The Thames Path extension - Thames Barrier to River Darent
With an almost record turn out for a Friday of 12 walkers an excited group met at King George 5th DLR station, boarded the Woolwich Ferry and sailed south to explore the Thames Path below The Thames Barrier. Five minutes later we disembarked and set off on our adventure. The day was packed with new experiences. The Tall Ships were moored for our inspection at The Arsenal which allowed a spirited discussion of riggings and their types. For the arty souls amongst us was an interesting group of iron statues. Further along we came to the sewage works old and new and we were able to marvel at the ingenuity of our Victorian ancestors and how they produce magnificent buildings to house the mundane. The new waste disposal was also impressive and Wandsworth and Hammersmith residents were able to see the end product of their waste recycling. Surrounding these edifices were the Erith Marshes with promise of great wild life if one had time to stop and stare. The most exciting was spotting a seal cavorting in the shallows, catching large fish, which appeared to congregate at the effluence outflow. I am sure there was added taste for the connoisseur.
Lunch was enjoyed on a park bench at Erith aafter whch we left the Thames Path to explore the River Darent. More waste land recycling plants etc. with Dartford Bridge visible in the distance and eventually arriving at Slade Green Station with the train waiting for us to board: excellent organisation.
Out King George Fifth DLR Station
Return Slade Green Station to Cannon Street (via Greenwich)
We meet at King George Fifth DLR Station at 9.30 and cross the Woolwich Ferry to join the path downstream of the Thames Barrier. Most of us have done the stretch from Greenwich to the Thames Barrier as part of the Capital Ring.
Finish: Crayford Ness / River Darent (Kent boundary)
Terrain and surface: Easy and level walking surface.
Lunch: I don’t think there will be any reasonable hostelries, for once I think we should bring our own picnics.
Officially the Thames Path National Trail ends at the Thames Barrier - but it is possible to carry on walking along the river. We call this the "south east extension". You can walk all the way to the Kent boundary.
Proud history - icons of industry - modern architecture - ancient wildlife habitats and ever-changing river views: this section of the Thames Path weaves all these strands together as it follows the south bank of the river from the Thames Barrier near Woolwich downstream to Crayford Ness, in the shadow of Dartford's Queen Elizabeth II Bridge.
The Thames Path presents old stories alongside new changes, demonstrating that the dynamics of this hard-working river are still on the move.
At Crossness, the last word in Victorian sewage disposal sits side-by-side with a sleek incinerator in futuristic style; just west of Erith, an industrial landscape of jetties, cranes and mills gives way to a domestic waterfront, set against the slender arch of Dartford's bridge.
Contrast comes full circle at Crayford's salt marshes, which mark the end of this extension to the Thames Path. The simple, sturdy structure of the barrier at Darent Creek is a very low-key affair, compared with the hi-tech triumph of the Thames Barrier.
This section of theThames Path is clearly way-marked with the white logo of the Thames Sailing Barge which makes it easy to follow in either direction, in part or as a whole. There are also key location signposts which give the distance to the next key location in either direction and (where relevant) to nearby stations. They also show links with other waymarked walks.