Connect Woolwich with Slow Ways
We’re creating a network of walking routes that connect all of Britain’s towns, cities and national parks
more survey is needed to fully connect Woolwich to the verified network. Can you give a hike and help?
Give a hike!Woolwich
Greater London
Slow Ways linking Woolwich and Abbey Wood, Bexleyheath, Blackheath, Eltham, Greenwich, North Woolwich, Thamesmead
England / Greater London / Woolwich
Woolwich’s seven Slow Ways are 96% checked
Help connect Woolwich
Many Slow Ways have several route options. Some will be better than others, or good for different reasons.
Our goal is for each Slow Way to have at least one route that is verified and surveyed. To be verified – and get its snail badge – a route needs at least three positive reviews.
Give a hike and help get a for every one of Woolwich’s Slow Ways.
Walk to Woolwich from further afield
Slow Way | Route | To do | ||||||||
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Blackheath—Woolwich
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Blawoo three |
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2 X |
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Enjoy me | Distance 6km/4mi | Ascent 59m | Descent 70m | ||
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Blackheath—Woolwich
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Blawoo four |
|
U U |
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Verify me | Distance 7km/4mi | Ascent 58m | Descent 69m | ||
Eltham—Woolwich
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Eltwoo one |
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U U |
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Verify me | Distance 9km/5mi | Ascent 146m | Descent 106m | ||
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Eltham—Woolwich
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Eltwoo two |
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U U |
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Verify me | Distance 5km/3mi | Ascent 89m | Descent 123m | ||
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Eltham—Woolwich
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Eltwoo three |
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4 X |
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Enjoy me | Distance 8km/5mi | Ascent 128m | Descent 163m | ||
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Greenwich—Woolwich
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Grewoo one |
|
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U U |
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Review me | Distance 7km/4mi | Ascent 52m | Descent 59m | |
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Greenwich—Woolwich
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Grewoo three |
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1 X |
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Enjoy me | Distance 7km/4mi | Ascent 62m | Descent 51m | ||
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North Woolwich—Woolwich
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Norwoo one |
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1 X |
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Enjoy me | Distance 2km/1mi | Ascent 2m | Descent 16m | ||
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Woolwich—Abbey Wood
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Wooabb one |
|
U U |
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Review me | Distance 4km/3mi | Ascent 12m | Descent 21m | ||
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Woolwich—Abbey Wood
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Wooabb two |
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2 X |
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Enjoy me | Distance 5km/3mi | Ascent 11m | Descent 24m | ||
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Woolwich—Bexleyheath
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Woobex one |
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U U |
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Survey me | Distance 9km/5mi | Ascent 53m | Descent 94m | ||
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Woolwich—Thamesmead
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Wootha one |
|
1 X |
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Enjoy me | Distance 5km/3mi | Ascent 17m | Descent 27m |
Fancy stretching your legs a bit more?
If you’ve polished off all of the routes between Woolwich and its neighbours, how about walking its whole web?
This includes the great ring of routes that join its neighbours to each other!
Collective progress
77% of Woolwich’s seven route options are drawn, reviewed, surveyed and/or verified
12/12
12/12
6/12
7/12
19 people have contributed to Woolwich’s Slow Ways
8 people have pledged to walk and review a route
6 people have surveyed a route in Woolwich
72km out of 72km have been walked and reviewed
227km of reviews have been shared in Woolwich
Latest Updates
The walk out of Woolwich is up a hill, and along a busy road, which is followed by a bit of a grind along Ha Ha road (photo #1, #2) and along Charlton Park Lane (photo #3)....
Derick Rethans
After a little shopping parade (photo #1), the route follows residential streets for a while (photo #2); it's up-hill right from the start, and a fair bit too....
Derick Rethans
We detoured to Severndroog Castle for the views and an excellent cup of coffee then extended the journey to Eltham Palace which made it a walk of just under seven miles. On paper it doesn't sound that appealing but once out of the back streets of Woolwich it is excellent....
porcovolente
I walked this from North Woolwich to Woolwich on a drizzly day. I like the tunnel. Full review with photos to finish....
Derick Rethans
Along the high street uphill to the open Blackheath itself, the winds in the open were strong....
Strider
The park is nice (photo #5), although it was a little muddy going straight across the field (photo #6). Once you cross the funnily named Ha Ha road, you then follow residential pavements (photo #9) until you finish at the tube station (photo #10)....
Derick Rethans
Would have been a little monotonous along the Ridgeway if not for the blackberries, Elderberries, dill, mallow, sweet peas & raspberries etc....
Strider
80% of the interest is views over the Thames, take binoculars to pick out birds, boats, and industry....
Strider
It's a fine, easy to follow route. Not particularly exciting or hard to walk. Well connected by the Elizabethan Line at each end....
Slow Ways Darren
I walked from Woolwich to Greenwich on a wet drizzly day, almost had the walk to myself....
Strider
The first third is along quiet residential roads, first following the railway (photo #1), before heading north (photo #2) towards the Ridgeway....
Derick Rethans
This is a straightforward route that follows the Thames Path/England Coast Path National Trail alongside the River Thames for most of the route....
Andrew
Is Eltham Station the most unimaginative building ever, set within a flat sea bricks?...
Strider
Lovely High Street with shops followed by a sub marine tunnel, super....
Strider
It uses hard, smooth paths with dropped kerbs except one very shallow kerb at one road crossing (by the pub and pond on Prince of Wales Road - Blackheath)....
Daisy C
Daisy C added Blawoo four, a new walk from Blackheath to Woolwich
Walk this routeIt does follow the Green Chain Walk between Hornfair Park and Woolwich Common and the signs help identify the turnings but it's brief, don't get complacent....
Daisy C
Daisy C added Blawoo three, a new walk from Blackheath to Woolwich
Walk this routeBut it does include the back view of St George's Church (listed), the Ha Ha path beside Woolwich Common and G Park is always lovely. But at Greenwich Park it's a moderately steep choice compared to other options. Every other path down but one has a better view....
Daisy C
I used the short cut along the surfaced path at the edge of Oxleas Meadow to get to the café for a welcome cup of tea....
JohnMyerson
I had to mount the fence to help me get across this big body of water as i wasn't wearing water resistant shoes. Other than that, the scene varies from industrial warehouses to new apartment complexs to very cute tavern alleys closer to Greenwich....
Ky Pham
Uphill past two churches to cross a busy road and past the MOD....
Lizbiz70
I love this route, it takes in wondrous green spaces (passing by rows of beautiful gardens), incredible views (Shooters hill) and unexpected gems (Severndroog Castle and Eltham palace make for easy detours)! The bluebells in spring are especially magical. Would highly recommend....
Saira
in West Wickham OS the mapped line doesn't fit the rather curving and sometimes steeply sloped paths, there is no line of sight to help you either....
Daisy C
I really liked this route combination and the mix of old, new, industrial, residential & natural you see on the way. It was easy to navigate and fairly quiet too despite it being part of the Thames Path. Recommended!...
Dan Barron
Long views across the Thames, old industries, new developments, huge skies, more wildlife than you might think and statues by Anthony Gormley (turn off point for Woolwich). Both ends are very close to the Thames Path (English Coastal Path!), so it's very easy to navigate, despite the occasional fingerpost pointing the wrong way. The only one that matters is "Town Centre via Central Way", at the turnoff point for Thamesmead....
Daisy C
It's a quiet and pretty road up from Eltham Station up to Eltham Park North. Plumstead Common might have lights but the other green spaces don't. Plumstead Common Road is the noisy part of the walk and where you leave or join the Green Chain....
Daisy C
At the southern end the route takes you round a somewhat preposterous loop, and for that indirectness it loses a star....
David Sanderson
The other reviews are right, the round tunnel entrance building is well hidden, and then the stairs door is further hidden....
Daisy C
As previous reviewer said there is a bit of the Thames path closed by the Woolwich ferry but there is an easy enough detour. Would do this again!...
Dan Barron
ETA - I've uploaded EltWoo 3, an improved version of this route, which I recommend if want to see the views from the top of Shooters Hill and you like helpful fingerpost signs, but don't want to get lost down a flytipped alley in Plumstead....
Daisy C
Overall I enjoyed this route, it was easy to navigate and either no- or low- traffic except a short bit between the Plumstead underpass junction and the beginning of the residential developments at Woolwich Arsenal. The Ridgeway path is green and quite wild (not overgrown though) which gives some sense of distance from the sometimes noisy industrial sites either side, they are currently mixed in with wild brownfield sites but that might not last. At the Plumstead end, if you (like me) miss the last turn off then you'll end at the high level end point which leads onto the roads, where you could get a train or buses but it isn't terribly pedestrian friendly and you'll have missed the onward route via Mallard Path, so take the path down and back to the right which soon turns again to the low level exit....
Daisy C
Daisy C added Wooabb two, a new walk from Woolwich to Abbey Wood
Walk this routeThe western half of this route (Woolwich - Plumstead) is along the A206. The western half runs south of the railway line, much quieter than this route, and the eastern half is close to this route and a fairly similar experience....
Daisy C
There are several long steep parts, it's unavoidable here as there's no gentle way down to Woolwich, lean into it, climb the hill and enjoy the fabulous views. If the long steep steps just south of the castle are just too much there is a gentler way around the west side of the hill....
Daisy C
There is one section just east of the Thames Barrier which is technically only open between 6am and 9pm. * The Thames Path has been diverted for a building project at Mast Quay, just west of the Woolwich Ferry....
Daisy C
This route follows the very last bit of the Capital Ring through the Woolwich Foot tunnel and is therefore well signposted, although as has been said before not the easiest to find from the South Side. A pretty unique experience being able to walk under the Thames (only a few places you can do it) and was very quiet when I did it....
Dannyash
A simple route made interesting by its use of the Woolwich foot tunnel, which I would otherwise have been unaware of....
ShortLegsLongWalk
Fairly urban walk, but felt effective and was easy enough to follow....
ShortLegsLongWalk
Most of it is along the Thames Path but cuts out the Greenwich Peninsula, making the journey quite a bit shorter. The roads through Woolwich at the end are mainly pedestrianised....
Intrepid Rabbit
Good alternative to getting the DLR if you want a walk. Previous review is accurate....
Charles Hedley
Daisy C added Grewoo three, a new walk from Greenwich to Woolwich
Walk this routeMostly very nice, a couple of points where we took a detour to avoid a bit of less walkable road (Wrekin road) and one area that needed a very small detour because the plotted route was inaccessible (end of olven road)...
gpkeeling
If you're travelling north-to-south, the first third or so of the route is through the Woolwich Foot Tunnel, which is well-let and safe any time of day or night (see photo)....
jenny_mills
Slow Ways added Grewoo one, a new walk from Greenwich to Woolwich
Walk this routeSlow Ways added Norwoo one, a new walk from North Woolwich to Woolwich
Walk this routeSlow Ways added Wooabb one, a new walk from Woolwich to Abbey Wood
Walk this routeSlow Ways added Woobex one, a new walk from Woolwich to Bexleyheath
Walk this routeSlow Ways added Wootha one, a new walk from Woolwich to Thamesmead
Walk this route
Woolwich’s Slow Ways starting point
Grid ref
TQ4372878823
Lat / Lon
51.49009° / 0.06885°
Easting / Northing
543,728E / 178,823N
what3words
Fancy stretching your legs a bit more?
If you’ve polished off all of the routes between Woolwich and its neighbours, how about walking its whole web?
This includes the great ring of routes that join its neighbours to each other!
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