Greenwich and Under the River

Greenwich-Park-Strava-Route-Where-to-run-in-LondonClick here for a zoomable map and the Strava Route

  • Distance – 4.7 miles
  • Surface –Tarmac paths
  • Terrain – Hilly
  • Surroundings – Park and tunnels
  • Traffic Free – No (there are some roads through Greenwich and       Blackheath)

The Route

Greenwich-Foot-Tunnel

The route starts at Island Gardens DLR station on the Isle of Dogs. The station is 6.5 miles from London (Trafalgar Square) most of which can be taken along the River Thames.

Head south towards the river to Island Gardens and look for the glass dome that leads down to the Greenwich Foot Tunnel, allowing you to run underneath the river.

Take the spiral stairs down (87 steps) and experience this surreal piece of Victorian engineering. The tunnel is 370m in length and is an odd but fantastic place to run.

Take the 100 steps up on the Greenwich side popping up at the Cutty Sark, one of the last tea clipper ships to be built, and London Marathon landmark. Continue south through Greenwich town to Greenwich Park.

Martime-Museum-Greenwich
Credit – rmg.org

Enter the park and turn left, running either in front of the Maritime Museum or diagonally towards and up the hill to Old Tree Vista Point to enjoy the views.

Continue around the edge of the park in a clockwise direction passing the Wilderness Deer Park and cross the road to Blackheath, skirting around the edge and heading back to Greenwich Park.

Greenwich-Park
The hill up to the Observatory. Credit – royalparks.org.uk

Head along the western edge of the park and around and then up the challenging hill to the Royal Observatory. Enjoy the views and that you’re at 0º Longitude on the Prime Meridian, the line splitting the east and west of the Globe.

Amble down the hill back through Greenwich town, back past the Cutty Sark and under the river.

Opening Times

The Greenwich Foot Tunnel is open 24 hours. It’s recommended to use the tunnel during the day or in the evening. The alternative is to take the DLR train.

Greenwich Park is open from 6:00 am for pedestrians. The park closing times vary based on the season. Click here for opening times.

Getting There – Public Transport

The nearest DLR station to the start on the route is Island Gardens.

Thames-Clipper-Boat

The other option is to take the Thames Clipper riverboat service from the city to the Masthouse Terrace stop on the Isle of Dogs to go through the Greenwich Foot Tunnel or go to and from the Greenwich Pier stop to avoid it. The Clipper can be paid via contactless card or Oyster card but is £7.30 per journey as opposed to less than £3 via Tube and DLR from Central London.

The Thames Clipper route map is here, and the routes and stops are shown on Google maps.

Parking

The route is best accessed by public transport.

Food and Drink

Pavilion-Café-Greenwich
Credit – royalparks.org

Pavilion Café at the top of the hill by the Royal Observatory – offering breakfast, lunch and drinks

  • 9.00 am – 4.00 pm – November until March (closed on Christmas Day)
  • 9.00 am – 5.00 pm – April and October
  • 9.00 am – 6.00 pm – May until September

White House Café – Located at St Mary’s Gate Lodge, at the bottom of The Avenue and adjacent to Greenwich Village for coffee, cake and pastries.

  • 10.00 – 16.00, Easter – end of October
  • 10.00 – 18.00, weekends and summer holidays

There are plenty of places in Greenwich and Blackheath to grab a bite and a cup of tea.

Strava

Click here for the Strava route which you can print or export.

Alternatively search “Where to Run in London” in the Strava app, go to “Routes”, pick the route and “Use”

 

Days out in Greenwich

Greenwich-Park-2
Credit – www.greenwich.co.uk

Greenwich has a lot to offer for a morning/afternoon or day out.

Royal Museums Greenwich are made up of the National Maritime Museum, Cutty Sark, Queens House, and Royal Observatory and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as Maritime Greenwich.

The online Day Explorer tickets are the best value to visit the Cutty Sark, Royal Observatory and Meridian Line. The prices are Adult – £23.65 and Child – £11.85. The website is here.

Cutty-Sark
Cutty Sark

The Cutty Sark is nice to look at from the outside but it’s well worth climbing aboard. There’s a normal café on the lower ground deck of the boat or you could even treat yourself to the full Cutty Sark afternoon tea experience. The cost is £28 per person, including admission to the ship but needs to be booked in advance.

Entry to the National Maritime Museum and The Queen’s House (Historic Mansion and art gallery) are free, but it is worth paying for the special exhibitions at the Maritime Museum that are normally very interesting.

The Planetarium is not included in the Day Explorer ticket.

The website for the Royal Museums Greenwich is here.

 

Greenwich Market is very lively and a great place to visit and pick up some food. There are lots of appealing food stalls serving dishes from around the world, homemade snacks and delicious fancy coffees.