Leg 10 – Westminster to Greenwich

GPS showing we had crossed the Greenwich Meridian

Leg Distance: 7 miles

Number of Locks: 0

Time Taken: Part of a day

Overnight Accommodation: n/a – we returned home

Overall Distance Covered: 170 miles

Overall Number of Locks: 44 (plus Richmond Half Tide Lock)

Overall Number of Bridges: 113

We canoed this leg in the reverse direction (i.e. we started in Greenwich and ended in Westminster) as part of a trip from Greenwich all the way to Richmond

Probably the most challenging stretch of our trip with a strong tide and fast Thames Clippers and other boats

We took the train to Greenwich station and walked past the Cutty Sark clipper and the Royal Naval College to our getting in point below Crowleys Wharf, close to The Cutty Sark pub and in view of the Millennium Dome (O2 Arena)

Millennium Dome/O2 Arena

After a brief paddle downstream to cross the Greenwich Meridian we turned round and went upstream to Westminster. Taking the shortest route meant crossing the river and getting back across was tough as we were washed along with the tide 

Royal Naval College & Greenwich Observatory

We passed under Tower Bridge and had meant to stay outside of HMS Belfast but the strong tide and our limited maneuverability made this impossible, so we passed under the gangway (which is probably not permitted)

Approaching Tower Bridge & HMS Belfast

An interesting stretch of river, including passing Canary Wharf and The Tower of London but not a trip for the ill prepared – keep close to the shore, avoid other traffic, wear a buoyancy vest and plan for the tides. Tide tables can be checked on the PLA website

If you would like to download detailed information on the river please see this blog entry