Woolwich to Greenwich, via the O2 (about 7 miles)
I decided to take on the 'Walk 100 miles in February' challenge for Cancer Research UK, only to have my start postponed due to my not being well enough to walk for the first week. Although I walk regularly and run weekly Nordic Walking sessions, I need to make up some miles and decided that a nice flat (and not muddy) walk would do the trick - hence the Thames path. We (being me and hubby) started at Woolwich Arsenal and made our way along the river towards London. As you walk, Canary Wharf is ahead of you in the distance, a view that has changed significantly in the past few years with so many new, tall buildings going up. There is plenty to see on and off the river as there is so much redevelopment going on in the area.
The path takes you slightly away from the river along a road that housed the Siemens factory, The Faraday Works, which closed in the 1960s. The hoarding along the outside of the building boasts some interesting information about the factory's fascinating history.
You then arrive at the Thames Barrier, one of the largest moveable flood barriers in the world. Here there is a small visitors centre and also worth noting is that there are public toilets nearby which are clean (and incidentally the only open public toilets we could find along that part of the river during lockdown!).
As you progress along the Greenwich Peninsula you will pass a man-made freshwater habitat (the Ecology Park) which is home to an array of wildlife, and then the area opens out to a whole new development of flats and restaurants before arriving at the O2.
As you continue past the O2, keep following the Olympian Way which takes you all the way to Greenwich. You can see the Cutty Sark and the naval College from quite a distance as the river bends quite considerably here. Once arriving in Greenwich there is so much to see and is a great place to wander around, taking in the sights and the history.
If you are returning to Woolwich you can either walk back the same way or jump on one of the Uber Boats run by Thames Clippers.