Greenwich Pier
Cutty Sark Gardens
SE10 9HT

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Chimneys & Tunnels along the Thames

Power, pollution, danger

On this riverside walk we track down the unmarked monuments and buried tubes around Greenwich and the Isle of Dogs. We seek out their stories of power, pollution and danger.

We start by speeding across the Thames by Clipper from Greenwich Pier to Masthouse Terrace Quay. From there it’s a 3 and a half mile ‘dot-to-dot’ walk as we link together the chimneys above our heads, sometimes tracing the routes of tunnels.

Note to budding steeplejacks and subterranean explorers: leave your harnesses, torches and hard hats at home! Apart from the descent into one tunnel, we’ll keep our feet firmly on ground level as we let our minds wander above and below.

What to expect:  Tour goers will:

  • cross the Thames by Clipper boat and return beneath it through the Greenwich Foot Tunnel.
  • explore riverside Greenwich and the Isle of Dogs with its spectacular views of the Royal Naval College, and pass round Greenwich Park and the Queen’s House.
  • learn about the area’s industrial history, the world’s largest ship, the early railways, London’s smoky smelly past and its tubular infrastructure.
  • find out about hidden tunnels, unmarked chimneys, eighteenth century mass hysteria and other seldom-told stories.
  • hear how the powerful – from pier owners to the Astronomers Royal – have influenced the area’s development.

Meet: 2.30pm by at Greenwich Pier Ticket Office. Tour ends there at about 5pm.

Tickets: £15 adults; £12 over 65s & full-time students. Tour price includes a smoky snack. It does not include the cost of the Thames Clipper ticket.

Booking essentialBook here.