Jubilee Greenway

This is the eighth Section of the Jubilee Greenway.  It follows the Thames Path and this means that it is close to the river except where building works prevent this.  It has some stunning landmarks and breathtaking views.  Notably it passes the Thames Flood Barrier, the 02 Dome and then arrives at Greenwich. There are also a great number of wharfs - Delta Wharf, Victoria Deep Water Terminal, Primrose Wharf, Morden Wharf, Enderby’s Wharf, Pipers Wharf, Badcock’s Wharf, Granite’s Wharf and Lovell’s Wharf.

Disembark from the Woolwich Free Ferry  on the South Bank of the Thames at Woolwich, and head in a westerly direction (thus turning to the right), along the side of the river, following Thames Path signs at all times. 

Alternatively, emerge from the Woolwich Foot Tunnel into the domed entrance which affords a view across the river to North Woolwich.  Behind it is the Waterfront Leisure Centre.  Turn immediately left, noting a sign announcing (amongst other directions) –

Woolwich Dockyard ½ mile
Thames Barrier 1 mile
Greenwich 6 miles

Turn left again and then turn right, following signs for the Thames Path.  Go under the footbridge.  The Mitre pub can be seen to the left.  The London Ambulance Service, Woolwich is on the right.  Cross the Woolwich Ferry Approach left over the pedestrian crossing.  Then turn right over a pedestrian crossing, and then left along the Thames Path beside the river. 

At this point both routes have merged (ferry and foot tunnel).  On the other side of the river can be seen many satellite dishes and, in the distance ahead, the Thames Barrier, the Dome and the great financial buildings of Canary Wharf.  Ahead are large fairly modern flats (Mast Quay).  There is a temporary blue wooden fence on the left.

Proceed along the Thames Path with the river to the right.  Cross a bridge over a disused river entry to the left, and another bridge.  On the other side of the river is the Silvertown Thames Industrial Estate, with the Tate & Lyle Sugar Warehouse well marked.

Cross over another basin.  Here there is a rondel in the ground, with mosaics – marked Riverside Walk Project 1984-1986 and National Elfrida Rathbone Society.  Around it are listed the months of the year.

On some steps to the left, observe some sculpted fish in the stonework.  Ahead are two cannons.  Veer left, which affords a view of a clock tower (perhaps a noteworthy building).

A sign indicates – ahead -

Thames Barrier ½ mile
Blackwall Point 2 ¾ miles
Dome 2 ½ miles
Greenwich 5 ½ miles

Back –

Woolwich Foot Tunnel ½ mile

This is Resolution Walk.  Take a cycle bridge, or a footbridge ahead. 

Presently there is an interim route to the left, leading through a housing estate (built on the site of the former Royal Dockyard).  Turn right, then left.  Bywater House is on the right.  Turn left, then right into Harlinger Street (no street sign here), then right into Ruston Road, SE18.  Turn right (still Ruston Road) opposite an old partly black building, remnant of the Woolwich Dockyard.  Ahead there is a sign for City Plumbing Supplies. 

Veer right at the roundabout and cross over Warspite Road (not named at this point).  Head slightly left and then right into Woolwich Road (A206), passing a pub on the corner on the right, Clancy’s.

Go along Woolwich Road (a busy road), passing Access Self Storage on the right, the White House pub on the left, Holborn College (part of Maryon Park School) on the right, with Maryon Park on the left, on the other side of the road. 

The route turns right at a sign marked Thames Barrier ¼.  Stay close to the right at this point as the route is vague.  At Eastmoor Place, with the Banner Animal Care Clinic to the left, follow ahead, but to the right, into Harden Manors Way, leading towards the river.  Pass some large warehouse buildings on the right, and in due course the Environmental Agency and a car park to the left.  Cyclists need to turn left here and circle the Environmental Agency, rejoining the Thames Path after the Thames Barrier, and turning left along the river at that point.

But better for the pedestrian is to mount the steps ahead, and go over these and down the other side, turning left at the river, and proceeding under a covered way (marked: Thames Path National Trail), which, on the wall to the left, has information about the 180 miles of River Thames  – a Profile of the Thames from Thames Head to Sea Reach.

On the right is the Thames Flood Barrier.  Go up some steps to the left, then turn right and follow the Thames Path (Riverside) as close to the river as possible towards the O2 Dome.  At this point there is a sign –

Dome 2 miles
Greenwich 5 miles

On the left there is Tarmac.  The route diverts inland for a short while, losing the river, past the Anchor & Hope pub ahead.  Pass Vaizey’s Wharf on the right, Hunt & Son Security on the left, continue along the road with Durham Wharf on the right, and Sainsbury’s lorries parked on the left.  Cory Environment Municipal Services occupy offices on the left and right.  The Victorian Awning Company is on the right.  Ahead is the Day Aggregates Recycling Plant (left).  Walk under the great chutes of this.  Turn right and left and rejoin the riverside route (past Christie’s Wharf).

Then veer left with the Greenwich Yacht Club on the right.  A sign directs to –

Thames Path
Bay Wharf 1
Transit Bus Stop
Ecology Park
North Greenwich

Pass some rough land to the left, and turn right, turn left along the river once more.  On the left is Ecology Park. 

At the riverside is a long panel, giving the history of the area and the river.

This is the Greenwich Peninsular.  Pass the beach of the Greenwich Yacht Club on the right, head towards the expensive apartment buildings on Mudlark Boulevard, SE10.  To the right is the Polar Sundial.  Pass Thames Barrier Yacht Club Marina, still on the riverside.  On the left is the David Beckham Academy.  Beyond this to the left is the Ravensbourne construction of apartments (http://www.rave.ac.uk/).  On the left is the QE II Pier Pier with an Anthony Gormley sculpture rising from the River.  Here it is possible to take the Thames Clipper upstream to Embankment Pier.  And next comes the O2 Dome. 

Circle the Dome at Blackwall Point and follow signs for the Thames Path at all time.  The Blackwall Tunnel (in fact two tunnels) passes under the Thames at this point. 

Keep circling the Dome at Blackwall Point, now entering an area still in development.  This stretch of the river is called Blackwall Reach.  From here the great financial buildings on Canary Wharf (on the Isle of Dogs) are in full view - HSBC Building and Barclays. 

There are nesting piers and jetties to provide a safe habitat for wildlife.  Turn left, passing some rubbish on the right, and then turn right towards a blue wrought-iron fence.  Follow the Thames Path close to the river.  There is rough land to the right.  Take a turn to the left.  On the other side of the river, the huge business skyscrapers give way to low residential buildings. 

Delta Wharf, the first of a great number of wharfs, is on the left.  Cross a rough area (open on the left hand side) and continue ahead, close to the river.  There is considerable building work taking place on the left.  This is rather a rough route underfoot.  The Royal Naval College at Greenwich suddenly comes into view along the river. 

Presently there is an inland swing to the left between grey fencing, on a rough concrete path, with weeds growing either side.  Hanson operates on both sides of this path and much gravel, cement and sand is being moved about.  Reach a sign which indicates an alternative route back to Phoenix Wharf (1 ½ miles) the Thames Barrier (2 miles) via Tunnel Avenue (¾ mile).  The Thames path also directs you forward to the right -

Ballast Quay ¾ mile
Cutty Sark & Foot Tunnel 1 ¼ miles
Tower Bridge 6 miles

The route just travelled is signed - Thames Path, Drawdock Road ¾ mile - North Greenwich Station & Dome via Riverside 1 mile.

Turn right at the sign.  There is concrete slab walling.  The route swings left.  It snakes past weeping willows on the right.  On the left are two benches on a concreted area, given by Amylum UK as ‘a created area for residents and visitors of Greenwich’.  Pass the Millcroft Building, where there is much graffiti.  A nice wider L-shaped jetty affords great views over the river, to Greenwich on the left, and the Dome on the right.  This is the East Greenwich riverfront.  Follow the path, which turns to the left.  In front is a graffiti-Covered pink building.  Turn right.  Now in front are the large blue chimneys of Tunnel Refineries Property (on the right).  Ahead can be seen the great domes of Greenwich.

There is a disused jetty to the right - the Alcatel Jetty, planted with mosses and sedums (stonecrops) as a habitat for birds, black redstarts and cormorants.  This is an effort by Groundwork Vital Centres & Green Links SRB and Alacatel, and is opposite Enderby House to the left.  There is a blue disused boat, filled with weeds.  Pass Enderby’s Wharf. 

There is dark blue wrought-iron fencing to the left and some old pipes and buffers looking like torpedoes to the right.  Now pass through blue wrought-iron fencing on both sides.  There is some white paling after which it is necessary to turn left to follow the path.  (This is hopefully a temporary diversion while the construction of Greenwich Wharf Development takes place.  Hopefully later it will be possible to go straight ahead.)

Pass through some smart white paling (behind which to the right there is a major development of apartment blocks about to be built by Erith.  This is the Greenwich Wharf Development.  Emerge from this temporary pathway.  On the left is the Anchor Bay Greenwich Car Centre.  Turn right into Banning Street (not marked at this point).  More development is taking place on the left as well as the right.  (The site on the right used to be Badcock’s Wharf.) Obscured from view are more wharfs – Pipers Wharf and Granite Wharf. 

Pass Derwent Street, SE10 on the left.  The Pelton Arms is on the left side of the road, on the corner of Pelton Road.  There are terraced houses on the other side of Pelton Road.  Turn right into Pelton Road and pass Enderby Street, SE10 on the left.  Pass white palings on the right-hand side.  A sign announces ‘Live at Lovells.com - King Sturge).  Here is Lovell’s Wharf. Turn left onto Ballast Quay.  Here is another sign.

Cutty Sark ½ mile
Deptford Tunnel 2 ¼ miles
Tower Bridge % ½ miles

From the direction travelled it announces:
Greenwich Peninsular West & Tunnel Avenue ¾ mile
Thames Barrier 2 ¾ miles

There are some nice Georgian houses here to the left (Union Wharf).  Next on the left is the Cutty Sark pub at 46 Ballast Quay.  The riverside walk has been resurfaced and widened here, and Berkeley Homes were opened in 2003.  There is an anchor from Anchor Iron Wharf.

Pass the Cutty Sark on the left, leave Lassell Street to the left.  Pass along Crowley’s Wharf (where to the left the wall bears some little scenes embossed in the wall).  Looming above is Greenwich Power Station (on the left - quite hard to see when walking as it is so close).  Adjacent to it, just beyond is Trinity Hospital on the left.  Opposite on the wall (erected by William Smith, Warden of Trinity Hospital in 1817) is information about high tides.  On 7 January 1928 an extremely high tide demolished 75 feet of the wall. 

There are two benches here and rose beds.  Presently veer left.  Pass along a residential alley, passing Griffith & Co in High Bridge Wharf, and more modern residential buildings on the left.  Highbridge Wharf is on the right.  There is ramp access down to the Thames.

On the right is the Curlew Rowing Club (1866) and then The Yacht (advertised as the first pub in the West Longitude), followed by the Trafalgar Tavern Club.  Greenwich is now directly ahead.

A sign announces - to the left -
National Maritime Museum
Greenwich Park
Royal Observatory
Maze Hill Station
Ranger’s House

To the right -

Tourist Information Centre
Town Centre
Greenwich View
River Walk
Old Royal Naval College

And back -

The Dome
Thames Barrier
River Walk

Turn right, past the Trafalgar Tavern and a statue of Lord Nelson.  Here are fine views back to the Dome and across to Island Gardens on the Isle of Dogs.  Turn left and pass between black railings adorned with naval anchors.  This is Greenwich and on the left is the Royal Naval College, Greenwich.  In front to the right are the Royal Steps.

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