Thames River Path, London UK

Walking has to be one of life's greatest joys. What better place to do it than a well-tended trail? The UK is blessed with an abundance of great walking trails, partly due to the historic laws which protect the public's rights of way to walk across private land. This year I had the opportunity to walk parts of the Thames Path which runs through London and up the river for 180 mile to its source. There, water bubbles up from a small spring out in the countryside. I've divided my walk into two blog posts, each focusing on part of the path: first through the London boroughs, and then from the city of Oxford to the source of the Thames.

Thames Path through London

There are many resources and guides describing the layout and topographical details of the Thames Path. Probably the most authoritative is the National Trails website. But, frankly if you only have a few hours in London then Google Maps will adequately display the trail along the river, including transportation options. The Google Wallet app on your phone allows access across the transportation system: the tube, trains, and buses.

The official start of the Thames Path in London begins at the Thames Barrier. This structure was opened in 2006 to prevent tidal surges and storms from swamping the London Underground system and lower lying neighborhoods of London. The barrier has been deployed more than 200 times since it began operation.

Sculptural sheds house hydraulic machines used to control the barriers (photo courtesy of Tom Wilson)

Here the path begins at the Thames Barrier and continues unbroken for 180 miles up river.

Well sign-posted route (photo courtesy of Tom Wilson)

Parade of petunias, pelargoniums and pennants along the path (photo courtesy of Tom Wilson)

The Path cuts through the borough of Greenwich near the Thames Barrier. It passes by the Royal Naval Hospital designed by Christopher Wren after the Great Fire destroyed London in 1666. It is worth pausing to admire the Palladian architecture echoing St. Paul's Cathedral, which was built around the same time.

Christopher Wren's Royal Naval Hospital, Greenwich

Buddleja butterfly bush, with a red admiral butterfly overlooking the Thames

Although the trail hugs the south bank of the Thames, there are many interesting diversions on the north bank. In fact, the main historical center of London is on the north bank. It is often referred to as "the City," and includes the 2x1x1 mile walled town of Londinium built by the Romans more than 2000 year ago. It is at this point on the Thames where the river was narrow enough to build the first bridge.

Situated on the north bank of the river, outside the walls of The City, is the borough of Chelsea and its famous 4-acre Physic Garden. It has been a private garden for many centuries, but its use was given to the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries for the production of medicinal herbs in 1673. I wrote a separate blog post about it, read it here.

Bust of the botanist Joseph Banks, who sailed with Captain Cook, overlooks the rockery pool at the Chelsea Physic Garden

Also located on the north bank is the British Museum and its vast collections. Of botanical interest to me were the two works on display by Mary Delany. She was a gentlewoman of modest means but received great education for her time in the early 1700s. A gifted artist, at age 70 she developed the technique of paper collage, a variation of decoupage but without all the lacquer. She produced almost 1000 works depicting botanical subjects in great detail. Every color is a separate piece of paper.

Mary Delany's musk thistle at the British Museum

Along the route, there are many parks and squares, some featuring large spreading trees not commonly seen in North America. They are the London planetree. It is a hybrid of an American sycamore and an oriental planetree. The leaves are large and pointed, similar to maple leaves. They are tolerant of the urban setting and provide great shade coverage. They can grow to huge size, with interesting mottled bark. On the downside, I've read they drop a large amount of foliage on the streets every year.

London planetree, a hybrid of an oriental planetree (Platanus orientalis) and American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)

Along the path there are many fine spots for a bit of refreshment