Along the Thames from London Bridge to Limehouse

This linear walk follows the Thames Path all the way along the south bank from London Bridge station through Bermondsey, Rotherhithe and Deptford to Greenwich, then crosses under the river to follow the north bank up the Isle of Dogs, past Canary Wharf, to finish at Limehouse.

The sights:

Tower Bridge: Constructed 1886-94 to connect the communities living east of London Bridge, while at the same time allowing shipping access to the Pool of London by means of two bascules that can be raised. Now of London's most recognisable landmarks, and still carrying 40,000 vehicles a day.

St Saviours Dock: Once one of London's worst slums, and the setting for Bill Sykes's death in Dicken's novel Oliver Twist.

King Edward III's Manor House: Ruins of a moated country manor built by the king around 1350, possible for falconry. Later passed into private hands before being incorporated into other buildings. After wartime bombing, the area was excavated and the remains rediscovered.

The Mayflower pub: 18th-century pub renamed to commemorate the departure of the Mayflower for the New World from a mooring nearby in 1620.

Brunel Museum: Comprises the former pumping-engine house for the Thames Tunnel constructed by the Brunels in 1825-43, along with one of the digging shafts used to construct the tunnel. Now a museum.

Surrey Docks Farm: Working city farm on 2 acres providing learning opportunities for local community.

Tide Gauge House: Constructed 1880 to hold a tide gauge vital for correct operation of Greenland Lock.

South Dock: Built 1807-11 as part of Surrey Commercial Docks. Drained 1944 so that it could be used to construct parts of the concrete Mulberry Harbours for D-Day. Now a marina.

Pepys Park: Public park created on site of former Royal Naval Victualling Yard which operated from 1742-1961, and next to the former Deptford Dockyard which existed 1513-1869. Sir Francis Drake was knighted here by Queen Elizabeth I in 1581 after his circumnavigation of the world.

Peter The Great Statue: Unveiled in 2001 to commemorate the visit of the Tsar to England in 1698. He stayed at Deptford in order to learn about shipbuilding techniques.

Cutty Sark: Legendary clipper built in 1869 for the tea trade to China. Later worked the wool trade to Australia, before being used for general cargo, for cadet training, and finally becoming a museum ship at Greenwich in 1954.

Greenwich: UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising the former Royal Naval Hospital built by Wren in 1692 (later the Royal Naval College and now the National Maritime Museum and the University of Greenwich), along with the Queen's House built 1616-1635 by Inigo Jones, and the Royal Observatory built, again by Wren, in 1675. It is the site of the Prime Meridian of the world.

Greenwich Foot Tunnel: Opened August 1902 to connect Millwall with Greenwich, replacing an unreliable ferry service. Now used by 4,000 pedestrians a day.

SS Great Eastern launch ramp: These are the remains of the special slipway built to launch Brunel's ship Great Eastern in 1857-8. Because of its great length, it had to be launched sideways into the Thames, but due to its weight, it got stuck, and it took nearly 3 months using hydraulic rams get it afloat.

Canary Wharf: After the closure of the former West India docks in 1980, the area was redeveloped as a business district from 1988 onwards. It now contains 16 million square feet of office/retail space accommodating 105,000 workers. Six of the ten tallest buildings in the UK are at Canary Wharf.

Limehouse Basin: Excavated in 1820 as the eastern terminus of the Regent's Canal, it enabled the transfer of cargoes from the Port of London to the canal network. Commercial use ceased in 1969, and the area was redeveloped for housing and leisure. The magnificent grade-1 listed London & Blackwall Railway Viaduct at the entrance to the basin was built in 1840 by Robert Stephenson and is one of the earliest of its type in London. It now carries the Docklands Light Railway.

The route (see location section for OS link):

Starting at Tooley Street outside London Bridge station, we'll head across Potters Fields to join the Thames Path as it crosses under Tower Bridge. We'll then follow it as it heads east around Rotherhithe & Deptford as far as the Cutty Sark and Greenwich, where we will pause for lunch.

After the break, we'll walk under the Thames via the Greenwich Tunnel to reach the north bank at Island Gardens, and continue following the Thames Path up the western side of the Isle of Dogs, passing through Millwall and Canary Wharf to reach Limehouse Basin and finally Limehouse DLR station.

Dogs

Well-behaved dogs are welcome, but please note this is an urban walk along busy roads & footpaths, where we will be mixing with other walkers, joggers and cyclists.

For this reason, dogs will need to be on a lead for much of the walk. At all other times, a dog must be obedient.

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If this is your first ODL event, you should check out the information designed specifically for you on the My First Event page on the ODL website. If you have any other questions you can send a message to the leader.

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Photos: Tower Bridge (header) / The Cutty Sark / London Bridge station (meeting point) / St Saviours Dock / King Edward III's manor house / Mayflower pub / Brunel Museum / Surrey Basin Bascule Bridge / Canary Wharf from Rotherhithe / Surrey Docks Farm / South Dock / Peter the Great Memorial / Royal Hospital Greenwich / Greenwich Tunnel portal / Limehouse Basin.

All photos taken by the leader 4.12.24 and 13.2.25 and permission given to OutdoorLads for use.