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The Public Rights of Way network draws many people to its banks for walking, cycling, horse riding, fishing and bird watching, as well as other activities such as visiting the many near-by historical sites. In the summer months, beaches at Southend and Leigh are very popular with swimmers and sunbathers, and water sports such as sailing, windsurfing, power boating, rowing, water skiing, kayaking and canoeing can all be seen on the waters of the Thames Estuary.
But it's not all plain sailing, the River Thames has strong, cold and fast flowing tides, commercial boats and other river traffic make safety a crucial concern and even water quality can sometimes be a problem. Many rights of way also pass through farmland and wildlife habitats. To reduce disturbance to plants and animals, people are encouraged to keep to footpaths and keep noise to a minimum.
Why not make your visit a day of discovery and visit some of the facilities below to learn about the magnificent river Thames?
Cutty Sark: www.cuttysark.org.uk
The fastest sailing ship of her day, visitors can discover what the life of a sailor on board her was like in the 19th century.
Greenwich World Heritage Site: www.greenwichwhs.org.uk
Maritime Greenwich is a World Heritage Site and famous for such historic landmarks as the Cutty Sark, the last surviving tea clipper, and the Royal Observatory , the home of Greenwich Mean Time and the Meridian Line, Longitude 0°.
HMS Belfast: www.iwm.org.uk
Decommissioned cruiser served during the Second World War.
National Maritime Museum: www.nmm.ac.uk
Britain's seafaring heritage is dramatically recreated in galleries filled with maritime treasures and artefacts.
Creekside Centre: www.creeksidecentre.org.uk
Your opportunity to get 'up close and personal' by joining a guided low tide walk into Deptford Creek.
RSPB: www.rspb.org.uk
The RSPB offers every week events , from family fun days to guided walks on nature reserves.
Natural History Museum: www.nhm.ac.uk
The UK's national museum of nature, and a centre of scientific excellence in taxonomy and biodiversity.
Old Royal Naval College: www.oldroyalnavalcollege.org
On the site of the Tudor palace where Henry VIII and Elizabeth I were born, these buildings form the centrepiece of one of this country's finest examples of Baroque landscape.
Museum of London: www.museumoflondon.org.uk
Museum working to illustrate for everyone the importance of the sea, ships, time and the stars and their relationship with people.
Greening the Gateway: http://www.gtgkm.org.uk/
A partnership of environmental organisations working together to enhance and protect the natural environment of North Kent, an area that is experiencing intense regeneration and change.
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visiting the thames
