Thames Path Ramble 23: Saturday 2nd July 2016 Hammersmith to Vauxhall Bridge, which is about 8 miles.

Thames Path Ramble 23: Saturday 2nd  July  2016  Hammersmith  to Vauxhall Bridge, which is about 8 miles.

Sue and Jem, John, Dot, Julie, Ann, Peter and Sue walked this part and Ian and I walked it a week later.

This was the ice-cream walk – it was sunny and warm and we passed so many ice-cream vans! From Hammersmith Bridge we first passed a large blocks of luxury flats, once Harrod’s Furniture depository store (they don’t build warehouses like this anymore). We couldn’t see much of the London Wetland Centre that was nearby but behind fences and scrub. We did spot Fulham’s Craven Cottage football ground on the opposite bank. After Putney Bridge we found shade in Wandsworth Park and saw some huge houseboats moored nearby. Then, after Wandsworth Bridge, we spotted helicopters landing at the busy London heliport. This juts out over the Thames and they are noisy.

The pink painted Albert Bridge is next still with its sign for troops from the nearby Chelsea Barracks to break step when crossing (it had problems similar to that of the wobbly bridge once upon a time). Then it was a walk through Battersea Park with a Children’s zoo, Peace Pagoda and on 2^nd July the Formula E racing cars.

 The Thames Path diverts away from the river to go around the disused Battersea power station. After many years of dereliction, is being redeveloped into, you’ve got it, flats. Part of that project means demolishing the iconic and crumbling towers and rebuilding them. It was around here that we noticed a 1600 year old tree stump that no one was going to steal! Heading towards Vauxhall, is Nine Elms Riverside development, with blocks of flats resembling cruise ships, and the new American embassy, due to be completed this year. At the end of this walk the skyline was definitely high rise.