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Walking the Thames Path London: Westminster to Craven Cottage
- Sports Travel Tom
- 2 days ago
- 12 min read
A practical guide to walking the Thames Path from Westminster to Craven Cottage, including the route, what you'll see along the way and how to explore Fulham's new Riverside Stand.
I love London. The hustle and bustle, the busy streets, the entertainment, zooming around the city on the Underground and marvelling at the buildings. But rarely do people actually slow down and soak it all in.
I'd long heard about the Thames Path, which follows the River Thames through some of the capital's most iconic areas, but little did I know just how much it can slow the city down and allow you to properly take it all in, at your own pace.
Having spent time exploring some of the great sporting occasions you can experience along the river Thames, I soon came to realise just how many of them are connected by the Thames Path.
In that sense, it has to rank as one of the capital's great sporting walks.
So I set off from the rather iconic starting point of Westminster Bridge and followed the Thames Path for six miles to Craven Cottage, the home of Fulham FC.
Here, the club's Riverside Stand has undergone a remarkable transformation which, rather than blocking the stadium off from the river, celebrates its location and has created a new destination on the banks of the Thames.
At a Glance
Route: Westminster Bridge to Craven Cottage
Distance: Around 6 miles / 10km
Walking time: Around 2–3 hours without long stops
Start: Westminster Bridge
Finish: Craven Cottage, Fulham
Route: Primarily along the Thames Path
Difficulty: Easy, predominantly flat urban walking
Best for: London sightseeing, walking, sport, football and exploring the Thames
Highlights: Westminster, Thames riverside, Bridges, Chelsea Harbour, Bishop's Park and Craven Cottage
Good to know: You don't need a Fulham match ticket to enjoy the riverside setting around the stadium but you can still see the pitch on non matchdays.
Watch my complete six-mile Thames Path walk from Westminster to Craven Cottage here.
Why walk the Thames Path through London?
When you travel around London on the Underground, you disappear beneath the city for large parts of your journey, only to emerge somewhere else.
Walking lets you see how those places actually connect, and how London has sprawled along the Thames from its iconic central landmarks to its quieter, leafier neighbourhoods.
You get to experience the bridges along the way, beginning at Westminster Bridge before passing Chelsea Bridge, Albert Bridge and eventually Putney Bridge.
You also get a glimpse of everyday life in London: runners jogging along the riverbank, cyclists commuting beside the Thames and river boats ferrying people up and down the city.
It may take considerably longer than an Underground journey, but spending an afternoon exploring London this way does something travelling beneath it simply can't.
It helps you understand how the city fits together, while giving you more time to appreciate its history, its neighbourhoods and its character.
Where does the Westminster to Craven Cottage walk start?
Firstly, I should point out that the full length of the Thames Path will take you just a little longer than an afternoon to complete.
The official route covers around 180 miles, from the source of the Thames near Kemble in Gloucestershire all the way to Woolwich in south-east London.
The stretch I've embarked on is just a small section of that much longer route: six miles through the heart of London.
And because of its iconic place in the London landscape, I started my walk on Westminster Bridge on a bright, sunny morning.
To my right, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben stand over the river as the city springs into life for another day.
I should also point out that I walked this section of the Thames Path along the northern bank of the river, but there are walking routes along both sides of the Thames through central London.
The Thames Path is well signposted along the way, making the route relatively easy to follow.
Westminster is also an easy starting point to reach. Westminster Underground station is
served by the District, Circle and Jubilee lines, while river services also stop at Westminster Pier.
From Westminster Bridge, I walked towards Big Ben before heading around the Palace of Westminster, through Parliament Square and along Abingdon Street towards College Green.
Following the Thames Path west through London
Westminster to Vauxhall Bridge
After passing through College Green, cross over the road and you'll walk a short distance along Millbank. You can actually leave the roadside almost immediately here and walk closer to the Thames through Victoria Tower Gardens.
Lambeth Bridge is the first bridge you'll encounter, before continuing along Millbank past Millbank Pier and Riverside Walk Gardens towards the much busier junction around Vauxhall Bridge.
And across the water, you'll spot one of London's more recognisable modern landmarks.
James Bond's office.
Well, sort of.
The distinctive MI5 building sits prominently on the opposite bank of the Thames and has featured in several Bond films over the years.
London's sporting story follows the Thames
It's around here that I have a realisation.
The Thames doesn't simply act as a busy waterway through the UK's capital.
The river and its banks have also become home to a remarkable amount of sport and adventure.
Every day, runners, cyclists and rowers use the Thames and its riverside paths to exercise, train and commute.
Just beyond Vauxhall Bridge sits The Oval, where county and international cricket has been played for generations in front of thousands of spectators.
Further west is the Hurlingham Club, home each summer to the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic, while close by you'll find the starting point of another of London's great sporting traditions: the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race at Putney.
And waiting at the end of today's walk is Fulham Football Club and Craven Cottage, with its impressive new Riverside Stand sitting directly beside the Thames.
Suddenly, this isn't simply a nice walk through London.
There's a sporting story following the river too.
Vauxhall to Chelsea
After Vauxhall Bridge, London suddenly starts to feel a little quieter.
You're increasingly walking away from the major roads and junctions, with the life of the river alongside you to enjoy.
Along this stretch through Pimlico, the path appears to stop dead in front of me.
From a distance, it genuinely looks as though somebody has built a brick wall across my route.
Only when I get closer do I realise that the wall curves around and the path weaves between the buildings.
Thankfully, this guide can continue.
Chelsea Bridge comes next, shortly after passing beneath the railway lines running towards Victoria Station, and the route then rejoins the main road along Chelsea Embankment.
It may be a busier road, but with trees lining the route and the Thames still beside you, this long, straight stretch remains surprisingly relaxing.
Across the water, the greenery of Battersea Park fills much of the opposite bank, making this part of London feel considerably less urban than the streets around Westminster.
There's traffic, of course. This is still London.
But the intensity of the city has noticeably dropped.
Continue west and Chelsea's rather extraordinary houseboats begin appearing along the river.
Some of them are enormous, complete with gardens that plenty of houses on dry land would be proud of.
I can't help but stop for a while and take in the scene, with west London beginning to reveal itself further upstream.
Finding your way through Chelsea Harbour
After the houseboats, the route takes you along Lots Road in Chelsea, where colourful houses line parts of the street and the Thames temporarily disappears from view.
This is one of those moments when following the Thames Path isn't quite as simple as just following the river.
The route twists its way through the developments around Chelsea Waterfront and Chelsea Harbour, crossing Chelsea Creek before eventually bringing you back towards the riverside near Chelsea Harbour Pier.
Keep going and you'll reach The Waterside.
On a sunny day, its terrace overlooking the Thames makes for a tempting place to stop for lunch or a drink, particularly as you've now put a substantial part of the six-mile walk behind you.
The route moves away from the immediate riverfront again further along before eventually bringing you towards Townmead Road. There's also a large supermarket around this part of the route, which can be useful if you need to pick up some water or refreshments for the remaining walk.
From here, the route continues towards Hurlingham.
The Hurlingham Club itself creates something of a diversion from the river, so you'll need to work your way around the surrounding roads and Hurlingham Park before eventually reaching Ranelagh Gardens and Putney Bridge Underground station.
And that's an important landmark.
Because once you reach Putney Bridge, cross over the road and enter Bishop's Park.
You're now on the final stretch to Craven Cottage.
Walking the final stretch to Craven Cottage
For anyone still believing they're in the centre of one of the world's biggest cities, this is where the walk really begins to change.
Step into Bishop's Park and suddenly gravel crunches beneath your feet. The Thames returns alongside you on the left, while trees and parkland replace the buildings and busy roads on your right.
Small green spaces sit behind the main riverside path and, once a year, this peaceful corner of London takes on a very different character during the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.
Big screens go up, food and drink stalls appear and thousands of spectators gather beside the Thames for one of the world's oldest and most famous sporting contests.
Today, though, it's peaceful.
Continue along the path and eventually something begins to appear between the trees ahead.
A football ground.
But this isn't simply a stadium that happens to sit beside the Thames.
Craven Cottage has occupied this remarkable riverside setting for generations, but its latest development has changed its relationship with the river completely.
Rather than simply being positioned next to the Thames, the stadium now feels like it's becoming part of the riverfront itself.
And after six miles of following the Thames across London, I can't think of a more fitting place to finish.
Exploring Craven Cottage without a match ticket
I've visited stadiums all over the world, but Craven Cottage has to sit in one of the most unique settings I've experienced.
Perhaps it's because I've arrived on foot after following the Thames for six miles, but the stadium feels very different to many of London's other football grounds.
There's history everywhere.
Fulham have played at Craven Cottage since 1896 and, as you walk around the ground, parts of the stadium still retain the character of football from another era.
The red-brick Johnny Haynes Stand runs along Stevenage Road, while the Cottage itself sits tucked into the corner of the ground and remains one of the most recognisable features of any stadium in English football.
It's a wonderful contrast to what's happened on the other side.
Because while much of Craven Cottage celebrates its history, the side facing the Thames has undergone a very modern transformation.
And importantly, you don't necessarily need to have a Fulham match ticket to experience it.
That's what makes Craven Cottage such an interesting destination at the end of this walk.
Even on a non-matchday, there's something here to explore before turning around and heading home.
And that's where things get particularly interesting.
Fulham's new Riverside Stand and Thames promenade
For years, Craven Cottage's location beside the Thames was one of the things that made the stadium special, but you couldn't really experience much of that relationship from outside the ground.
The redevelopment of the Riverside Stand has changed that considerably.
Rather than creating a huge new stand which simply blocks the stadium off from the river, the development has opened this side of Craven Cottage up to the Thames.
A riverside promenade now runs alongside the stand, allowing you to continue your walk beside the water with the stadium immediately alongside you.
And when I visited on a non-matchday, I found something I wasn't necessarily expecting.
This doesn't feel like an area designed solely for people attending football.
Bars, cafés and terraces are being incorporated into the development, creating somewhere to stop, grab a drink or something to eat and simply enjoy the riverside setting.
Suddenly, Craven Cottage becomes somewhere you might visit as part of a day beside the Thames, whether Fulham are playing or not.
The views are rather special too.
On one side, the Thames continues flowing through west London. On the other, you're walking alongside a Premier League football stadium.
And then comes my favourite little discovery.
Look through some of the windows inside the Riverside Market — the indoor section of the Riverside Stand and you can actually see inside Craven Cottage, with the pitch appearing just a few metres away.
It's quite a surreal sight.
You've spent the afternoon walking beside the river, you're technically outside the football ground without a match ticket, yet there in front of you is the pitch.
What I particularly like is the contrast.
Walk around one side of Craven Cottage and you'll find one of English football's most historic stands.
Walk around the other and you find a modern riverside development attempting to turn a football stadium into part of the wider neighbourhood.
For someone who loves visiting sporting venues, that alone makes it worth exploring.
But even if football isn't particularly your thing, the promenade gives this six-mile walk a rather lovely destination.
Is the Westminster to Craven Cottage walk worth doing?
Yes, particularly if you want to experience a side of London that you simply don't see from the Underground.
If it's your first visit to the capital and you only have a day to see Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge and the other famous sights, there are probably more obvious walks to tackle first.
But if you have a little more time, live in London or simply want to get away from the busiest tourist areas, following the Thames west from Westminster is a brilliant way to spend an afternoon.
Six miles is long enough for it to feel like a proper walk without turning it into a major hiking challenge.
The route is predominantly flat, there are plenty of places to stop along the way and public transport is never particularly far away should you decide you've walked enough.
Sports fans have another layer to discover.
You pass connections to cricket, rowing, tennis, football and the everyday runners and cyclists who use the river, before finishing beside one of London's most distinctive sporting venues.
Fulham supporters could also use the route to turn a visit to Craven Cottage into a much bigger day out, although you certainly don't need to be attending a match to justify doing the walk.
And that's perhaps the biggest surprise.
You don't really need to care about football at all.
Craven Cottage provides a satisfying destination, but the Thames Path is the star of the journey.
Watching London gradually change from Westminster's famous landmarks to the quieter, greener stretches of Fulham is what makes the walk so enjoyable.
Is this London's best sporting walk? Final thoughts
I started on Westminster Bridge with a fairly simple question.
Is this London's best sporting walk?
Six miles later, I'm not sure there's an objective way of answering that. London is far too big, and its sporting landscape far too varied, for me to declare one route the winner.
But this one takes some beating.
I've watched the Houses of Parliament disappear behind me, followed the Thames as the crowds have gradually thinned, passed bridges, houseboats, parks and neighbourhoods, and discovered just how often sport appears along the way.
The Oval sits close to the river at Vauxhall. Further west, Hurlingham has its tennis. Putney has the start of the Boat Race. Runners, rowers and cyclists have accompanied me throughout.
And finally, emerging through the trees of Bishop's Park, Craven Cottage provides the perfect sporting finish.
Perhaps most importantly, the Thames has been there throughout.
It's been the route, the scenery and the thread connecting completely different parts of London together.
Finish with a drink or something to eat overlooking the river at Craven Cottage and, after six miles on foot, it's difficult not to feel you've experienced considerably more of London than you would have done travelling beneath it.
So is it London's best sporting walk?
I've got plenty more of the capital left to explore before I'm willing to make that call.
But I know I'd happily walk this one again.
Because as I realised when I finally reached Craven Cottage:
You don't always need a match ticket to enjoy sport. Sometimes, you just need a great walk.
I'll continue sharing sports travel guides, ticket tips and experiences from stadiums, arenas and sporting destinations around the world here on Sports Travel Tom.
You can also follow the journey on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok @sportstraveltom, where I share regular ticket updates, travel guides and sporting adventures to help you travel better for sport and adventure.
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