Day 4: Vauxhall - Barnes Bridge

Nearly a month since my last stage and its very very hot day. This was the Sunday before the hottest week of the year in London. So an early start from Vauxhall seemed to be the best plan. St George’s Wharf, the vile residential development on the upstream side of Vauxhall Bridge lured us onto its riverside walkway, for our path only to be blocked by hoardings. So, it was a sharp turn away from the river and back to the main road. Eventually we were able to return to the river walkway to capture a brief glimpse of Battersea Power Station. It’s a real shame that this magnificent building is still a wreck, when Bankside Power Station has been put to such good use as Tate Modern. The architect of both, Giles Gilbert-Scott must be turning in his grave. How much better would Battersea have been as the site of the millennium celebrations, rather than the other large rotting building further downstream.

Battersea, due its physical state, remains out of bounds and requires Thames Path walkers to divert away. However, it did provide an opportunity through large blue security gates, to catch a glimpse of a former Serpentine Gallery Summer Pavilion. Why this is here, I’m not certain. It seems quite surreal, but there it is. My photo doesn’t do it justice and there are better ones elsewhere.

By being forced around the power station you do get to walk past the world famous Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. To be fair I didn’t realise they did cats, but the dogs seemed quite subdued in the heat with very little barking to be heard. Then it’s under a couple of railway bridges to a roundabout and the entrance to Battersea Park. The park is a real contrast to the area we’d just walked through and allowed a pleasant walk back down to the river. The park was already busy, mainly with a few dog-walkers but loads of joggers. I can’t say I’ve seen as many in one place before, with many going to extreme lengths to get hot and sweaty. I’m sure there were a few people with their personal trainers in tow! The walk along the river front in the park was calming and to come across the large Buddhist Peace Pagoda was somewhat surprising. It was built here in 1985 as part to commemmorate the dead of Hiroshina. and is one of 70 around the world. The pagoda is definitely a hidden gem of a London landmark. But the sun was already quite strong by now, so it was a relief to get some shade from the buildings immediately after the Albert Bridge.

Only a short section to Battersea Bridge, but a couple of noteworthy buildings, both designed by Sir Norman Foster's architecture practice. The first and Foster & Partners own offices and the next is the more recent Albion Riverside, a large wavy residential scheme which also includes the Albion art gallery. I’d been down here before on a very windy winter’s day to see an excellent exhibition by Andy Goldsworthy, so it was good to be back in more clement weather.

Not much to say about the next stretch. More apartment blocks, some of which force you off the river front, but generally not for long. The view is pretty much the same on the other side of the river, with the buildings of Chelsea Harbour. Only the Lots Road Power Station adding variety and interest to the skyline. On the southbank most of the flats are easily forgettable. However, a couple stick in the mind: the fabulous glass, steel and wood of te Montevetro Building and the hideous bulk of the recently completed Battersea Reach development at Wandsworth.

But we’re soon away from that, past Wandsworth Bridge and heading through the back streets to Wandsworth Park. It’s here were we really meet the cyclist and they remain with us until well past Putney. Today turns out to be the annual London Bikeathon and people have turned out in their thousands with their bikes for charity. Can’t knock that at all, but they were all going in the opposite direction to us and at narrow points, like the entrance to Wandsworth Park, it proved difficult getting past masses of cyclists. But once through, we were into the back streets of Putney and a ploughmans lunch at the Duke's Head pub.

From Putney we began are walk along the Boat Race course. After passing a gaggle of boat club buildings on the south bank and Craven Cottage on the north bank we were soon into woodland and a world away from the hustle of London. Other than the cyclists it was very quiet along this stretch past the Barnes Wetland Centre. However, from the Thames Path itself there is nothing to seeing of the wetlands and we didn’t have time to pay them a proper visit. The other difficulty here is the trees on both sides of the path, blocking any view of the north bank and the river. At Hammersmith the trees thin out a little to catch a view of Hammersmith bridge.

Then the path rounds the top of this meander and heads south towards Barnes. We pass a disused reservoir while we walk along a narrow strip of land. But this is only what the map tell you, there’s no way of verifying it from the path itself. Have got used to the ever changing view from earlier in the walk, the woodland feel along this stretch seems to go on forever. But soon we emerge into civilisation again – along the prom at Barnes. It’s also when we really feel the full force of the hot sun and its becomes pretty wearing as we walk towards Barnes Bridge. Under the shade of the bridge a cooling drink is quickly gulped down and we decided to head home after walking about 10 miles. It would have been nice to have finished at Chiswick Bridge, the end of the Boat Race course, but the lure of an air-conditioned train was just too great.