Harper-Thames follows the Footprints of London tour through Tudor gatehouses, wildflowers, and Eel Pie Island’s surprising rock history
This stretch of the Thames from Richmond to Twickenham has apparently been named by Sir David Attenborough himself as his favourite place on the entire planet, and having finally done the guided Wind in the Willows walk covering this exact route, I can now say I completely understand why with an embarrassing amount of conviction.
Why I’d Waited So Long To Actually Do This Particular Walk Despite Loving This Stretch Of River
A vague sense that guided walks were somehow “not for me,” a snobbery I’ve since fully abandoned after realising I’ve been missing genuinely excellent context my entire time living near this exact stretch.
What The Walk Actually Covered That I’d Never Properly Noticed Before
The Tudor gatehouse of Richmond Palace, the wildflowers of Marble Hill Park, and, most unexpectedly, the considerable rock music history tied to Eel Pie Island, a combination I genuinely didn’t see coming from a walk I’d assumed would be purely about nature.
How Learning Eel Pie Island’s Actual Music History Changed My Perspective On A Spot I’d Walked Past Countless Times
Completely, given I’d previously registered it as simply a pretty, slightly odd little island rather than a genuine piece of British rock history hiding in plain sight.
Whether I Think This Walk Genuinely Lives Up To Attenborough’s Considerable Praise
Surprisingly, yes, and I say that as someone who assumed no single stretch of London riverbank could reasonably compete with the rest of the natural world he’s spent his career documenting.
What This Whole Walk Revealed About How Much Context Genuinely Transforms A Familiar Stretch Of River Into Something You Suddenly See Completely Differently
Mostly that I’ve been walking past genuine history this whole time without a single clue, and that a good guide can turn an ordinary Sunday stroll into something considerably closer to a small revelation. More riverside walking discoveries continue at bohiney.com.
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com
