Transport for London.

The Jubilee Greenway. Section 6 of 10.

Woolwich Foot Tunnel to Greenwich Pier.

Section start: Woolwich Foot Tunnel.. Nearest stations Woolwich Arsenal or to start: Royal Arsenal Woolwich Pier . Section finish: Greenwich Pier.. Nearest stations Cutty Sark or Greenwich Pier . to finish: Section distance: 6.2 miles (10 kilometres). Introduction. This section celebrates the river, following the mighty Thames upstream from the Woolwich Ferry Dock and Flood Barrier to the steps of the Royal Naval College, passing the O2 Arena - (formerly the Millennium Dome), numerous wharfs including Victoria Deep Water Terminal, Morden Wharf and Pipers Wharf, dramatic views, and surprising wildlife in its wake. This sixth section of the Jubilee Greenway follows the Thames Path route and this means that it is close to the river except where existing buildings or redevelopments mean an inland detour. It has some stunning landmarks and breathtaking views. Look out for the Jubilee Greenway discs in the pavement as you go round. Directions. Disembark from the Woolwich Free Ferry on the south side of the Thames at Woolwich, and turn right, heading up-river in a westerly direction, following Thames Path signs all the way.

Did you know? The Thames Path National Trail runs 180 miles (290 kilometres) along the Thames from its source to the Thames Barrier. In 2001 it was unofficially extended to Crayfordness but not officially adopted as part of the National Trail - the waymarks here have a Thames barge symbol, rather than the acorn of the National Trails.

If crossing the river by the Woolwich Foot Tunnel, this emerges from the domed entrance into daylight. Rounding the domed entrance affords a view across the river to North Woolwich. The building behind it is the Waterfront Leisure Centre. Turn immediately left.

Did you know? The foot tunnel opened in 1912 and offers an alternative way to cross under the Thames to the Free Ferry. It has a 'twin' at Greenwich.

Walk down a brick paved access road, bearing left and then immediately right as the road bends round, following signs for the Thames Path and Capital Ring routes. Go under a footbridge. The New Wine Church can be seen to the left.

Cross the Woolwich Ferry approach road over the pedestrian crossing. Turn right for about 15 metres to reach the river front, and then turn left along the Thames Path (also marked as the Capital Ring) beside the river (walking upstream). The route now stays beside the Thames for just over half a mile.

On the other side of the river can be seen BT's satellite dishes and, in the distance ahead, the Thames Barrier, the O2 Arena (Millennium Dome) and the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf.

Carry on along the Thames Path and Capital Ring with the river to the right. Cross two small bridges over inflows to the Thames. There are two old cannons along here, as a reminder of the military history of the area.

Cross over a basin, after which there is a roundel in the ground, with mosaics, marked 'Riverside Walk Project 1984-1986' by the National Elfrida Rathbone Society. Around it are listed the months of the year. On some steps to the left, observe some sculpted fish in the stonework. Ahead are two more cannons.

The path veers left, which affords a view of the 18th century clock tower, once the home and office of the Admiral-Superintendent of the dockyard, now the Clockhouse Community Centre Association. Now begins the Resolution Walk. A sign gives the distances on this section. Take either the accessible cycle bridge, or a footbridge ahead, staying alongside the Thames. About 250 metres after the ramp, the route turns away from the Thames to the left, through housing, because the riverside route is currently impassable. Look for a Thames Path sign pointing left through a gateway. If you get to some metal fencing barring the way beside the Thames you have gone too far. Pass through the gateway and some parked cars and turn right onto Harlinger Street, then left into Ruston Road to reach a T-junction, opposite a blackened building, which is a remnant of the Woolwich Dockyard. Turn right at the T-junction. After nearly 250 metres, at a roundabout, go over Warspite Road. Bear slightly left and then right into Woolwich Road, passing a pub on the corner on the right. There are also a few cafes along here. Note - the route is still following an interim route as the river frontage is not fully open in this area at the moment; for time being, follow the Thames Path interim route signage.

Go along the busy Woolwich Road, passing Holborn College on the right, and St. Catherine's RC Church on the left. On the right (part of Maryon Park School; look out for the decorative carved stone name plaque over the entrance door). Maryon Park itself is on the left, on the other side of the road.

Cyclists should rejoin the carriageway where the route leaves the river at Harlinger Street. Continue on the road over the roundabout at Woolwich Church Street, then keep in the cycle lane to the pedestrian crossing at the entrance to Maryon Park. Use the cycle filter lane here to come off the road, then cross using the controlled crossing into the park on the north side. About 350 metres after the roundabout, turn right into Barrier Gardens via Barrier Park at a sign marked 'Thames Barrier quarter of a mile'. Cyclists should take a route skirting the right of the park; walkers can follow the Green Chain marker posts.

After 150 metres, at Eastmoor Place / Westfield Street, cross the road and look behind the first building on the left for the Green Chain route marker posts, which returns back onto a footpath and into the park.

After another 200 metres, cross over Utility Way and go ahead slightly to the right. About 100 metres down Utility Way there are two flights of steps up the grassy flood defence embankment - climb to the top and see the Thames Barrier itself. Then go down the two flights of steps on the other side. Cyclists or anyone who would like a step-free route need to turn left along Utility Way and circle the Environmental Agency building, rejoining the Thames Path west of the Thames Barrier. There is a cafe and toilets at the Thames Barrier Information and Learning Centre - just 250 metres east of the Barrier. This can be accessed from the bottom of the steps on the riverside, or for the step-free route, turn right when you reach Utility Way.

Did you know? The Thames Barrier prevents flooding of London from high tides and storm surges. It was opened in 1984 by Her Majesty the Queen. There is a visitor centre off Woolwich Road.

From the Barrier, turn left to go upstream along the riverside walk, under a covered walkway marked 'Thames Path National Trail', which has a profile of the Thames from Thames Head to Sea Reach. This is the official end of the National Trail. Next go up some steps to the left (broad steps with a handrail in the middle). The cycle (step-free) route rejoins the path at the other side. The route of the Jubilee Greenway now follows the Thames Path as close to the river as possible towards the O2 Arena (Millennium Dome). About 550 metres after the Barrier, where the path is in between two walls, are a set of bollards on a road called Anchor and Hope Lane. Carry straight ahead on 'Riverside' - just 30 metres after here is a pub called the Anchor and Hope. Pass Durham Wharf on the right. The route is between two fences. Then, 350 metres after the junction with the pub, Riverside makes a right-angled turn to the left and becomes Lombard Wall, but ignore this and carry on straight ahead towards a set of bollards with fences either side. Go under the great chutes of the aggregates recycling plant. Follow the route along the Thames Path, which makes a couple of sharp turns around wharves and slipways but otherwise hugs the river. About 450 metres after the junction with Lombard Wall, is Peartree Way, where there are two sets of silver metal bollards as well as solar panels and small wind turbines on posts to the left of the path. This is just in front of the entrance to the Greenwich Yacht Club, on stilts in the water.

Follow the Thames Path signs to go straight ahead, still parallel with the Thames, between two hedges. Pass some rough land to the left, and after about 85 metres, turn right and then left along the river once more. On the left is Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park. This is the Greenwich Peninsula.

Follow the Thames Path by the riverside all the way up to the O2 Arena (Millennium Dome) which is nearly three quarters of a mile ahead (ignore signs for the Cross-Peninsular Thames Path). Pass the beach of the Greenwich Yacht Club on the right, head towards the expensive apartment buildings on Mudlark Boulevard. To the right is the Polar Sundial, designed by Piers Nicolson for the Royal Corps of Engineers, in 1999.

Continue along the riverside and past North Greenwich Pier. Next comes the O2 Arena (formerly the Millennium Dome). Circle around the Dome next to the Thames at Blackwall Point, following signs for the Thames Path at all times. The Blackwall Tunnel (in fact two tunnels) passes under the Thames at this point. Did you know?

The Millennium Dome, now the O2, has twelve 100 metre high support towers, one for each month of the year and each hour of the clock face. It is also 365 metres in diameter, one metre for each day in a standard year. The western Blackwall Tunnel opened in 1897 and now carries northbound traffic with the second, eastern Tunnel opened in 1967 handling southbound vehicles. Pedestrians and non-motorised traffic cannot use these tunnels.

Follow signage for the Thames Path and the Thames Path Cycle Route down the west side of the peninsular, past more aggregate plants and wharves (Delta Wharf, Bay Wharf, and Modern Wharf). Turn left and then right towards a blue wrought iron fence. Follow the Thames Path close to the river. There is rough land to the right. Take a turn to the left. On the other side of the river, the huge skyscrapers give way to low residential buildings. Delta Wharf on the left, the first of a great number of wharves, is a reminder of the days when the river was very busy with boats and their cargo. Cross an area of sand and gravel storage and continue ahead, close to the river. This is rather a rough sandy route underfoot. There is considerable building work taking place here. The Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich suddenly comes into view along the river. Presently there is an inland swing to the left between grey fencing, on a rough concrete path. Hanson operates on both sides of this path and much gravel, cement and sand is being moved about. Reach a sign which indicates an alternative route back to Phoenix Wharf (one and a half miles) and the Thames Barrier (two miles) via Tunnel Avenue (three quarters of a mile). The Thames Path also directs you forward to the right with a signpost giving distances and mileages. Turn right at the sign. There is concrete slab walling. The route swings left and snakes past weeping willows on the right. On the left are two benches, up two steps, on a concreted area. Pass the Millcroft Building. A pleasant wider L-shaped jetty affords great views over the river, to Greenwich on the left, and the Dome on the right. This is the East Greenwich riverfront. Follow the path, which turns to the left. In front is a pink building. Turn right. Now in front are the large blue chimneys of Tunnel Refineries Property (on the right). Ahead can be seen the great domes of Greenwich. Pass Enderby's Wharf, the first of a series of wharves along here. Then pass through blue wrought iron fencing on both sides. There is some white paling after which it is necessary to turn left to follow the path. Pass through some smart white paling, behind which to the right there is a major development of apartment blocks. This is the Greenwich Wharf Development (formerly Badcock's Wharf). When complete, the riverside path should be fully accessible.

Turn right into Banning Street (not marked at this point). More development is taking place on the left as well as the right. Pass Derwent Street on the left and at The Pelton Arms turn right into Pelton Road, which is cobbled, going down here for about 130 metres. At the end of Pelton Road, look out for a black metal signpost indicating the Thames Path, marked 'Cutty Sark and Foot Tunnel half a mile'. There is a no-entry point for cyclists up here, so instead of turning right into Pelton Road, continue on to the end of Banning Street and turn right into Lassell Street. Then join the riverside path opposite the Cutty Sark pub. Turn left onto Ballast Quay. There are some lovely Georgian houses here to the left (Union Wharf). On the left is the Cutty Sark Tavern, built in about 1795 as a Georgian Free House at number 46 Ballast Quay. The riverside walk has been resurfaced and widened here, and the Berkeley Homes apartments were opened in 2003. There is an anchor from Anchor Iron Wharf, which sold anchors to the Royal Navy. This was the site of Ambrose Crowley's Warehouse. Pass the Cutty Sark Tavern on the left, and immediately opposite look for the shared footpath / cycle route on the ground, following the Thames. Pass along Crowley's Wharf where to the left the wall bears some little scenes by school children; these are tactile but watch out for the traffic. Looming above is Greenwich Power Station on the left (quite hard to see when walking, as it is so close). Did you know? Greenwich Power Station is a standby oil, gas, and formerly coal-fired power station on the River Thames at Greenwich in south-east London. Despite being over one hundred years old, the station is still available as a back-up electricity source for the London Underground. The station is an early example of a steel-framed building with a stone clad brick cover.

Veer left and pass along a cobbled residential alley (marked with black and white stripey bollards) with High Bridge Wharf behind houses, to the right. On the right is the Curlew Rowing Club (founded in 1866) and then a pub called The Yacht (advertised as the first pub in the West Longitude), followed by the Trafalgar Tavern. Greenwich is now directly ahead. There are directional signposts along here at the end of the cobbled alley by the Trafalgar Tavern. Turn right, past the statue of Lord Nelson, to the river side. The riverside path next to the Trafalgar Tavern is not open to cyclists. Instead, at the end of Crane Street, turn left and then right through Trafalgar Gate of the Old Royal Naval College (which is open 8am to 6pm daily) and follow the marked cycle route around the front of the college buildings.

Here are fine views back to the O2 Arena and across to Island Gardens on the Isle of Dogs, thought to be so named because Edward III housed his greyhounds there. This was, at one time, the home of London's largest docks; it is now a major financial area. From the statue of Nelson, turn left along the Thames, and pass between black railings adorned with naval anchors. On the left is the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich. In front, to the right, are the Royal Steps. Did you know? The Old Royal Naval College is considered the architectural centrepiece of Maritime Greenwich and is a World Heritage Site. The buildings were originally constructed to serve as the Royal Hospital for Seamen at Greenwich, now generally known as Greenwich Hospital, which was designed by Christopher Wren, and built between 1696 and 1712. The hospital closed in 1869. Between 1873 and 1998 it was the Royal Naval College, Greenwich.

This is the end of section six. Section seven continues along the Thames Path by the river.