Cycling,Mudlarking. A guide to a perfect Sunday afternoon

What a beautiful start to the first day of Summer, bright blue skies, warm balmy weather and the Thames Cycle Path.  I hadn't meant to end up on the path but as most people know life just happens one minute your here and then your there.

At 9.00am  Sunday morning I opened my front door to my young Grandson Malachai who is Thirteen.  Malachai plays rugby for Blackheath Rugby Club and today he had training at their Home Club in Charlton.  I have been cycling with my Grandson for the last five years he is a very competent and safe cyclist. I'm  a road cyclist and  I introduced Malachi to the road as soon as possible I did not want him to be scared of the road but I wanted to teach him to respect it and other road users, I think I have done a good job as we both enjoy cycling and going on adventures together.

Malachi had a great morning training and I had a great discussion with one of the other mothers, all too soon it was time to go, we jumped on our bikes yelled goodbyes to everyone and pedalled off in the direction of Blackheath.  We decided to cycle across the Heath into Greenwich Park and down into Greenwich Town Centre the quaint and old town houses, The Royal Naval College, The Royal Observatory and the only surviving Tea Clipper remaining in the world The Cutty Sark are all based here. 

After Malachi's morning of training, he was hungry so we grabbed a snack and decided as it was so beautiful we would cycle towards the O2 on the Greenwich Peninsula where we would join the Thames Cycle Path then cycle back down into Greenwich alongside the River Thames.  We reached the 02 and had an hour of fun exploring some of the free exhibits inside the Dome, you can watch 3D images and you can also record yourself presenting the news and then download your video later at home. Which we did. you can go to the cinema and there are ton's of bars and restaurants, they also have The Titanic Exhibition, showing artefacts found on the wreck. 

We got back on our bikes and headed towards the path it runs along the back of the Dome and there are beautiful views,  Ravensbourne College is a marvellous building, fantastic architecture, looking back towards Woolwich you can just make out the sight of the Thames Barrier the world's largest movable flood barrier. Looking East across the river you have the very impressive sight of  Canary Wharf, looks like we have the rarest, the biggest and the most impressive right here in Greenwich.  There were quite a few other walkers and cyclist using the path but not so many that you were in each other's way as we would encounter when we got back into Greenwich Town Centre where it was packed with visitors. I have cycled along this section of the Thames Path on many occasions and it has changed so much over the years, there is a large Aggregate company that operates on the path and I have waited patiently while they load  large cargo ships moored at the side you have to wait to pass until the crane operator sees  you and gives you a nod, most crew members aboard will normally shout hello. As the tide was out we decide to stop at Bendish Sluice it is a causeway between two jetties and has an old Tudor drain which drew water away from the marshes.  I felt like a Mudlark scouring the riverbank for treasures all we found were huge nuts and bolts, rivets, old iron chains, pulleys and other marine paraphernalia. Pipers Wharf is further down and this is home to a boat repair yard.  The sun shone over the water, we watched a pair of cranes fly awkwardly past and we ran away from the wash of the Thames Clippers sailing by very fast,we threw stones and bolts into the water and found old polished glass that looked smoothly precious it felt like a perfect Sunday afternoon thing to do, no rushing just enjoying being alive and healthy.  We decided it was time to move on so off we went, so much to see. There is a housing development being built so you have to come off the river but soon return to it at Ballast Quay there is a pub here which is very popular called the Cutty Sark, of course, what else would it be called, it has a huge bay window at the front offering great views of the river and if you are lucky you could possibly nab the table set in front of it, if not going on a weekday when it is not so busy you will probably have a better chance. The great chimneys of the Greenwich Power Station dominate the sky now and as you carry on you come to the Alms House Trinity Hospital for 21 old Gentlemen of Greenwich founded in 1613, the building dates later though 1812.  At one time you could not cycle through the Greenwich Naval College which is now run by Greenwich University and the Trinity College of Music but it has been extensively refurbished and is now cycle friendly. We had reached the end of our journey on the Path and headed into Lewisham towards our final destination home. It was a lovely day and I recommend anyone who likes cycling to explore the path.  If you are frightened of cycling on the roads there are so many cycle paths it is possible to go for miles without touching the main road.

http://old.gold.ac.uk/world/gihs/mmgrpath.html
http://www.visitgreenwich.org.uk/places-to-visit-in-greenwich
http://www.museumindocklands.org.uk/English/EventsExhibitions/Permanent/Mudlarks.htm
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/walkfinder/walkdetails.asp?id=122

Tall Ship infront of Canary Wharf



Ravensbourne Media College and The Dome o2 on the Greenwich Peninsula

Magnificent buliding Ravensbourne College