Thames Estuary, South Side: Gravesend to Dartford

[For a ride along the Thames to the West, between Dartford and Woolwich, see this blog.]
[For a ride along the Thames to the East, between Cliffe and Gravesend, see this blog.]

Previously, I have explored the north side of the Thames estuary around Rainham, Purfleet, and Grays: see this blog. I have also crossed from North to South using the 'dial-a-ride' service over the Queen Elizabeth road bridge, and made a limited exploration of the river bank westwards to the Darenth River Barrier. Today, I added another piece to the jigsaw, by riding from Gravesend to Dartford, staying close to the river as far as possible. It was also a chance to experience the ferry crossing from Tilbury to Gravesend. Here is a map of our route.



Once again, I met up with my good friend at Waterloo and we crossed London to Fenchurch Street Station, making use of the new and excellent Cycle Superhighway, and then caught the train down to Tilbury, arriving around 11am, with the weather set fair. From the station, it was a short ride down to the ferry jetty. We didn't have to wait long for the ferry: boarding was easy and we propped our bikes against the railings on the poop deck (if ferries have such a thing). The £3 fare was very reasonable.

Disembarked at Gravesend, we explored the pedestrianised high street, which has been rebranded at its lower end as the 'Heritage Quarter', reflecting the venerable age of many of the buildings. In Victorian times, Gravesend was a busy mooring for ships arriving from and departing to distant climes, and the High Street provided R&R for the sailors. Gravesend is also noted as the burial place of the native American Princess, Pocahontas, who died here of fever whilst waiting to set sail for home.

Having stopped for a brunch at a cafe in the High Street, we started our progress Westwards. We only covered about 15 miles, but we were in no hurry and there was plenty to see. It was an interesting journey through cement works, redevelopment sites, warehouses, processing plants, nature reserves - see photos below. There are some unusual structures ( a concrete war memorial, a huge electricity pylon, a very tall chimney, the QE2 bridge......). And we were never very far from the great river, busy with big ships.

Mid-afternoon, we tried at both the pubs in Greenhithe to get a cuppa, but at the first the "kitchens were closed", and the second had "run out of tea bags", so we had to settle for the in-store cafe at the Asda supermarket, where the aircon provided welcome relief from the humidity.  From Dartford, we returned by train to Waterloo East.

Ferry arriving at Tilbury

On board

Approaching Gravesend jetty

Gravesend High Street

Activity at Tilbury Docks

Mounds of stuff

Looking across to the old chalk quarry at Northfleet, subsequently site of the Victorian Rosherville Gardens: apparently, the remains include a Grade 2 listed bear pit.

Incongruous entrance to the path across the Northfleet cement works

Sphinx in Northfleet cement works: this statuary is presumably in concrete and adorned a quarry tunnel entrance. There is also a memorial to employees who died in the Great War, in the form of a statue of Britannia. 

The works are served by a railway.

Leaving the Northfleet cement works

Tall chimney in the Britannia Metals works

What a contrast: Swanscombe Marshes, a nature reserve (but threatened by a proposed theme park)

First view of QE2 bridge, Broadness Point

Broadness: Huge pylon to carry electricity cables across the Thames.
Nearby, the HS1 rail line passes in a tunnel under your feet.

Approaching the Ingress Park development at Greenhithe

Riverside at Ingress Park

Ingress Abbey (now a branch of the Lithuanian Embassy). In 'London Orbital', Iain Sinclair claims that the Abbey was Bram Stoker's inspiration for Carfax, Count Dracula's outer London pad.

Greenhithe

More mounds of stuff

Approaching QE2 bridge

Looking back east to Littlebrook Power Station, now closed.
The Thames here is called 'Long Reach'.
Smallpox isolation ships were moored here until the early 1900s, when the Joyce Green hospital was built to replace them.

Flood barrier at the mouth of the River Darent, aka Dartford Creek

Approaching Dartford