Jubilee Greenway markers are appearing in the ground on the first twenty miles of the Thames Path. Indeed they start a little downstream of the Thames Barrier at Woolwich Ferry. People were talking about them at Southwark Cathedral last weekend having seen one outside. The Jubilee Greenway is inspired by the Silver Jubilee Walkway so […]

Sunday night’s Countryfile on BBC1 had some film of Matt Baker canoeing on the river at Pangbourne. It included some brief of upstream Child Beale Wildlife Park which walkers miss as the Thames Path makes a rare detour up a hill and through Hartslock Wood. The programme always breaks up its reports so we had […]

It’s interesting to learn that Kate Middleton’s parents Carole and Michael were married at Dorney Church. The reception was at Dorney Court which since has doubled for Syon in the film Lady Jane. Prince William’s great, great grandparents were married in 1881 at tiny Petersham Church near Richmond. This would be perfect for Kate and […]

Kate Middleton is in the headlines as she becomes engaged to Prince William but news that she went to school in Pangbourne is not what it seems. St Andrew’s School is some way south-west of the Thames-side village. However, besides the royal story in tonight’s Evening Standard is the announcement that a Roman village has […]

Today is the bicentenary of painter Johann Zoffany’s death. He lived and died at Strand-on-the-Green where the riverside house is marked with a blue plaque. He is buried on the south side of St Anne’s Church on nearby Kew Green across the river. See pages 54 and 55.

News about Greenwich below comes from the World Travel Market -the travel industry fair in London’s Docklands this week. Another announcement made at the WTM is that Windsor Castle’s Round Tower will be open to visitors during August and September next year. There are 189 steps to the battlements. This is the highest point of […]

The Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich is about to receive its millionth visitor since the grounds were opened to the public with free admission. The Royal Navy left in 1997 and now the grounds are open free daily 8am to 6pm. The chapel and Painted Hall are usually open free as well. Next summer […]

Clink Street in Southwark which forms part of the Thames Path has a daily ‘fireworks’ display. The long dark tunnel under the railway used to be a reminder of Dickens’ days. From this week there is extra lighting in the form of a light show every evening. Also new this week is a branch of […]

A reminder that the River Thames is a living waterway comes with news that Environment Agency fisheries enforcement officers have seized three illegal nets on the tidal Thames in London. An Environment Agency river patrol uncovered the nets last week at Greenwich. Among the nets found was an unattended gillnet, which can trap fish and […]

The Greenwich website has news of a planning application to change the railings along the Thames Path in front of the the Royal Naval College. It’s hard to know if this is really necessary. See page 18.