Training for walking the Essex Way has taught me that not all 'rambling' needs to be in the countryside. I recently spent a happy day walking from Bankside to Putney along the south bank of the River Thames. It was a joy to walk through such a varied urban landscape, all linked by being on the bank of the river. Seeing the old generators of the city's power, some now reused, some now fallen in to disrepair to seeing the seat of the country's power. Seeing formalised gardens in the form of parks, to more informal greenery in gardens and treehouses....
Tate Modern - the former Bankside power station
Blackfriars railway bridge
Houses of Parliament, Westminster
Brunswick House Cafe, Vauxhall
Grapevines, Vauxhall
Boating lake, Battersea Park
An urban beach party, opposite Lots Road Power Station, Chelsea
Towards Wandsworth and Fulham
Treehouse, Wandsworth
Putney Bridge - famous for being the start of the boat race
(merino jumper -Howies)
Twelve miles later, a tired rambler before rewarding herself with a cask-conditioned prize.
Are you a countryside lover or a fan of our urban spaces? When you are in towns are you waterway stroller or more of a window shopper? Please let me know: