Ljyoung

We will be staying around the County Hall complex. I have a vision of being able to stroll along the Thames during the day or evening, in that area. Is this something that we can actually do? I believe The London Eye and Tate Modern ( a bit further ) are situated along the river. Is there a strand that connects them? Thanks for any feedback...

Patrick

You can walk seemingly for miles along either of the banks of the river. Yes, in going from your hotel to the Tate Modern and further, you will also pass the National Theatre complex, some delightful shops and pubs, and you have several opportunities to cross the river and make a complete loop coming back along the other side. Have fun and take your time.

flanneruk

In fact you can do a lot better than that.

If inclined, you can walk from the Thames Barrier at Woolwich, about 7 miles downstream, past your hotel, as far west as Kemble - around 100 miles upstream. With a handy station with a fast train back to London. The 11 mile long central London section of the Thames Path constitutes possibly the greatest urban walk in the world.

See www.nationaltrails.gov.uk/thamespathframeset.htm

Ljyoung

Thank you both. Forgive my ignorance but.....is it safe to stroll this path in the evening?

flanneruk

As long as you're sober, yes. (When the tide's in, drunks have been known to jump over the railing and go for a swim. Rarely a good idea). But even in the wettest and blusteriest weather, I've never heard of anyone sober falling in.

Actually the greatest danger is on weekend afternoons, round the Hayward. There's an area just off the main walkway that's been colonised by skateboarders. They've never come out oftheir area and hit me, but it always seems to be a miracle that they've not.

And it's probably not a good idea to go down to the little beachette when the tide's out. It's mostly mud, rather than sand.

starspinners

Flanneruk.
Thank you for providing the Thames Path link. I had not seen that web site before.
I've strolled along the River banks around Kew and Richmond once or twice , enjoying the views .
My sister and I walked from Chelsea to St. Katherine's Docks one fine October Sunday and we thought we had walked a considerable distance. Now I see we were rank amateurs.

dcespedes

It was our experience that the Thames appeared polluted--in addition to the water being brown and murky I vividly remember trash, even a hard hat floating by. This was late summer by the Tower Bridge, London Eye, etc.--could have been a fluke--but fyi just in case.

flanneruk

Being brown and murky is an indicator of...well, being brown and murky. And of absolutely nothing else.

Clear rivers can carry enough poison to kill you: brown and murky rivers (like the Thames these days) can contain a growing number of different species of fish - even, occasionally salmon.

Think of it - like the death of smog, or the absence of blackened buildings - as the de-industrialisation dividend.

Floating hard hats, OTOH, are merely an indicator of counter-productive safety obsessions. Clearly the workman concerned was dragged to drowning by the weight of his hard hat.

dcespedes

You are absolutely right--I had misguided notions of the Thames and I just wanted to give this person a "heads up" in case they have the same. The murky water wasn't really an issue but what I call pollution--trash, debris, fragrant wafts of urine. As in anything, it's something each of us needs to experience for ourselves.

andy_franks

Hi there

Part of my journey to work every day is to walk from the Eye to London Bridge via the path. The views from this part of the Thames are fabulous, with some great pubs where you can sit outside and take in the views. It certainly brightens up my journey to work! The path is very busy with commuters and tourists alike, and is regularly patrolled by the police. There is also a large security presence in the County Hall - London Eye area, so safety shouldn't be a problem.

Don't worry about the Thames appearing murky - it always does. It's hardly the Mediterranean after all! But don't worry, there are no unpleasant smells coming from it.

Hope this has helped, and enjoy your visit!

Regards

Andy.

Ljyoung

Thanks everyone. Flanneruk - you are so funny. You brighten the day. And Andy, sounds like a wonderful walk that you have the good fortune of making every day. Thanks for sharing.I was just on the phone this morning coordinating some things for this leg of the trip. Simply cannot wait. I'm going to check out the "Thames path site" next. THX again...