Skip to main content

Thames River Path, London UK

Walking has to be one of life's greatest joys. What better place to do it than a well-tended trail? The UK is blessed with an abundance of great walking trails, partly due to the historic laws which protect the public's rights of way to walk across private land. This year I had the opportunity to walk parts of the Thames Path which runs through London and up the river for 180 mile to its source. There, water bubbles up from a small spring out in the countryside. I've divided my walk into two blog posts, each focusing on part of the path: first through the London boroughs, and then from the city of Oxford to the source of the Thames.

Thames Path through London

There are many resources and guides describing the layout and topographical details of the Thames Path. Probably the most authoritative is the National Trails website. But, frankly if you only have a few hours in London then Google Maps will adequately display the trail along the river, including transportation options. The Google Wallet app on your phone allows access across the transportation system: the tube, trains, and buses.

The official start of the Thames Path in London begins at the Thames Barrier. This structure was opened in 2006 to prevent tidal surges and storms from swamping the London Underground system and lower lying neighborhoods of London. The barrier has been deployed more than 200 times since it began operation.

Sculptural sheds house hydraulic machines used to control the barriers (photo courtesy of Tom Wilson)

Here the path begins at the Thames Barrier and continues unbroken for 180 miles up river.

Well sign-posted route (photo courtesy of Tom Wilson)

Parade of petunias, pelargoniums and pennants along the path (photo courtesy of Tom Wilson)

The Path cuts through the borough of Greenwich near the Thames Barrier. It passes by the Royal Naval Hospital designed by Christopher Wren after the Great Fire destroyed London in 1666. It is worth pausing to admire the Palladian architecture echoing St. Paul's Cathedral, which was built around the same time.

Christopher Wren's Royal Naval Hospital, Greenwich

Buddleja butterfly bush, with a red admiral butterfly overlooking the Thames

Although the trail hugs the south bank of the Thames, there are many interesting diversions on the north bank. In fact, the main historical center of London is on the north bank. It is often referred to as "the City," and includes the 2x1x1 mile walled town of Londinium built by the Romans more than 2000 year ago. It is at this point on the Thames where the river was narrow enough to build the first bridge.

Situated on the north bank of the river, outside the walls of The City, is the borough of Chelsea and its famous 4-acre Physic Garden. It has been a private garden for many centuries, but its use was given to the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries for the production of medicinal herbs in 1673. I wrote a separate blog post about it, read it here.

Bust of the botanist Joseph Banks, who sailed with Captain Cook, overlooks the rockery pool at the Chelsea Physic Garden

Also located on the north bank is the British Museum and its vast collections. Of botanical interest to me were the two works on display by Mary Delany. She was a gentlewoman of modest means but received great education for her time in the early 1700s. A gifted artist, at age 70 she developed the technique of paper collage, a variation of decoupage but without all the lacquer. She produced almost 1000 works depicting botanical subjects in great detail. Every color is a separate piece of paper.

Mary Delany's musk thistle at the British Museum

Along the route, there are many parks and squares, some featuring large spreading trees not commonly seen in North America. They are the London planetree. It is a hybrid of an American sycamore and an oriental planetree. The leaves are large and pointed, similar to maple leaves. They are tolerant of the urban setting and provide great shade coverage. They can grow to huge size, with interesting mottled bark. On the downside, I've read they drop a large amount of foliage on the streets every year.

London planetree, a hybrid of an oriental planetree (Platanus orientalis) and American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)

Along the path there are many fine spots for a bit of refreshment




Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I celebrate learning this about cycad plants

I didn't know that the cardboard palm - Zamia furfuracea - is a cycad. It isn't a palm tree (don't judge me, I'm not a botanist). But it also doesn't look like the other more familiar types of cycads with their fluted upright palm-like fronds. I didn't know it is said to be the second most commonly cultivated cycad, after Cycas revoluta . I didn't know this plant is unrelated to the common ZZ plant - Zamioculcas zamifolia - although they have a similar appearance. Before today I didn't know any of these things, but now I am happy to have learned them. From the parking lot I walked to the U of M Conservatory greenhouse in near-zero F weather. Stepping into the tropical spaces was a joy of its own. But being able to learn new information and experience new procedures was a compounding factor. Joy squared. During my 3-hour volunteer shift, my initial task was to clean the parasite critters (mealybugs and scale) from the stems and leaves of the cycad, Zami...
Post a Comment
Read more

Mobile indoor green wall

Finally, after three years... my plant vines have grown and spread to be green wall that I had hoped for. I'm not sure it would have taken as long if the plants were in a more humid, sunny climate, et cetera. But given our indoor Minnesota location - even with a southwest exposure - the vines have needed that amount of time to climb the six feet from the base to the top rungs of the metal grid supporting them. The result has been worth the effort. And to be honest, I didn't have to wait three years to begin enjoying the green wall. The vines were already attractive when only half way up the trellis. A metal grid is filled with mix of Epipremnum aureum cultivar "Marble Queen", Epipremnum aureum aka golden pothos, and Philodendron Brasil . Architecture of the green wall The initial intent of the project was to grow a green wall, in an apartment, that could be moved around to be able to clean underneath, and also to provide a mobile room divider for our open-plan loft....
Post a Comment
Read more

The eponymous palm of Palm Springs

Tens of thousands of native California fan palms ( Washingtonia filifera)  rise over the gardens and streets of Palm Springs. The fan-like leaves flutter and wave as the trees gently sway in the desert breeze. If a plant could be described as elegant, this plant would certainly be one. Delicate fibers peel away from the leaf blade as they age, giving the palm part of its name, filifera . The advantage of the fibers to the plant is uncertain; however, the fibers were used by the indigenous Cuhuilla tribes for tools and fabrics. It is no accident the city is named for the palm. For centuries the native Cuhuilla residents were vastly outnumbered by fan palms. For the Cuhuilla, the plant became an important resource for their tools and shelters. Even today, I wouldn't be surprised if the number of palms outnumber the residents of the current modern city. Bird's eye view over old Palm Springs neighborhood; fan palms are everywhere. In their native environment, the palms grow best al...
Post a Comment
Read more