Visited: July 28, 2018
Today I took a boat cruise down the Thames. It wasn't anything overly fancy but I do suggest it as a nice 2 hour lazy tour with some great commentary from the boat operator / guide.
Today I took a river cruise from Westminster to Richmond. It was with a smaller operation called Thames River Boats. If you want to have a very fancy modern ship or late night drinking and dinner party this isn't the best option for you. If you're looking for move of an educational and relaxed river cruise this is a good option.
We took the boat around 11:00 and it was just over two hours to get to Richmond. One of the best parts of it is that the captain/driver also commentated most of the way along the river so you got to hear a lot about the different spots. Possibly the only downside is you start at Westminster and not further downstream where you can pass much of the center of London. Perhaps that's a case for another boat trip!
Let's go Captain!
The trip cost just under £20 and in my view was good value for the entertainment. Boarding from Westminster Pier there is a bit of a guessing game which gate they'll board the boat from. In our case it was the North gate. We lined up there ahead of time and got two of the front seats.
Something I didn't know is that tides vary both in time and size ("amplitude" or "tidal range"). I knew that they varied in time and weren't perfectly symmetrical one day to the next, but the variety of factors which influences them and even the uncertainty in them until they happen due to daily weather variations was new to me. More on tides here and London tides here. This is a long way of getting to what really mattered to us this day. When does the bloody boat actually leave and how long will it take to get to our destination, because these both depend on the tide.
And we are off
The trip was a little chilly due to the wind and after almost a month straight of 30+ degrees having to deal with the wind and 20 degree temperature required a jacket.
The closer you are to the starting point (assuming you're coming from the Westminster starting point and not one of the upriver points) the more there is to see. You start with Westminster Palace on one side and the London Aquarium and London Eye on the other side. Because we head upriver we quickly start to move away from the touristy sights, and hence get into some more interesting areas that most tourists wouldn't see.
Heading upriver you quickly pass some other interesting spots. On the South (East) bank of the river is Lambeth Palace, official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. I don't know if he stays there often.
On the other side of the river just after Lambeth Bridge we passed by the HQ of MI5 the British Secret Service. A very nondescript building, likely by design. MI6 (see below) by contrast is the Secret Intelligence Service. Or as I read in an article once, MI6 spies on other countries, MI5 catches other countries' spies.
Next on the same side you pass by the Beautiful Tate Britain Museum. The Museum is amazing and while probably less visited now that the Tate Modern, my view is this is the better museum. Obviously art is to taste so maybe just go to both and we can debate our views later over a pint.
Vauxhall!
Soon enough we found ourselves at Vauxhall bridge which is quite lovely relative to the more basic boring bridges like London, Southwark, Waterloo and Westminster bridges downstream.
Right before you go under the bridge is MI6 which is a much more modern looking building which has been featured in at least one Bond movie Spectre. It almost looks like a very modern fortress. The building seems to be much more highly secured when you walk around it with all the fences, cameras and modern looking technology first entrances. I'm sure MI5, Bank of England, Parliament and similar are just as secure. If you decide to try to sneak in let me know how that goes.
Chill(y) Ride From Here
With the wind continuing to chill us we headed into a more chill and residential section with Vauxhall on our left and Pimlico on our right.
Of note in this section are the new U.S. Embassy and many tall residential towers which I'm sure created some hefty debate in their councils.
A few bridges later and you're at Chelsea Bridge and the Battersea Power Station. The Station is interesting in that 1) it has a very art deco design with 4 towering smokestacks and 2) that it's been decommissioned for a long time and is being repurposed at the heart of a commercial and residential community.
Passing under Chelsea Bridge you end up cruising past the lovely and relatively quiet Battersea Park on the left side with the London Peace Pagoda pretty much half way from start to finish, tucked nicely riverside. At the far end of the large park is Albert Bridge which is a beautiful bridge built in 1873 (try to see it lit up at night). It was originally proposed by Prince Albert in 1860 but took quite a while to build due to various opposition and delays. Albert sadly didn't see it finish as he passed away in December of 1861.
Fulham, Putney, Hammersmith
As you leave Chelsea you come upon a much more residential area. Of note are Craven Cottage, home of the new promoted to the EPL team Fulham FC, and Hammersmith Bridge which is another beauty!
Things continue to get quiet from there, passing through Barnes, Chiswick, Sheen, Kew before finally arriving at Richmond. The boat does unload at Kew (for a shorter trip) and Hampton (for a longer trip). When you get out in this section you almost don't feel like you're in London anymore. It tends to feel more rural and country like. It does beg the question.. where does London stop?
Just before jumping ship you go through the Richmond Lock. It's a quaint older looking lock with a footbridge. Quite a picturesque way to end the trip to Richmond. By this point we'd been inside for a bit so we quickly moved out to enjoy the locks and take a few photos.
Shortly thereafter you arriving at the Richmond unloading point (Dock? Pier? One never knows). And like that - we were done. Off to a lovely chill afternoon in Richmond.
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