A ride along the river

Looking across the Thames to the City

On a sunny summer's evening in London, there is no better place to be than beside the river and one of the best ways to appreciate the river is with a cycle ride and a couple of drinks. So, last Friday evening, making the most of what might be one of the last sunny evenings this summer three of us cycled from Tower Bridge to Deptford along the Thames Path, stopping at a couple of interesting pubs along the way.


It really was a beautiful evening with fantastic views across the river to the buildings on the other side. To make it even more special, just as we reached the riverside we spotted a tall ship, ARC Gloria, just appearing from behind the cruise ships.

ARC Gloria appears

 I knew Gloria was due to be moored at Deptford but hadn't expected to see her sailing. Actually I shouldn't say sailing, as the sails were down and a motor was obviously being used but it was still a great spectacle with some members of the crew standing to attention in the rigging and others singing (unfortunately it sounded less impressive than it looked).




We watched for quite a while as she approached Tower Bridge and then passed through it. I hope all the people delayed by the opening of the bridge were able to appreciate the spectacle too!

The Angel pub, Rotherhithe

The rest of our cycle ride was less eventful but still just as enjoyable. We stopped to enjoy a drink in the last of the evening sunshine at The Angel in Rotherhithe. This is a great pub which doesn't get too busy despite its fantastic riverside location, probably because it's abit of a trek from public transport which also means it is best visited by bike.

Evening sun on Canary Wharf

Then onwards, with some great views of the setting sun reflecting off the towers of Canary Wharf before reaching our final destination for the evening - The Dog and Bell in Deptford. Not only does this pub have a good choice of real ales, an extensive range of Belgian beers and great value food on offer but the landlord is extremely welcoming to cyclists - even letting us bring our bikes through to the back of the pub so we could store them safely.  It's such a good place to finish a bike ride that I was too busy enjoying the food and drink to take any more photos!