Sark DLR or Greenwich Pier(Thames Clipper)Distance: 6.2 miles (10 km)Introduction: This section celebrates the river, following the mightyThames upstream from the Woolwich Ferry Dock and Flood Barrier to thesteps of the Royal Naval College, passing the O2 Arena (Millennium Dome),numerous wharfs, dramatic views, and surprising wildlife in its wake.This is the sixth section of the Jubilee Greenway. It follows the Thames Pathand this means that it is close to the river except where existing buildings orredevelopments mean an inland detour. It has some stunning landmarksand breathtaking views.Notably it passes the Thames Flood Barrier, the O2 Arena (MillenniumDome) and then arrives at Greenwich itself. There are also a number of theold wharfs remaining which add interest, including Victoria Deep WaterTerminal, Morden Wharf and Pipers Wharf.Directions: Disembark from the Woolwich Free Ferry on the south side ofthe Thames at Woolwich, and turn right, heading up-river in a westerlydirection, following Thames Path signs all the way.The Thames Path National Trail runs 180 miles (290 km) along the Thamesfrom its source to the Thames Barrier. In 2001 it was unofficially extended toCrayfordness but not officially adopted as part of the National Trail – thewaymarks here have a Thames barge symbol, rather than the acorn of theNational Trails.If crossing the river by the foot tunnel, this emerges from the domedentrance into daylight. Rounding the domed entrance affords a view acrossthe river to North Woolwich. The building behind it is the Waterfront LeisureCentre. Turn immediately left.Walk down a brick paved access road, bearing left into Glass Yard, and thenimmediately right as the road bends round, following signs for the ThamesPath and the Capital Ring. Go under a footbridge. The Mitre pub can beseen to the left and the Woolwich Ambulance Station on the right.Cross the Woolwich Ferry approach road over the pedestrian crossing. Turnright for about 15m to reach the river front, and then turn left along theThames Path (also marked as the Capital Ring) beside the river (walkingupstream). The route now stays beside the Thames for just over ½ mile.On the other side of the river can be seen BT’s satellite dishes and, in thedistance ahead, the Thames Barrier, A the O2 Arena (Millennium Dome)and the financial buildings of Canary Wharf.Carry on along the Thames Path and Capital Ring with the river to the right.Cross two small bridges over inflows to the Thames. There are two oldcannons along here, as a reminder of the military history of the area.Cross over a basin, after which there is a rondel in the ground, with mosaics,marked ‘Riverside Walk Project 1984-1986’ by the National Elfrida RathboneSociety. Around it are listed the months of the year. On some steps to theleft, observe some sculpted fish in the stonework. Ahead are two morecannons.

The path veers left, which affords a view of the 18 th century clock tower,once the home and office of the Admiral-Superintendent of the dockyard,now the Clockhouse Community Centre.Now begins the Resolution Walk. A sign gives the distances on this section.Take either the accessible cycle bridge, or a footbridge ahead, stayingalongside the Thames.About 250m after the ramp, the route turns away from the Thames to theleft, through housing, because the riverside route is currently impassable.Look for a Thames Path sign pointing left through a gateway. If you get tosome metal fencing barring the way beside the Thames you have gone toofar.Pass through the gateway and some parked cars and turn right ontoHarlinger Street, then left into Ruston Road to reach a T-junction, opposite ablackened building, B which is a remnant of the Woolwich Dockyard. Turnright at the T-junction.After nearly 250m, at a roundabout, go over Warspite Road. Bear slightly leftand then right into Woolwich Church Street, passing a pub on the corner onthe right, Clancy’s. There are also a few cafés along here.Note – the route is still following an interim route as the river frontage is notopen in this area at the moment. A new route will be opening up in 2011, butfor time being, follow the Thames Path interim route signage.Go along the busy Woolwich Church Street, passing Access Self Storage onthe right, the White House pub on the left, and Holborn College on the right(part of Maryon Park School; look out for the decorative carved stone nameplaque over the entrance door). Maryon Park itself is on the left, on the otherside of the road.Cyclists should rejoin the carriageway where the route leaves the river atHarlinger Street. Continue on the road over the roundabout at WoolwichChurch Street, then keep in the cycle lane to the pedestrian crossing at theentrance to Maryon Park. Use the cycle filter lane here to come off the road,then cross using the controlled crossing into the park on the north side.About 350m after the roundabout, turn right into Barrier Gardenssign marked ‘Thames Barrier ¼ mile’.Cyclists should take a route skirting the right of the park; walkers can followthe Green Chain marker posts.After 150m, at Eastmoor Place/Westfield Street, with the Banner AnimalCare Clinic to the left, cross the road and look behind the first building on theleft for the Green Chain marker posts, which returns back onto a footpathand into the park.After another 200m, cross over Utility Way and go ahead slightly to the right.About 100m down Utility Way there are two flights of steps up the grassyflood defence embankment – climb to the top and see the Thames Barrieritself. Then go down the two flights of steps on the other side.Jubilee GreenwaySection 6 (River Thames to Greenwich)page 2www.walklondon.org.ukat aCyclists or anyone who would like a step-free route need to turn left alongUtility Way and circle the Environmental Agency building, rejoining theThames Path west of the Thames Barrier.There is a café and toilets at the Thames Barrier Information Centre/Exhibition Building – just 250m east of the Barrier. This can be accessedfrom the bottom of the steps on the riverside, or for the step-free route, turnright when you reach Utility Way.From the Barrier, turn left to go upstream along the riverside walk, under acovered walkway marked ‘Thames Path National Trail’, which has a profileof the Thames from Thames Head to Sea Reach. This is the official end ofthe National Trail.Next go up some steps to the left (broad steps with a handrail in the middle).The cycle (step-free) route rejoins the path at the other side. The route ofCA

the Jubilee Greenway now follows the Thames Path as close to the river aspossible towards the O2 Arena (Millennium Dome).About 550m after the Barrier, where the path is in between two walls, are aset of bollards on a road called Anchor and Hope Lane. Carry straight aheadon ‘Riverside’ – just 30m after here is a pub called the Anchor & Hope. DPass Durham Wharf on the right. The route is between two fences.Then, 350m after the junction with the pub, Riverside makes a right-angledturn to the left and becomes Lombard Wall, but ignore this and carry onstraight ahead towards a set of bollards with fences either side. Go underthe great chutes of the aggregates recycling plant.Follow the route along the Thames Path, which makes a couple of sharpturns around wharves and slipways but otherwise hugs the river.About 450m after the junction with Lombard Wall, is Peartree Way, wherethere are two sets of silver metal bollards as well as solar panels and smallwind turbines on posts to the left of the path. This is just in front of theentrance to the Greenwich Yacht Club on stilts in the water. Follow theThames Path signs to go straight ahead, still parallel with the Thames,between two hedges. Pass some rough land to the left, and after about85m, turn right and then left along the river once more. On the left isGreenwich Millennium Village Ecology Park. EThis is the Greenwich Peninsular. Follow the Thames Path by the riversideall the way up to the O2 Arena (Millennium Dome) which is nearly ¾ mileahead (ignore signs for the Cross-Peninsular Thames Path). Pass thebeach of the Greenwich Yacht Club on the right, head towards theexpensive apartment buildings on Mudlark Boulevard. To the right is thePolar Sundial, designed by Piers Nicolson for the Royal Corps of Engineers,in 1999.Continue along the riverside and past the Queen Elizabeth II Pier. Nextcomes the O2 Arena (Millennium Dome). Circle around the Dome next tothe Thames at Blackwall Point, following signs for the Thames Path at alltimes. The Blackwall Tunnel (in fact two tunnels) passes under the Thamesat this point.Follow signage for the Thames Path and the Thames Path Cycle Routedown the west side of the peninsular, past more aggregate plants andwharves (Delta Wharf, Bay Wharf, and Modern Wharf).Turn left and then right towards a blue wrought iron fence. Follow theThames Path close to the river. There is rough land to the right. Take a turnto the left. On the other side of the river, the huge business skyscrapers giveway to low residential buildings.Delta Wharf on the left, the first of a great number of wharves, is a reminderof the days when the river was very busy with boats and their cargo. Crossan area of sand and gravel storage and continue ahead, close to the river.This is rather a rough sandy route underfoot. There is considerable buildingwork taking place here. The Royal Naval College at Greenwich suddenlycomes into view along the river.Presently there is an inland swing to the left between grey fencing, on arough concrete path. Hanson operates on both sides of this path and muchgravel, cement and sand is being moved about. Reach a sign whichindicates an alternative route back to Phoenix Wharf (1½ miles) and theThames Barrier (2 miles) via Tunnel Avenue (¾ mile). The Thames Pathalso directs you forward to the right with a signpost giving distances andmileages.Turn right at the sign. There is concrete slab walling. The route swings leftand snakes past weeping willows on the right. On the left are two benches,up two steps, on a concreted area. Pass the Millcroft Building. A pleasantwider L-shaped jetty affords great views over the river, to Greenwich on theleft, and the Dome on the right. This is the East Greenwich riverfront. Followthe path, which turns to the left. In front is a pink building. Turn right. Now infront are the large blue chimneys of Tunnel Refineries Property (on theright). Ahead can be seen the great domes of Greenwich.Pass Enderby’s Wharf, the first of a series of wharves along here. Thenpass through blue wrought iron fencing on both sides. There is some whiteJubilee GreenwaySection 6 (River Thames to Greenwich)page 3www.walklondon.org.uk

paling after which it is necessary to turn left to follow the path.Pass through some smart white paling, behind which to the right there is amajor development of apartment blocks. This is the Greenwich WharfDevelopment (formerly Badcock’s Wharf). When complete, the riversidepath should be re-opened, but at the time of writing you are diverted aroundthe site via a temporary pathway.Turn right into Banning Street (not marked at this point). More developmentis taking place on the left as well as the right. Pass Derwent Street on theleft and at The Pelton Arms turn right into Pelton Road, which is cobbled,going down here for about 130m. At the end of Pelton Road, look out for ablack metal signpost indicating the Thames Path, marked ‘Cutty Sark andFoot Tunnel ½ mile’.There is a no-entry point for cyclists up here, so instead of turning right intoPelton Road, continue on to the end of Banning Street and turn right intoLassell Street. Then join the riverside path opposite the Cutty Sark pub.Turn left onto Ballast Quay. There are some lovely Georgian houses here tothe left (Union Wharf). On the left is the Cutty Sark Tavern, built in about1795 as a Georgian Free House at number 46 Ballast Quay.The riverside walk has been resurfaced and widened here, and the BerkeleyHomes apartments were opened in 2003. There is an anchor from AnchorIron Wharf, which sold anchors to the Royal Navy. This was the site ofAmbrose Crowley's Warehouse.The Yacht (advertised as the first pub in the West Longitude), followed bythe Trafalgar Tavern. Greenwich is now directly ahead.There are directional signposts along here at the end of the cobbled alley bythe Trafalgar Tavern. Turn right, past the statue of Lord Nelson, to the riverside.The riverside path next to the Trafalgar Tavern is not open to cyclists.Instead, at the end of Crane Street, turn left and then right through TrafalgarGate of the Old Royal Naval College (which is open 8am to 6pm daily) andfollow the marked cycle route around the front of the college buildings.Here are fine views back to the O2 Arena (Millennium Dome) and across toIsland Gardens on the Isle of Dogs, thought to be so named becauseEdward III housed his greyhounds there. This was the one-time the home ofthe largest docks; it is now a major financial area.From the statue of Nelson, turn left along the Thames, and pass betweenblack railings adorned with naval anchors. On the left is the Royal NavalCollege, Greenwich.In front, to the right, are the Royal Steps. This is the end of section 6. Thenext section, number 7 (Greenwich to Tower Bridge) continues along theThames Path by the river.Pass the Cutty Sark Tavern on the left, and immediately opposite look forthe shared footpath/cycle route on the ground, following the Thames. Passalong Crowley’s Wharf where to the left the wall bears some little scenes byschool children; these are tactile but watch out for the traffic. Looming aboveis Greenwich Power Station F (on the left - quite hard to see when walkingas it is so close).Veer left and pass along a cobbled residential alley (marked with black andwhite stripy bollards) with Highbridge Wharf behind houses, to the right. Onthe right is the Curlew Rowing Club (founded in 1866) and then a pub calledJubilee GreenwaySection 6 (River Thames to Greenwich)page 4www.walklondon.org.uk