This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Thames Path as a National Trail and there will be many events, including an organised relay walk in June, along its 186 miles celebrating this milestone.
Exit Blackfriars station and turn left towards the River Thames. Go down the steps you find on your left just before Blackfriars Bridge.
At the bottom turn right, with the river on your left, and follow the towpath underneath the bridge to the Bazalgette Embankment.
This is one of the 11 new public spaces added as part the Tideway Tunnel project, commonly known as the Super Sewer.
Construction of this deep-level sewer along the tidal section of the River Thames in London, running 25 kilometres (16 miles) from Acton in the west to Abbey Mills in the east, began in 2016.
The first sewage flowed into the tunnel in September 2024; it became fully operational in February 2025 and was officially opened in May 2025.
Sir Joseph William Bazalgette (1819–1891) was chief engineer of London’s Metropolitan Board of Works, his major achievement was the creation of the London Main Drainage, the sewerage system for central London, in response to the Great Stink of 1858, which was instrumental in relieving the city of cholera epidemics, while beginning to clean the Thames.
Exit the space with the Thames on your left and stay on the embankment until you reach Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.
Cross over the Thames on Westminster Bridge, turn left down the steps on the south bank and then turn right at the bottom and walk under the bridge with the river on your right. You stay on this side until Battersea Power Station.
As you approach Vauxhall Bridge you come to another Tideway Thames new public space – Effra Quay and the Isle of Effra.
Both acknowledge one of London’s hidden rivers, the Effra, which empties into the Thames at this point.
Heading on towards Battersea Power Station you soon pass the US embassy on your left and go through Heathwall Quay.
A little further on you need to turn away from the river. When you can go no further along Tideway Walk, turn left, walk up Kirtling Street, turn left along Cringle Steet and then right onto Nine Elms Lane.
At Battersea Power Station underground station turn right heading towards the iconic chimneys of the Grade II-listed power station.
This legendary London landmark and surrounding area has been brought back to life as a mixed-use neighbourhood – a place for locals, tourists and residents to enjoy a blend of more than 150 shops, bars, restaurants, leisure and entertainment venues, parks and historical spaces.
Des Garrahan was born in and has lived and worked his whole life in London.
These days, as well as being vice chair of the Thames Path National Trail Partnership and sitting on the TfL London Leisure Walking Strategy Delivery Group, Des regularly leads free monthly urban walks across London.
