River Thames

At 215 miles long, the River Thames is the longest river in England and the second longest in the UK. At Greenwich, the Thames has approximately 8.5 miles of open riverfront stretching between Greenwich itself up to Abbey Wood.

The buildings on the Greenwich waterfront could be seen from up and down stream and were designed to be primarily from the river. This was a vital hub for the Royal family as travelling by boat was much safer and easier than travelling on the muddy and dangerous roads.

It was here at Greenwich that Henry VIII spent much of his time ruling England and it was Henry that built and developed the dockyards at Deptford and Woolwich. These docks housed his warships and it was the Royal Dockyards at Deptford that saw the refurbishment of ships such as Captain Cooks HMS Endeavour, Resolution and Discovery. These were originally coal ships but were converted for his voyages around the world. It was also at the docks in Deptford that saw Sir Francis Drake knighted by Queen Elizabeth I and from where Sir Walter Raleigh set sail in 1589. As road and train travel increased, the docks began to close and most of the old buildings are now flats, apartments, riverside bars and restaurants. You can walk most of the river route now following the Thames path that stretches on both the north and south sides of the river. 

Here in Greenwich there are three river crossings. Two foot tunnels at Greenwich and Woolwich and the ferry that runs from Woolwich.