Chamon two

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 75.00% of reviewers

My second review of this route was exactly thirteen months after the first. Views across the Thames of the South Bank, Oxo Tower, Tate Modern, Globe, Shard and more still give it the wow factor night or day.

One of the problems noted in reviews has been resolved. The inaccessible private part of the shorefront opposite the Globe Theatre is now open to the public as part of the Thames Path. It's a passageway with some river views, a few bits of public art and one rather narrow point. It makes this route even easier to navigate as you don't have to make the detour onto noisy Upper Thames St.

Sadly, at Blackfriars Bridge, you still have to leave the plotted route and navigate a large road junction. The shore is closed as a small part of a huge sewerage project called the Tideway and when it's finished (in 2025?) there will be a new public space where we will again be able to walk along the bank.

I'm in two minds whether adding a new route would help. The Blackfriars detour isn't hard to figure out and is hopefully is fairly short lived, and the Upper Thames St dog-leg still works.

Starting from Monument I found this route easy to navigate despite the blockage (future improvements?) around Blackfriars Bridge. I love an accurate GPX file and this one delivered.

Lovely foggy views across the Thames, like a 21st century Monet. Between Blackfriars and Victoria Embankment Gardens the Thames Path is next to a pretty busy road, but for me this was mitigated by the very generous and thus relatively uncrowded pavements (unlike other possible routes), yet more views over the Thames, and by moving to the Thames side of the road where there is a little more breeze to lift the fumes away. Very enjoyable and straightforward.

This is a terrific walk along the river Thames, it really shows off London’s best face.

However one facet of London’s shiny glitterball is continual development - and I encountered enough noise and dust to make me lop a star off what, by rights, should be a highly polished five.

In addition, this should also be an easy access, no steps, route; but the detour for sewer construction at Blackfriars includes a long flight of steps (photo), alongside an out of service lift.

Having had my grumble, it did give me a pleasant ‘enjoying my home town on a sunny spring day’ feeling. Embankment Gardens were gorgeous, the river sparkled, pavement cafes buzzing, mudlarks larking - not a bad place to be.

Easy to follow and definitely one for the network.

I walked this route from Charing Cross to Monument in the dark on a Friday evening. For the most part, the route is well lit, and I found it comfortably well-trafficked with people out enjoying the Thames.

The route itself is paved, though there is the occasional set of steps/uneven surfaces/diversion due to works, etc. The embankment gardens were closed, but I just walked through the Embankment tube station and followed the Thameside walkway from there.

It is sometimes tricky to follow the Thames Path, as not all developments over the years have been friendly enough to retain waterside access. It's generally straightforward and signed, but hopefully this route is plotted accurately enough that navigating should be simplified!

Otherwise, this route is straightforward, flat, beautiful, and a lovely Slow Ways walking connection!.

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