Thames Path walk guest post 4: Greenwich, Deptford, Rotherhithe and beyond

Here’s part 4 of a series of guest posts from Paul Billington. Part one can be seen here, part two here and part 3 here. Enjoy! And thanks to Paul for this look into an ever-changing riverside walk.

After heading past the wonderful Royal Naval College and the restaurants by Greenwich Pier – including the old Frankie & Benny’s which still remains vacant – no great loss, had a really dreadful time there once, then the Cutty Sark and the Greenwich Foot Tunnel, you approach the New Capital Quay development.

In previous years many commercial units were vacant. Some change this year with a solicitors and the PEF in place. However, it is a development that has been flagged as having dangerous cladding. It appears that works are finally starting to take place, judging by the removal on one such building, with it possibly starting on Dreadnought Walk.

As you head past New Capital Quay over the bridge at Deptford Creek, notice the impressively long but now rotting away jetty alongside Glaisher Street and the wonderfully named “Ahoy Boating Club”, a milestone. You are now approaching the first road to which you have to technically cross along the Thames Path, all the way from Woolwich.

For when you enter Borthwick Street, at the bottom of the road you will come across a nice piece of street art on a set of double metal doors. You need to cross over to Watergate St to keep onto the side of the Thames Path. Ok. It’s a very small crossing, but it counts, by heaven’s it does….

Last year, I was disappointed that the lovely Twinkle Park situated on the corner of Watergate Street and Borthwick Street was closed off for works to restore the pond feature. It is leased by the Twinkle Park Trust – as well as Charlotte Turner Gardens next door – from the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Well, what a job the trust and Veolia Environmental Trust have done…

Stunning. A fabulous, little oasis to be found along the Thames Path and in a quiet corner of Deptford. Divine. Nothing else to say…

The Dog & Bell. Lovely pub, a real gem. Never short of a keg or two either….

And thanks to @DirtySouth15 on Twitter for letting me know that it was renamed “The Royal Marine” for a while by the then publican, who was intent on capturing the “more respectable Marines” lodged in Deptford Dockyard. As opposed to the more local ne’er do wells!

The Princess of Wales on the corner of Barnes Terrace at 88 Grove Street was rebuilt as a sign says by Frank Barnes in 1883 & is a former Carrington public house. The road appears to have changed at least three times between when the original pub existed (Victoria Road in 1847, Grove Lane in 1848 & Albert Street in 1882) and converted into flats in 2005. Apparently, Dire Straits may well have played one of their first London gigs here and Samuel Pepys regularly frequented a tavern on this site.

Along Grove Street, you come to the Timberyard development, The Victoria pub in the distance has been kept as part of the 1,100 new home development, with additional retail and workspace. It is pleasant to see a development keeping a Victorian pub and using it as a focal point for the community.

The picture above was taken last year and not much has really changed since, bar three more storeys. So it will be interesting to see how it looks next year & note to self, take one of the pub…

Enter the vast green space and up the little passageway that leads into Pepys Park…

Last May, I walked through here and there was some kind of local, community event with a barbecue, activities for children and plenty of music. This May, much of the same.

A joyful, celebration and those drums being played were quite something. You could not help but smile and I was very tempted to join in with the dancing myself. Didn’t want to pull a muscle though, still a bit to do…

As you head past Deptford Wharf, South Dock Rotherhithe & Greenland Dock, I just love walking past this little row of mews called Randall Rents. Really charming

This is one section of the walk that I always have a tinge of personal regret. This location was formerly the site of the old Odessa Street Youth Club and I am disappointed I didn’t document it by way of a photo before it disappeared. It is a shame that, when we have seen provision of children and youth facilities diminish, what was once a youth club will now be luxury flats and a cafe/restaurant within the site. The youth facilities were relocated locally on Salter Road, according to the GLA and this site was therefore surplus to Southwark Council’s requirements.

What was also rather interesting about this site was the “Scotch Derrick” crane, which replaced an earlier crane during the Blitz, according to Greater London Archaeology Society – one thing I was glad to have pictured in 2016 – and was a local landmark at Commercial Pier Wharf. The crane was prevalent on the wharves in the area during the 1960’s and was the only example that remained on London’s riverside. It is planned that some kind of public art, manufactured from the metal of the crane, would be used to recall its presence, in the new development scheme.

As building works were still continuing, the access to the Thames Path remained on diversion.

Sadly, I didn’t get a chance to walk past the wonderful Surrey Docks Farm – as the entrance had closed at the time I was heading past that part – but here is a photo of it last year. Well worth a visit, it’s free and open seven days a week. They even have a working forge and works are currently underway on their Riverfront Development.

Also, if you do walk past, please stop by to look at their trove of items in their cabinets, which have washed up against their foreshore; a fascinating range of items.

The Orange Bull pub, Rotherhithe Street, Rotherhithe. Formerly, Aardvark, Fitchetts (named after a former licensee) and the Surrey Commercial Docks Tavern, a former Courage house. It was a really nice surprise to see this still standing. You will see in the first picture last May, it was due to be demolished in April 2018; fencing was placed around it. Not really clear what the latest is on this fine building, although it did look fairly gutted inside last month.

But this area is full of public houses that once were and no longer are open. As there was a diversion, I thought I’d pop by another I hadn’t seen before. So I did….

The Clipper, Rotherhithe Street. Formerly Ship and Ship Tavern; Enterprise Inns/Whitbread pub. This pub closed in 2014 and planning permission was granted for it to be demolished and replaced with flats. More recently, in plans were amended to comprise of a four storey building with commercial/retail use on ground floor and basement and residential units on the second, third and fourth floors.

Site of the Pizza Lounge, Rotherhithe Street. Formerly, The Three Compasses, Ye Old Compasses, Three Compasses, Deal Porter & Compass; Breakspear and Charrington pub. The Pizza Lounge was still standing in 2016, but when I returned in 2018 it had been demolished and the new building works was well underway. May 2019 sees it completed with apartments above a new Co-op store.

Thankfully, The Blacksmiths Arms remains open. Always looking resplendent whatever the weather, with its array of hanging baskets. Lord Nelson was rumoured to have drunk in this pub; his girlfriend Lady Hamilton lived next door. The Queen Mother was famously pictured standing at the bar when she visited the pub in 1988. Apparently she pulled a pint of ale too. Gawd bless the Queen Mum. What a diamond she was…

This scene was becoming commonplace last year. Next to nowt this year. I have included it though because I have no doubt the Thames Path will become dominated by electric “lime” bikes or that new Uber Jump alternative, in due course. I mean, come on, pedaling is overrated…

We can all look back at this in 2028 and go “I remember them! What were those yellow ones called again?!….” Exactly. Nearly forgotten them already….

The Old Justice (more recently, Winnicott), Bermondsey, Grade II Listed by Historic England in November 2017. Designed for the C Hoare & Co brewery, subsequently acquired by Charrington’s in 1934, by Sidney C Clark, one of the most accomplished pub architects of the inter-war period. A charming Charrington lamp, dating back to c.1960’s, is outside. A plaque on the pub denotes Sir Paul McCartney used the interiors and exteriors of the pub in his film “Give My Returns to Broad Street” and for his music video to his hit single “No More Lonely Nights”. Oh, it was featured in an episode of “The Sweeney” too….

A developer has been trying to turn the public house into flats, locals have been battling for a couple of years to prevent it from occurring and to their credit, they have alleviated that threat so far to date. However, from when I visited it in May 2018, upon peering through the window, a lot of the interior appeared piled up with work undertaken to remove fittings. Unfortunately, I was relying on my early iPad camera at the time, so the quality is alas shocking…

In May 2019, thankfully nothing has changed on the outside, just a couple of agents boards added. Peering through the same window again it’s a different story. All the previously piled up items have been cleared. Hopefully, this fine looking pub can be brought back into use, as it was originally intended by Mr Clark…

Love this. Pure chance it was. Just goes to show, you never know what you are going to see along the Thames Path on this stretch.

Sadly, there was a diversion this year which prevents you taking the normal – and lovely – route via the Tower Bridge Moorings & Butler’s Wharf. So, you have to head down Mill Street and then the busy Tooley Street to rejoin via Lafone Street to Shad Thames.

When you get to Tower Bridge, you will have completed about 12.3 miles (19.8 km); if you continue to walk or cycle around to the back of City Hall, it’s 13 miles (20.9 km). Give yourself a massive pat on the back. Fingers crossed it has stayed dry – it should have, you’ve been reading this indoors – and you’ve taken on plenty of fluids.

If you need to get back to Woolwich way, I think you deserve a Thames Clipper ride back via the River Thames upon which you have navigated by foot or by bike and take in what you’ve done. Tell them I sent you and, who knows, they may name a vessel after me. I’ll just have to make do with manufacturing the Optic Cloak for now….

The Thames Path is to be cherished, not just for the here and now, but for future generations. It is unique – especially this section of it – and, whilst that change I alluded to earlier in this piece constantly place around it as places evolve, remember the history of what went on before. That is just as important.

I do hope this has been entertaining to read – many congrats if you have stuck with it – as it has been to type. It brings back a lot of memories for me across all my walks along this fine and very interesting stretch of the Thames Path. Hopefully it will inspire you to create some memories of your own, whether you walk, cycle or even decide to run it (and people do!).

Many thanks to Murky for giving me the opportunity to transfer my Twitter thread based musings and pictures along the Thames Path, an additional platform.

Many thanks to Paul for this walk documenting the rapid changes. Even that final shot looking at Canary Wharf will change week-by-week as new floors add to towers and views change. He’s a great bloke who recently helped fund raise for Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich after thieves stole items from children’s wards.

You can follow Paul on Twitter here and view earlier parts of this walk, starting in Woolwich, by clicking below:

Part 1.

Part 2.

Part 3.