Just Another London Walk Along The River Thames
Saturday afternoon I was at a bit of loose end, my African Princess was working and I needed to get out of the house. Not being one that is into sitting in a pub all afternoon boozing it up, I headed out for another London walk along the River Thames.
Last Sunday I experienced a terrible walk along the River Thames, when I walked from Kew Bridge to Hammersmith Bridge. The less said about that the better, but what I will say is that it isn’t one of the best walks in London. It was advertised as being a rural River Thames walk, which it sure as hell wasn’t. Rural conjures up an image of tractors, animals running through the fields and countryside, not fancy houses, Aston Martins and rich twats galore.
I decided that I would walk along one my favourite stretches of the River Thames, from Embankment to Westminster Bridge. And I don’t mean that my London Walk would be a direct walk from Embankment to Westminster Bridge. I know for some out of shape and near death people that probably would be classed as hike.
My plan was to walk from Embankment to Westminster Bridge, via Victoria Embankment, walking under Golden Jubilee Bridge, Waterloo Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge, Southwark Bridge, London Bridge and Tower Bridge all on the North Bank. And then coming back via the opposite side of the river, the South Bank and finishing at my destination.
This is a walk I have done numerous times before, it is a truly fun, scenic and relaxing walk. You have all the life on the River Thames, the old boats moored along the banks, as well as the various old and modern buildings to look at on both sides of the river. Walking in London is joy on this stretch of the Thames.
Something I have learned when walking in London is to make sure you look up as well as looking straight ahead or down to the river. There are so many interesting looking objects and buildings that reveal themselves, that you would otherwise miss.
On this particular London walk you will pass by an amazing amount of history, too much to mention. But okay I will mention a few, 12th century Temple Church and Inner Temple Gardens of the Knights Templers. The Monument is stones throw from the river, it was built as a reminder of the Great Fire of London, and it is the tallest free standing stone column in the world, which you can also climb if your feeling fit.
Continuing along the North Bank you will eventually reach the Tower of London and finally the most beautiful bridge in the world, Tower Bridge. There are plenty of benches along this stretch of Thames for you to sit down and relax and take it all in.
Walking along the South Bank you will pass by HMS Belfast, which served in World War II. You can go and take a look of one of my favourite sites, which is the replica of Sir Francis Drakes famous Galleon the Golden Hinde and just like its namesake it too has circumvented the world.
You will also pass by Shakespears Globe and the Tate Modern, which is maybe overrated but worth a visit if you have never been before. Before I forget you will also pass by famous Oxo Tower and the London Eye.
There is of course much more to this London walk, including a few interesting pubs and places to eat. But do your research because there are countless tourist traps all over London that are not really suitable for the more discerning of us.
If you are the type of person who loves to walk about and see what is out there, this is definitely a London walk I would recommend. There are countless London Walks to chose from but this is probably one of the best and it is equally good during the day or at night.
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