Do we really need a rehearsal?

Wednesday, 24 August 2011 09:30

It was a glorious day - just right to do a river trip.

Approaching Limehouse Basin from downstream

This may confuse you, but all will be explained in a minute ......

Today was a planned excursion to rehearse our eventual return to the River Thames and explore our next mooring. A bus and the wonderful DLR (Docklands Light Railway) took us first to Limehouse Basin. But more of that in a later blog.

DLR at Limehouse

Thanks to the Internet we had a good deal on a river trip from Greenwich to Westminster, returning to Greenwich via the Thames Barrier. Those blog readers who were confused by John's Facebook posts and Tweets  will now understand!

So, after exploring the Basin at Limehouse we went back to the DLR and onto Greenwich.

Our trip boat at Greenwich Pier

It was wonderful to be back on the river - and what a lot to see. Of course, the first bit from Greenwich to Limehouse would not be repeated on Epiphany (nor the last bit to the Barrier!). Forgive me if I only post photos of these sections as otherwise I will spoil your enjoyment of our own foray onto the tidal Thames in a couple of weeks.

The river was busy and these Thames Clippers are fast and frequent, keeping the commuters happy as they zip between piers from Woolwich to Westminster. Some of their regular passenger must come from the extensive/expensive residential apartments that line the river.

Thames Clipper

Some of these apartments sell for well over £4 million and it is a sombre thought that many replaced warehouses and docks where the workers toiled long hours for little pay while barges and sailing ships docked, unloaded and left for warmer climes.

Extensive apartments

Canary Wharf on the Isle of Dogs is perhaps one of the best known landmarks on the river - and is worth visiting if only to feel dwarfed amongst all the skyscrapers. There is an extensive retail area too. The highest building here is soon to be superceded by The Shard which is further up river near London Bridge.

Canary Wharf

Limehouse Basin and the lock linking the River Thames with the Inland Waterways is not far above here, so I will return down river now. Below Greenwich you begin to get more of a feel for the working river as old wharves and docks are used for new industries and leisure craft.

Dry Dock, near where Brunel's Great Eastern loaded its transatlantic cables

Container barge full of London's rubbish

The resurrected Millennium Dome, re-named the O2 Arena, squats on a bend in the river and is a precursor of the "regeneration" that is happening on both banks.

Millennium Dome that was

City Airport is nearby - the runway is before the Barrier on the north bank amongst the old Docklands. Planes come and go and can clearly be seen between apartments.

Plane above

So we reached the Thames Barrier - built 30 years ago to protect London from flooding. Just a couple of photos to illustrate this feat of engineering which is tested regularly to ensure the safety of the good citizens of London.

Thames Barrier - gates 8 and 9 on south bank

Barrier up between gates 4 and 5 from downstream

And so we returned to Greenwich for our return back to the Regents Canal - calling in at Limehouse basin to be gongoozlers, but you will have to wait to read about that!