Thames Path : Erith to Slade Green

A bit of an annoying walk this time. Annoying for two reasons – firstly much of the start of the walk is actually away from the river – various scrap and recycling businesses occupy the riverside and the path at the edge of the waterline is closed, requiring a diversion. The second annoyance is due to the long detour required at the river Darent – despite there being a nice flood barrier constructed where the Darent branches off from the Thames, there is no publica crossing. The only way to cross the 5 metre wide channel is via a detour several miles inland. So that is why this walk ends at Slade Green, a place several miles inland from the Thames!

 

 

Erith pier, looking forwards along the walking route

 

Scrap metal and recycling businesses block the riverside walk necessitating a diversion

Mud, mud, mud,…

 

…mud, mud, mud…

 

The first hundred metres of the walk is actually beside the river

 

After a diversion inland for several hundred metres, the path once more runs beside the river

 

The path runs along the top of the flood protection embankment

 

Reeds swaying in the gentle breeze in the Saltings

 

Looking back across the saltings to the start of the walk

 

Radar station at the promontory

 

Looking back across the Saltings

 

Encased path – part of flood defences

 

Junction of the Darent and Thames at low tide

 

Deviating away from the Thames to track inland along the Darent

 

Darent flood barrier – shame there is no crossing point for walkers

Total distance: 6.63 km (4.1 mi)
Total time: 1:35:36
Moving time: 1:27:34
Average moving speed: 4.54 km/h (2.8 mi/h)
Max elevation: 58 m (190 ft)
Min elevation: 46 m (153 ft)

Live scrollable/zoomable map:

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