Starting from Lewisham Station, Lewisham Road

Route Instructions: 

[1] Turn left out of the station and walk down, away from the station, through the bus depot towards the large roundabout. Cross over the main road at the pedestrian lights and continue across a semicircular patch of grass. Follow the road past Lewisham Police Station.

[2] Turn left along Lee High Road, passing the Victorian clock tower and pedestrianised shopping area on your right, on the other side of the road.

[3] Turn left into Belmont Hill. Walk up and along Belmont Hill, crossing all side roads. This is a long stretch of uphill walking. Take care along this road as there are stretches of narrow pavement.Wheelchair/pushchair users should watch out for the junctions with Belmont Grove and Cedars Close which do not have fully lowered curbs.

[4] Just as the road changes into Lee Terrace you will see St Margaret’s church on the right and Stephen James BMW dealership on your left side of the road. Continue along Lee Terrace until it meets Lee Road, approximately 1km from the start.

Ahead can be seen two striking redbrick buildings, the Blackheath Conservatoire (founded in 1881) and Black Heath Halls (built 1895). Turn left onto Lee Road, which shortly becomes Blackheath Village (Downhill gradient).

[5] Continue along Blackheath Village down past the shops to Blackheath station. Cross the road at the pelican crossing outside the station and turn left. Cross over the railway and Blackheath Grove and then follow the pavement right and up Montpelier Vale (beware of narrow pavement).

It is worth a slight detour at this point to investigate the good range of buildings, shops and eateries to be found in Blackheath village.

[6] At the fork, bear right onto Montpelier Row and walk up towards the heath. Just before The Clarendon Hotel on the right, cross over Montpelier Row at the un-controlled island crossing before the mini roundabout. Cross the grass onto the path alongside Prince Charles Road (take care if the ground is muddy). You will see All Saints Church on your left.

[7] Continue along the path until you reach a path on the left called Long Pond Road, (unsigned and shared access), you will still have All Saints Church in view. Walk left along this path then turn right onto the first path on your right, this is a shared access path named Duke Humphrey Road (walkway and cycle path well signed). Good views behind you back across the heath.

[8] Continue straight along this path to the Toucan Crossing over Shooters Hill Road. Continue straight across at the crossing and go along the left hand side of Duke Humphrey Road to an uncontrolled crossing over Charlton Way. Cross the road to the gates of Greenwich Park. Look left as this is a one way road.

[9] Take the Blackheath Gate Entrance/Exit to Greenwich Park (public toilets). Continue straight into Greenwich Park and along Blackheath Avenue until you come to The Avenue on the left. Cross over the Avenue and continue straight to reach theview point.

(A) Greenwich Park is a former hunting park in Greenwich. It is one of the Royal Parks of London, and the first to be enclosed (in 1433). On top of the hill is the Royal Observatory, home to GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) and the dividing point between the east and west hemispheres. Outside is a statue of General James Wolfe in a small plaza. It commands fine views over the River Thames, Isle of Dogs and the City of London. The park is open from 06:00 and closes at dusk.

[10] When you have finished taking in the view, turn around and retrace your steps to The Avenue and follow it down the hill.

[11] Take the first path on the right and walk diagonally across the park below the Observatory, with the Royal Maritime Museum and the Queens House on your left.

[12] Leave the Park by the Park Row Gate entrance/exit (There is a good view back from here of the Royal Observatory), and walk along Park Row. Cross Romney Road and continue along Park Row towards the river with the Old Royal Naval College buildings on your left.

Here, if you would prefer to walk along the river than through the grounds of the college, continue to where Park Row ends at the river and turn left to walk along the Thames past the Old Royal Naval College buildings to reach the site of the Cutty Sark. Continue from (15).

[13] To walk through the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College, turn left through the gates. The Chapel and the Painted Hall are in two separate buildings on the right with Greenwich University buildings on the left. Follow the broad road ahead through the grounds to the exit in King William Walk.

(B) The Old Royal Naval College is a master piece of British baroque architecture designed by Sir Christopher Wren which is now home to the University of Greenwich and Trinity College of Music. The Chapel and Painted Hall have been fully restored to their former splendour and are open free to the public from 10.00 to dusk.

Short route:You may like to take a short route from the Old Royal Naval College directly to the station. To do so, go out of the gates and cross the road (King William Walk). Walk ahead down College Approach. At the end you will see clearly marked ahead the entrance to the Cutty Sark DLR station and trains back to Lewisham.

[14] Long route: Turn right along King William Walk towards the river, the Cutty Sark, Greenwich Pier and the entrance to the Greenwich Footway Tunnel.Continue towards the river and bear to the left past the entrance to the Greenwich Footway Tunnel.

(C) The Greenwich Foot Tunnel runs under the River Thames between Greenwich and Island Gardens, on the Isle of Dogs. The circular entrance buildings are similar both sides of the river and contain a lift and a long spiral flight of stairs. It is open 24 hours a day, although the lifts do not always run the full time. It was opened on 4 August 1902. It is 1,217 feet in length and approx 50 feet deep. Its original purpose was to allow south London residents to work in the docks on the Isle of Dogs.  The tunnel is lined with 200,000 glazed white tiles.

[15] Bear left again onto Greenwich Church Street, staying on the right hand side which provides an optional ramp. Cross over Thames Street and continue to the Crescent Arcade.

[16] Turn right into Crescent Arcade and to the Cutty Sark DLR station and trains back to Lewisham.

Aknowledgments:

Original Route Developer: Miles Thornhill 

Original Route Checker: Jenny Sage and Helen Toomey