Thames Path Walk
Circular
Vauxhall Bridge to Battersea Bridge (north bank)
Battersea Bridge to Vauxhall Bridge (south bank)
Equipment - camera, spare batteries, Explore the Heart of London Map (Thames path 2)
Refreshments – bottle of water, one homemade mince pie!
Extras – gloves, hat (unused), book
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| Apartments, St George's Wharf on the south bank, Vauxhall |
I was hoping to plan a day of walking over the Christmas
period and today (Saturday) I woke to a sunny morning. Great – a chance to work
off some excess calories! Picked my
route and set off about 9.30am. Arrived
at Vauxhall station around 10.30am and began my walk by crossing Vauxhall
Bridge and turning left towards Pimilco – the setting for Alexander McCall
Smith’s Corduroy Mansions series of books! From the map
there didn’t appear to be much to look at along that bank side but I was
pleasantly surprised. Firstly it was quiet. Not many people were out, and those
that were seemed to be others like me with maps and cameras or endless joggers! The sun was beautiful and along the route
were apartments which had huge windows letting in light and the views. I looked
up at the apartments and thought how lovely it would be to overlook the
river. It was a beautiful walk, even
better because this area was new to me, so it was a mini an adventure.
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| Battersea Power Station |
To my right as I reached Chelsea Bridge I passed the back
of The Royal Hospital (Chelsea Pensioners), the National Army Museum and
Chelsea Physic Garden. Further along I
came to Cheyne Walk and did a detour because I wanted to see the area where
famous artists and writers lived. Here was Blue Plaque heaven! I found the
house where George Eliot lived and where the Pre-Raphaelite painter Dante
Gabriel Rossetti and poet Swinburne shared a house. I trailed off around the back roads and found
some lovely mews houses. Wow! What a place to live.
I came back towards the river by which time I was close
to Battersea Bridge (originally I was going to cross Albert Bridge and come
back but they were so close together I decided to turn around at Battersea). I crossed the bridge and soon was in Battersea
Park. I haven’t been since the boys were
young and I took them to the children’s zoo. Now I took the path by the Peace
Pagoda and walked to the Tea Terrace where I had a break for a hot chocolate
and a packet of crisps. It was great to be able to sit outside in the sunshine
and enjoy the view. Afterwards I headed
to the boating lake where I sat in a shelter to eat my mince pie and watch the
water fowl. Then I headed out of the
park but had to leave the river and walk along the busy main road because of
the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station.
I walked on and passed the famous Battersea Dogs Home and on for some
time. I began to think I’d missed the turning back to the Thames Path but
eventually there was a sign to the river at Nine Elms and I walked on to St
George’s Tower where again I had to come off the path but found a walk through
to St George’s Wharf. Here there are luxury apartments overlooking the
river. I looked in the estate agency
there and saw the apartments were going for over £900,000. Don’t think I’ll be
moving there any time in the near future!
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| The Pre-Raphaelite house! |
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| Cormorant(?) sunning itself |
From there it was a just a short walk back to Vauxhall
Station which I reached at about 1.45pm.
On the way home I noticed what looked like a rainbow in the sky. That
was impossible because there were no rain clouds, just a few wispy ones. It was just the way the sun was reflecting
through the cloud. How beautiful it looked.
My legs ache but what a wonderful walk.
I may well go back that way again sometime because it was so nice to be
in that part of London – the quiet part, away from central London and its
millions of tourists!
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| Looking back towards London (Vauxhall Bridge in the distance) |
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| Peace Pagoda, Battersea Park - |
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