Thames Path

City guardians

/ mikeosbornphoto / 17 Comments

A set of glinting, silver bulwarks protect riverside capital London from being overwhelmed by flooding. If you walk along the Thames Path from Woolwich, this is the sight you get, with the lofty might of Docklands beyond the barrier. A stretch of the walkway is etched with the high water marks of communities down the Thames – including Hammersmith, a familiar neighbourhood.

The barriers look like hoods swathed in bumpy tin foil, but this is a stirring sight and an absorbing place to photograph.

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The Photo Shop

South of the river

/ mikeosbornphoto / 14 Comments

View from the southOn a walk around London, a camera can be your best companion. It encourages you to take in the landscape, architectural details and other people enjoying the views. This absorbing walk, on the south side of the River Thames, took me from Woolwich to the Greenwich peninsula. My starting point was Woolwich Arsenal station (DLR), ending up at North Greenwich station (Jubilee Line). Here’s what you’ll see along the route:

  • Woolwich Arsenal with its mix of original and contemporary architecture
  • River views all the way to Docklands
  • Plane spotting courtesy of London City Airport
  • The Victorian Woolwich foot tunnel – a subterranean delight
  • The Thames Barrier
  • Greenwich peninsula’s industrial edginess, new buildings, cable car and crane installation

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This way to the gallery

Walking distance

/ mikeosbornphoto / 8 Comments

I’m lucky to live in a part of west London where it’s very easy to reach the banks of the River Thames. It’s our answer to the seaside and is a place to walk, relax, contemplate – and take photographs.

On a rare sunny day recently, I went from my house to the riverside at Hammersmith, walking a circuit that took in Barnes and Chiswick Bridge. This is an album of what caught my eye on the walk.

To follow the journey with me, click the first image

I greet the Thames at Hammersmith’s Chiswick Mall, with the sunny haze of the brewery in the distance.
Barnes Bridge takes trains and pedestrians. A piece of the industrial revolution, it has its own beauty on a bright winter’s day.
Along the north bank I encounter this massive sign for the brewery, advertising a legendary lager.
The might of the old brewery building rears up on the river path.
It’s a daunting edifice, even in its state of disuse.
Near the old brewery building stands Chiswick Bridge, its elegant sweep of stone connecting north and south.
Its stone details, caressed by the sun, are ripe pickings for the camera lens.
Beneath the bridge, it’s clear to see how wet this stormy winter has been so far.
From the bridge, a cluster of tower blocks loom on the north Thames bank under a threatening sky. Time to head back.
The fencing by the river bank have their own flair. The concrete is ridged and dashed with flint.
Back to Barnes Bridge and a view from its opposite side. This man seems entranced by the view.
Time for one last detail on my way home – a riverside railing elegantly turned, but seriously worn by weather and time.

North London vista (2)