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Yesterday was spent in the company of Mick & Gayle; who have recently set out on their next long distance walk.

As they were passing close to home; I thought it would be good to join them for a day's walking.

Ou meeting place was Dartford; and after making our way out of there along a busy A206, we finally linked up with the River Darent, and then on to the River Thames.

Most of the area around the Thames here is very industrial, from modern sewage works (a bit pongy) to a 18th century pump house.

Crossness Pump House

Mick & Gayle along the Thames

As the route moved closer to Central London the industrial side started to give way to the luxurious apartments along the Thames and especially Around the old Royal Woolwich Arsenal.

Cybermen???*

Up until now the weather had been pretty good with sunshine and the odd dark cloud passing over but no rain. We stop in the Firepower cafe for lunch; and this was time for the rain to come.

By the time lunch was finished; so was the rain and we set out again to sunny skies, and only four miles to Greenwich.

At this point the London skyline starts to show off some of its interesting architecture; like the Thames Barrier, Canary Wharf and the O2 Dome.

From the Barrier we took a bit of a short cut to avoid going around the dome; this ment crossing the A102 but luckily there was a footbridge crossing it. At this point we rejoined the Thames path but it seems as someone had closed this section; without informing any one. So there was a bit of backtracking to take to the roads to finally get in to Greenwich.

From here Mick & Gayle went off to catch a train to their campsite for the evening and I walked down to the Cutty Sark to get the DLR home.

* thanks to WD for that