Saturday, July 28, 2018

Thames River Routes: Westminster to Hampton Court


This is the longest of all the river routes I went on in both duration and length. Taking about three and a quarter hours it connected the following piers:

  • Westminster
  • Kew
  • Richmond
  • Hampton Court

That's about 35 km worth of the upper river while remaining in London (as defined via the London Stones) including both tidal and non-tidal Thames.

It's a very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. It starts in the centre of London, full of tourists and tourist sights:


It then heads upriver and keeps on going....


... and going...


... and going....


... all the way to Hampton Court (top photo).

On the way, the Thames bank can be seen to go from hard stone to green vegetation:


There is officially any commentary but unofficially the staff give a good job of quirky did-you-know facts including pointing out where Elton John, Robbie Williams and Cher live (Chelsea Harbour if you're interested).

To get from the tidal Thames to non-Tidal Thames there is one or two (depending on state of the tide) locks to go through, in particular this one at Teddington:


Prices and timetable can be found at the operator's web site here which are worth checking as they change depending upon the tide and time of year. They also give this useful map:


It's a good way to make your way to Kew Gardens or Hampton Court Palace if you're visiting those places. It was also interesting to see the route from the water having walked or biked it from the Thames path.

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