Thames Path Walk - Tower Bridge to Greenwich foot tunnel (north bank)

With the good weather here for a few days I decided it was time for another Thames Walk. I chose the walk from Tower Bridge to the Greenwich Foot Tunnel along the north bank side which is about six miles.The route passes lots of historic pubs and landmarks beginning with St Katherine's Dock which is pretty and has a Thomas Telford Footbridge (for show not to walk on!). From there it was along into Wapping passed the Town of Ramsgate Pub where Ramsgate fisherman docked, and Judge Jeffreys was captured after James II was overthrown in 1688. The old warehouses have been converted into apartments or restaurants. Those of you who remember Til Death Us Do Part on TV will know that this was Alf Garnet's area and good to see that there is a road named after him!

As my hubby was with me this time we did what I wouldn't do on my own and had a comfort stop at The Prospect of Whitby pub in Shadwell. The pub is really old and has an original pewter bar top. This was the vantage point from which the artists Whistler and Turner painted their pictures and was also known for bare knuckle fighting and cock fighting. Outside over the Thames is a hangman noose (probably not the original). I remarked that should you not pay your food bill that's where people end up!

Canary Wharf

Half an hour later we stopped to eat our lunch looking towards Canary Wharf then we pushed on to Limehouse (somewhere I would like to revisit) and to Canary Wharf itself. Again I'd like to go back there as there is much see with all the little docks and basins. Then it was into the Isle of Dogs (never really knew where that was before), through Millwall where we had to come off the river for a time and back on to it for the last section. Here we stood looking across to the Cutty Sark and the Royal Navel College. I treated us to an ice cream before we descended the stairs at the foot tunnel. I'd never been here before and not somewhere I would want to walk at night (maybe it's not open at night anyway). I was glad to have some company!

Up on the other side we admired the Cutty Sark, thought about whether to walk back along the south side of the river to Tower Bridge and decided not to! We'll do that another time. We got the DLR back into the city and came home.

I've been wanting some books on the Thames Path and have looked online, but I like to flick through books before I decide. I have walked a lot of the routes using the maps I have but soon I shall be mapless once I finish the London sections. So today I went into Waterstones to see what they had and used my last book vouchers (from a poetry competition win) to buy two books that cover the whole of the Thames path from its source in the Cotswolds to Crayford Ness. The books include lots of historical facts and points of interest and offer a few extra walks in certain areas off the Thames. I am sure they will come in handy.