Start: Greenwich North tube station, Jubilee Line, Zones 2/3, Royal Borough of Greenwich
Finish: Lewisham D.L.R. station, Zone 2/3, London Borough of Lewisham, for Canary Wharf tube station on Jubilee line
Distance: 5 miles (8 km), 15,720 steps
Time: 4 hrs 45 mins (max)
Map: OS Explorer 162 Greenwich & Gravesend
Introduction
Back in the late 90’s when I first walked the Thames Path, the Millennium Dome had not yet been built, and most of the water’s edge around the Greenwich peninsula was occupied by working boat yards and other businesses of a nautical nature. Now there is a wide tarmac track for walkers and cyclists all the way round, complete with benches, signposts and art installations.
This walk falls into 3 sections, each with a clearly different character. First the riverside where everything is new and man-made; second the park with its flowerbeds, deer enclosure and important old buildings; and thirdly Blackheath with its wide open grassy spaces.
In more detail, Greenwich Park is a former hunting park and there are still some deer there kept in a large pen. At 183 acres (74 hectares) this royal park is one of the largest single green spaces in S. E. London. From the top of the slope you get one of London’s most iconic views across the Thames. At the Royal Observatory there is the original Prime Meridian that separates east from west. There are flower gardens to see within the park as well.
Blackheath lies to the south of Greenwich Park and is even bigger (211 acres / 86 hectares). It is a vast quiet area with playing fields. It also has ponds and a stretch of rare acid grassland. In 1381 it was the rallying point for Wat Tyler’s unsuccessful Peasants’ Revolt. In the 17th and 18th centuries highwaymen robbed travellers going along Watling Street to the channel ports of Kent. In 1608 golf was first played in this country and today it is the starting point for the London Marathon. On windy days Blackheath is popular with kite flyers.
Let’s walk!
Greenwich North tube station is wide and modern and sports a lift, free loos and a couple of shops. It serves the O2 Arena at the Millennium Dome, which looks like a kind of squashed marquee with yellow pylons sticking out of it. At the top of the escalator head out via the O2 sign, walk past O2’s entrance and follow its perimeter in an anti-clockwise direction as far as the river bank. On your right you should be able to see the cable cars swinging from their wires. In May 2019 there was a lot of building work going on and paths were blocked in some places. A useful landmark, to pass close in front of, is a mottled tiled building with circular windows. Food outlets abound: no concert goer shall be allowed to go hungry! Our route goes left following the Thames bank west then south. Across the water at Trinity Buoy Wharf can be seen the short octagonal lighthouse, once used for training lighthouse crews.
We pass the InterContinental Hotel and the high nets of a golf driving range. The path leaves the bank to make a diversion round a dry dock, one of the only original businesses still going on the peninsula. At a T junction go right, coming out at a road by some green clad flats. A conspicuous sign proclaiming ‘Union Wharf’ marks our arrival at Ballast Quay with some lovely old houses, the Cutty Sark pub and an enormous iron anchor on display.
The second street on the left (Hoskins Street) leads away from the Thames, across busy Trafalgar Road and on to Maze Hill road where we turn right into Park Vista and immediately enter Greenwich Park via a wrought iron gate on the left. The closing times are posted on the gatepost. The Queen’s Orchard lies just to the right, then a children’s playground with loos. Turn right at the path’s T junction and walk along the hawthorn hedge on a contour line. Pass the pool on the right and cross the grass in front of the impressive National Maritime Museum.
This post describes a green walking route: it is not a guide to historical buildings, but you can use it as a hook on which to hang any other places you may want to visit en route.
On reaching the broad avenue of beech trees (I think) near the end of the museum, turn left uphill on the firm gritty surface. On reaching the wide point, where 7 paths meet, turn off slightly to the right (1 o’clock) and follow the narrower path uphill almost parallel to the main avenue. Cross a road with yellow lines and continue steeply uphill. Wheelchair users may find this too difficult and would have to search for other routes. Look out for a sculpture on the left at the top.
Carry on straight ahead on the tarmac path as far as Crooms Hill Gate.
Don’t go through this pretty gate, instead take the second path on the left, counting from where the path you came up comes to the gate. (Don’t head for the Ranger’s House or the tennis courts.) We come out at a road with a car park, a detailed fingerpost and the Pavilion Café (loos inside.) Divert down the wide cul-de-sac to the left to the statue of General Wolfe, passing the Royal Observatory with its planetarium and prime meridian on the left. The view from the statue across the Thames to the Isle of Dogs is amazing, and it’s well worth doing this walk just to see this collection of skyscrapers, which totally dominate the skyline and seem to be marching towards us with only the lowly National Maritime Museum blocking the way! The Millennium Dome, where we started this walk, is seen over to the right as well.
Go back to the road by the Pavilion Café and turn left by the old marble and new stainless steel drinking fountains following the direction given on the finger post for the gardens and the Deer park. Passing the bandstand on the right you will soon arrive at the gate into the gardens. Don’t overlook the flowering trees around you too: in May the Chestnuts were all in bloom and looked fantastic.
At the far left corner of the gardens is a gate which we shall be returning to later; but first let’s visit the deer enclosure. It lies to the right of the gate along the tarmac path but isn’t signposted and can easily be missed. Turn off the open path along a narrow path into the bushes. You should reach a clearing with a high wire fence. There are benches to sit on so you can watch the Red deer and the Fallow deer (the ones with spotted coats).
Return to the gate at the corner and pass out of the park via Vanbrugh gate to the road (Maze Hill again). We are now going to explore the third type of environment to be found on this green walk. Carefully cross the road to the grassy fields of Blackheath.
We are going into the first of the Vanbrugh pits which lie between Vanbrugh Park road on the left and Maze Hill on the right. Gravel etc was dug out and the resulting holes were filled with rubble resulting in a large variety of wild life in a relatively confined space. Wheelchair users should divert along the pavement to the right and join up with the rough footpath later. Starting at the kerb side measure out 45 paces down Vanbrugh Park then turn right along the narrow footpath leading toward a white house in the distance. It’s almost like being in the real countryside – for a few moments! At a tarmac footpath turn right and follow it up the steps to the road.
On the right you will see the outside of the deer enclosure wall and ahead is the Andrew Gibb drinking fountain and shelter, which we are heading for. Then head left down Prince Charles Road, taking a route parallel to the road but walking in the grass, and making for the big church (All Saints) with the tall spire. At the roundabout cross Shooters Hill Road and carry on in the same direction. I found these flat fields (Blackheath Vale) a little boring so I challenged myself to see how many different wild flowers I could see in the verge, apart from the obvious dandelions. I was surprised to see several little ones down among the grass roots, they were red blue and yellow, and I have no idea know what they were called. (I plan to return with a flower book and a magnifying glass, so I can write their identities into the blog at a later date.)
On the left is a pub ‘The Princess of Wales’ and on the right in the distance lies Crystal Palace TV mast. Pass the church on its left and turn right up Royal Parade. There are plenty of shops and food outlets here. The next patch of grass on the right goes by the delightful name of ‘Washerwomen’s Bottom‘, marking the spot where servant women dried washing and beat carpets. At an 1897 public drinking fountain turn right up Tranquil Vale, and at the end of the railings enter the square which appears to be called Lloyd’s Place at one end and Grote’s Place at the other. Whatever its name it’s full of some very desirable residences. Continue in the same general direction, making sure to bear slightly left into Hare and Billet Road and not straight on along Goffers Road. Pass a pond and some benches on the right. Notice the Shard ahead in the distance.
[Not the shard! All Saints church, Blackheath Vale]
Walk along the pavement until you reach the third turning on the left, Mounts Pond Road, which looks much greener than the road we are leaving. Look out for a road coming up from the left called Granville Park, as well as another sign announcing that the road we are walking along is changing its name to Eliot Hill. At this point we leave the road and head over the grass on the right towards a bench, keeping the trees on our left. This is another pit, and we shall walk its rim in an anti-clockwise direction. There are paths down into it should you wish to look for any unusual fauna and flora which might be lurking there.
On reaching a road down a grassy bank, don’t cross over but turn left along the wide verge. When you cross narrow St Austell Road you have reached Lewisham Hill road and our walk is nearly over. Follow it down to join Lewisham Road which passes under a railway bridge. Turn right here up to the two Lewisham stations. The one on the left is the new-ish Docklands Light Railway (DLR) terminus. From there you can climb aboard and slalom around the glass towers of the Isle of Dogs as far as Heron Quays where you can get out and walk a couple of hundred metres to Canary Wharf tube station on the Jubilee Line. (Follow the signs). All the stations used in this post provide step-free access from street to train, (according to Transport for London.)
[Another walk in this area is No. 42 “Green Chain Walk from Greenwich to Falconwood (7 miles)”]
“I hope you enjoy this walk as much as I did.”
Peter Turner (May 2019)
Peter's green tube walks 