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A majestic waterfront walk : navigating the heart of a magnificent city

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Navigate the city in 4 easy sections No. Fu rth er I nf or mat io n T he Ma gn if ic en t S ev enml km

Please note that the information in this leaflet is only intended as a rough guide. Detailed travel information, maps, timings and practical walking advice relating to all the routes can be reviewed and downloaded at the Walk London website.

The Thames Path Walk

F i n d o u t m o r e a t

or use this leaflet to mark off your walks section by section.

A gem of a walk - The ThamesPath Walk needs no introduction

as the main artery that runs throughthe beating heart of London. While theNational Trail stretches westwards to the sourceof the River Thames in the Cotswolds, the Londonsection covers a magical 40 miles (64 km) of easy, level

walking on both sides of the river from Hampton CourtPalace, through the heart of London to the East India

Dock on the north bank and the River Darent onthe south bank.

Drink in the sights and sounds from theArcadian landscape of the lost floodplainin Richmond via the vibrant city to theDickensian expanse of the marshes tothe East. Youll see every imaginable

waterborne activity along the way -seagoing ships manoeuvering into their

moorings, trip boats and tugs jostling with floatinggin-palaces, bustling boatyards,marinas and the working wharves

downstream at Greenwich.

Youll discover theres alwayssomething happening on Europescleanest major river - and also why

such an amazing diversity of peopleand wildlife have made it their home.

Tick places of interest

Discover more about The Thames Path

Walk and Walk London by visiting

www.walklondon.org.ukwhere youll

be able to download all the facts, maps

and practical advice you need to plan

a perfect walk - including short video

clips, mp3 audio guides, commentsand links about each route and the

great things youll see along the way.

You can also phone Walk London on:

0870 240 6094

Let us know when you have completed

The Thames Path Walk and well send

you a personalised certificate to

celebrate your achievement. Just email

the great news to us at

info@walklondon.org.ukor phone

0870 240 6094

The Thames Path Walkis just one of sevenmagnificent walks designatedby the Mayor to help makeLondon one of the most walkablecities in the world.

North Bank: Hampton Court > Albert Bridge 1 23 37 71/2 hrs

South Bank: Kingston > Albert Bridge 1 15 24 5 hrs

North Bank: Albert Bridge > Tower Bridge 2 6 9.5 2 hrs

South Bank: Albert Bridge > Tower Bridge 2 6 10 2 hrs

North Bank: Tower Bridge > Island Gardens 3 5 8 11/2 hrs

South Bank: Tower Bridge > The Thames Barrier 3 11 17.5 31/2 hrs

North Bank: Island Gardens > East India Dock 4 2 .5 4 .5 1 hr

South Bank: Thames Barrier > River Darent 4 11 17.5 31/2 hrs

Bexley

Kingston

upon

Thames

Hounslow

Richmond

upon

Thames

Newham

Tower

Hamlets

IslingtonCamden

Ealing

Southwark

Lambeth

WandsworthLewisham

Greenwich

Barking &

Dagenham

Kensing

ton&

Chelsea

Ham

mersm

ith&

Fulham

M40

Westminster

1

2

3

4

Hackney

City

M4

M25

M25

M20

A2

M25

M11

M1

43

2

1

W

A

L

K

LO N D ON

CanaryWharfOnce marshland, this vibrant area

was reclaimed as secure docks

and now has a new life as a majorfinancial centre to rival the City

of London.

Erit h Marshe sMost of the extensive grazing marshes fromWoolwich to Erith have been built upon, but

you can still savour the delights of a small

part, now an award-winning wildlife area

managed by Thames Water.

Housesof ParliamentMarvel at the majesty of the Palaceof Westminster, a meeting placefor parliamentarians since 1547

and catch, if you can, the

chimes of Big Ben.

South BankTake in a show or catch up on the arts

scene at this important cultural

crossroads which includes the SouthBank Centre, National

Theatre and the National

Film Theatre.

Barne s Wetl and Centr eWallow in the wonder of these 42 hectaresof beautiful lakes, pools and lagoons.

Hampton Court PalacePromenade through the palatial grounds of

Hampton Court and Bushy Park, once

home to Henry VIII.

Syon ParkThe last surviving ducal residence

complete with country estate in Greater

London. Admire the scale and splendour

of the Duke of Northumberland'sLondon home and enjoy the spectacular

Great Conservatory and 40 acres of

gardens.

1 2 3 4

Hampton C

ourt

Sloane

Square

Tower

Hill

IslandGardens

East In

dia

North

Bank

1 2 3 4

Kingston

Battersea Park

London Bridge

orTowerHill

Woolw

ichDockyard

SladeGreen

South

Bank

ThamesBarr ierBe amazed by the sheer scale of the

worlds second largest moveable floodbarrier. The barrier spans a 520 metre

stretch of the river.

Tower BridgeOpened in 1894, Tower Bridge is acombined bascule and suspension

bridge and a truely iconic landmark.

.

Albert BridgeThis Grade II listed bridge

is illuminated by 4,000

bulbs every night and has

the only surviving bridgetollbooth in London.

Batt ersea ParkEnjoy the views across 200 rollingacres. The Park hosted the first

FA football match in 1864.

Chiswic k Pie rFrom ducks to cormorants, bird-

watchers will be in their element. Lookout too for rowers this is the routeof the famous University Boat Race.

Kew GardensVisit the home of the

worlds largest

collection of livingplants more than

30,000 varieties and

a herbarium with over

7 million preservedplant specimens.

Kings tonBrid geLinks the North

and South banks

of the route.

North East Extension

Route under development

Iconic landmarks

Teddington LockPuzzle over not just one, but a complex

of three locks a conventional launch

lock, a very large barge lockand a small skiff lock - at

this pivotal river point.

Time to listen ...

Snaking through the City theriver shakes hands with almost

all of the capitals attractionsand still manages to carry a

part of me away from all thisand out into the ocean.

KEY RAIL STATION TUBE STATION DLR ALLSECTIONSAREWELLSERVEDBYPUBLICTRANSPORT

The LOOP Walk The Capital Ring Walk The Green Chain WalkThe Lea Valley Walk The Thames Path Walk The Jubilee Walkway

The Jubilee Greenway Walk

Its enormous...!

The Royal DocksDept fordDiscover Deptfords important pastas one of the first of the Royal

Dockyards. The statue of Peter the

Great commemorates his visit to

Deptford in 1698.

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The veinof London life

pumping liquid

history throughthe heart of

the Capital.

...alongtheway

The seven magnificent ways to... Walk London The Thames Path Walk

Rarelyleavingtheriverbankthe

ThamesPathWalkissimply40milesofeasywalking

throughtheiconicheartoftheCapital.24bridges,two

ferriesandafoottunnelallowyoutozig-zagbetween

northandsouthbanksanddividetherouteuptosuit

yourmood.Everysectionenjoyseasyaccesstopublic

transportwithintheTravelcardzoneandthereare

generallyextralinksalongthewayincaseyoulose

trackoftime!Don'tworryifyou'renewtowalking

orunfamiliarwiththearea,justvisitus

onlinefirst-you'llfindmoredetailsandlotsofpracticalinformationat

www.walklondon.org.uk

stroll amble saunter dawdle pace hike wander

stride sashay strut mooch stomp roam mosey

march meander gambol glide tread promenade

swagger parade whichever way Walk London

www.walklondon.org.uk

whichever way... Walk London

HamptonCourtPalace

TeddingtonLock

KewGardens

SyonPark

BarnesWetlandCentre

HousesofParliament

TheSouthBank

HistoricDeptford

CanaryWharf

ErithMarshes

RuralRetreatsWherethetranquilriverrollspastworld-

famousvisitorattractions,idyllic

waterfrontsandhistoricpubs,alllinkedby

rusticstretchesoflovely,leafycountry

walking.Enjoythechangingsceneofsailing

clubsandmarinas,locksandweirs,bijoux

cottagesandmansionblocks,playingfields,parksandpavedpromenades.

WorkingWaterwaysThecharacterof

EastLondons

workingriverhasbeen

builtupbycenturiesofhardgraftfrom

HenryVIIIsroyaldockyardatWoolwichto

theRoyalArsenalandgiantdockshandling

exoticcargoesfromaroundtheworld.The

ThamesPathpresentsoldstoriesalongside

newchangesatCrossness,Victorian

sewagedisposalsitsalongsideasleek

futuristicincineratorwhile,westofErith,

anindustriallandscapeofjetties,cranes

andmillsgiveswaytoadomestic

waterfront,setagainsttheslenderarch

ofDartfordsQueenElizabethIIbridge.

HistoricHeartDiscoverLondonshiddenhauntsand

mostfamoussightsasyoustretchyour

legsbesidethisspectacularsectionoftheRiverThames.TheTowerofLondon,

theHousesofParliament,

StPaulsCathedral,Tate

ModernandShakespeares

Globe:theThamesPath

linkstheseandothergreat

iconsofEnglandina

wonderful,easywalk

drippingwithhistoryand

theexcitementof

contemporarycitylife.

SeafaringSnapshotsEnjoyastrollalongtheThamesPathas

itwindsitswaythroughsomeofthemost

evocativespotsonthehistoricriverbank,fromCanary

WharfandtheIsleofDogstothehomeoftheCuttySark

andthegloriousMaritimeGreenwichWorldHeritageSite.

Tracetherise,fallandresurrectionofLondonsgreat

docks,whichoncetradedwidelywiththeEmpireandthe

worldandarenowbornagainwithwarehousesconverted

toapartmentsandcafsandnew

housingliningonce-busywharves.

TheThamesPathWalk:strollalongsidealiquidhistory

Its true - walking has manybenefits. Its been described as"the nearest activity to perfectexercise" - but more than this awalk around London will revealthings that you simply can't seefrom a car or a train and you don'tneed any specialist equipment -

just a comfortable pair of shoesand off you go.

Our capitals networkof parks and open spaces rivalsany other city in the world. Thewalks described here and on ourwebsite are specifically designedto be easily accessible by publictransport and you can travel aslittle or as far as you want bywalking them in sections.

So, whichever way, step out andWalk London... there's lots to seeand a magnificent seven, wellmaintained, clearly waymarked

routes connecting it all together.

Put the busyness of the capital into perspective and relax in the countryside onthe doorstep of the city. Often called the M25 for walkers, The LOOP Walkprovides 152 miles (245 km) of accessible paths that encircle Greater Londonthrough the Green Belt. Its a fascinating journey through new and ancientwoodland, over rolling downs, along the windswept estuary and past historichouses, farms, windmills, village greens and pubs... a perfect escape.

Circle the city along The Capital Ring Walk through ordinary and affluent gardensuburbs with their wealth of open spaces. See the growth of Londons Metroland,passing magnificent mansions and eccentric monuments on a 78 mile (126 km)journey all within ten miles of the heart of London. Take in a panorama of the realcity - of villages and suburbs, canals, commons, parks and woodland, withspectacular views of the city and beyond.

Weave together the allotments and commons, ancient woodland, parkland andrecreation grounds of south-east London by following the The Green Chain Walkfor 50 miles (80 km). Thirty years ago forward-thinking planners acted to designatethis fantastic resource - one of the longest green and pleasant walks available in anycity. Enjoy a wide variety of healthy green spaces from the rivers edge, through thevalleys and into the hills with wonderful views across the city.

Hunt for clues along The Lea Valley Walk to see how water milled, manufacturedand transported the goods that enabled a great city to function. The route shadowsthe Lee Navigation towpath for 18 miles (29 km) from King Harolds burial place atWaltham Abbey, past the Olympic Park to Trinity Buoy Wharf at the confluence withthe Thames. Zig-zag the Meridian Line, pass huge reservoirs and nature reservestowards wild and original marshes popular with migrating birds.

Meander The Thames Path from its willowy western banks for 40 miles (64 km) tothe gleaming Thames Barrier and The Queen Elizabeth Bridge arching across theestuary marshes. Navigate the very heart of London, past palaces, royal parks,working boatyards and leisurely marinas to the regenerated docklands. Historicwaterfront buildings mix with the contemporary while 24 bridges link both banksand reveal a unique maritime heritage along its course.

Walk The Jubilee Walkway to appreciate how central London joins up overground and make the most of the citys symbolic squares and ceremonial routeslinking world class art, theatres and museums with iconic views and architecture.Inspired by the reign of Her Majesty The Queen, the route traces the heart ofLondons major landmarks along a 15 mile (24 km) circular walk providing a perfectopportunity to reflect on the extraordinary history of the capital city.

Connect central Londons 2012 Olympic and Paralympic venues with some of thecapitals best parks, attractions, heritage and views by walking or cycling the 37 mile(60 km) Jubilee Greenway Walk, much of it along the Regents Canal and theRiver Thames. Designated to celebrate Her Majesty The Queensanticipated 60th anniversary this is one of the best ways to getto know London, see the city and meet its people.

More than 7 million walks

are made in London every day proving its one of

the best ways to get around and rivalling any other city

in the world.

Together the Mayor, Transport for London, the London

Boroughs and Walk England are looking after and

promoting seven magnificent walks in and around

London: The LOOP Walk, The Capital Ring Walk, The

Green Chain Walk, The Lea Valley Walk, The Thames

Path Walk, The Jubilee Walkway and The Jubilee

Greenway Walk making London a nicer place to live,

work and visit.

If youre inspired to walk further, looking for a guide or

just need a little more information on the things that

catch your imagination along the way, please visit us

online at www.walklondon.org.ukwhere youll find

maps, route directions and lots of useful tips and links.

Designandproduction:www.sea-

ltd.co.u

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01227768808

www.walklondon.org.uk

www.walklondon.org.uk