LONDON - what to see by the River Thames

TICs on the river can be found at:
46 Greenwich Church St, Greenwich, London SE10 tel: 020 858 6376 - 10am to 5pm.
Old Town Hall, Whittaker Ave, Richmond. tel: 020 940 9125 - 10am - 6pm, Sat 10am-5pm; May - Oct, Sun 10.15am-4.15pm.

This is the least stressful way to travel in London and its a heap of fun. There are 9 piers from which to stop or start your journey.  They are: Hampton Court Pier. Richmond Pier. Kew Pier. Putney Pier. Westminster Pier. Charing Cross Pier. Tower Pier. Greenwich Pier, Thames Barrier Pier. Just as a matter of interest tides have risen 65 cm over the last hundred years - London is built on clay and is sinking slowly, but I'm sure you'll be okay!  500,000 tonnes of concrete and a lot of steel has been used to build ten gates which can be raised quickly to block the water should there be a need.

A convenient way to start a boat tour is from Westminster Pier at the base of Westminster Bridge. Until 1729 London Bridge was only bridge that spanned the Thames

Let's start from the west and work our way in on the river:

The Hampton Court Music Festival Information and booking for the annual music festival at Hampton Court Palace Web

You will go upstream passing under Kingston Bridge and Teddington Lock. The Thames water level rises with the tides but goes no further than Teddington Weir.

The you'll go past Twickenham and up into Richmond. Past Marble Hill house (there are sometimes concerts on the lawns) and under a couple more bridges and on into Kew & Royal Botanical Gardens a  wonderful riverside park. If you're into botany then you'll spend ages here. In 300 acres stands a  Massive greenhouse, Waterlily House and the Princess of Wales Conservatory. Conservatories close at 17.30 and  Tel:  020 8332 5000. There is also  Kew Bridge Living Steam Museum and the Musical Museum and if you're running out of time Kew Bridge Station - but stay awhile.

On now past Hammersmith, Barnes and Fulham where you will find the Riverside Studios Theatre and Fulham Football club  Another chance to go by train here at Putney Bridge Station. Next we move onto Chelsea and then Battersea Park which is one of the most popular parks in London with three million visitors a year. The Park offers a range of facilities for all ages, from peaceful paths and gardens for quiet recreation, to first class sports facilities, an art gallery, a children's zoo, two playgrounds and a boating lake, plus a Japanese Peace Pagoda and sculptures by Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth.  When the Power Station this was working the spare heat was pumped under the Thames to warm the houses on the opposite bank. Holiday-Inn-Express Wandsworth hotel.

Pimlico where you can see the Tate Gallery  (there is a river-boat service connecting Tate Britain with Tate Modern), Vauxhall, Lambeth next  with Lambeth Palace where the Archbishop of Canterbury lives. Next we have Westminster and the  Houses of Parliament, Cleopatra's Needle of the Embankment Gardens. This is the sight you will recognise most of all. Then we come to St Paul's Cathedral and the City of London.

Needless to say there are masses of stations here if you are feeling sea sick. Here you also have the New Tate  then Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Hays Gallery and HMS Belfast.

Hold onto your heads for here comes the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. For a change you could get off and try St Katherine's Dock and watch the yachts go through the locks, stop for a coffee and enjoy the clever refurbishment but if you stay on board you'll go past Bermondsey and past Canary Wharf on the Isle of Dogs.

The next interesting place is Greenwich. Certainly worth getting off here if you're into maritime stuff, even if you're not it's fun. Though a strongly nautical place Henry VIII was born here. You can see the Cutty Sark - first launched in 1869 she could do a massive 300 miles per day (it will be quite some time before she is ready to view). and Gipsy Moth IV - the boat Sir Francis Chichester used for the first solo circumnavigation of the world in 1966 and 1967 -  at 1pm you can see the Time Ball drop on Flamsted House to tell passing sailors the time. Take the trouble to go round the National Maritime Museum, even if you're not particularly a sea person you'll enjoy this.  Royal Observatory located on the prime meridian line. The observatory is the place from which all time is measured.   Royal Observatory Greenwich  If you have time take a look round Greenwich Town - a cornucopia of street stalls and such like. If you're there near meal time then take a stroll down to an old haunt of Dickens, the Trafalgar Tavern. Its next to the Royal Naval College, with spectacular views of the River Thames. Upstairs many famous politicians have entertained here at the Whitebait Dinners. Charles Dickens knew this watering hole well. His novel 'Our Mutual Friend' had the wedding breakfast set here.

The Thames Barrier is a fascinating place. It is the world's largest flood barrier. Takes a little over an hour on the boat from Westminster.