Walk Along The Thames Path From Putney To Battersea

I’m particularly fond of the Thames Path walk from Putney to Battersea. I have walked various versions of the route more times than I can count. It is of course my stomping ground. So, I thought I would show you what it’s about. For this walk I will take you as far as Battersea Park

There is opportunity to walk on both sides of the river with numerous bridge crossing opportunities along the way.

Looking across the River Thames, lined with trees and with high rise apartments in the distance. There is a small boat moored in the middle of the river.

Looking across the River Thames to Battersea Bridge on the Thames Path walk from Putney. There is a red double decker bus going across the bridge, and brown high rise apartments in the distance on the other side.

This is where the conundrum may lay. If you walk from Putney to Battersea, knowing which side of the river is the better side of the Thames Path. This is where I come in.

First off, there is one route I recommend for the section of the walk from Putney to Wandsworth Bridge. It involves two (or one) bridge crossings, arriving at Wandsworth Bridge on the south side. From here, I will show you 2 options to continue the walk towards Battersea Park. The north side or south side. Each has something the other side doesn’t.

I’m hoping that by showing you both, you can decide which side of the Thames Path you like best, on the walk between Putney and Battersea.

The north side of the river on the Putney to Battersea Thames Path walk

If I had to pick, I would probably say this is my favourite side on the section between Wandsworth Bridge and Battersea Park. It is way more peaceful (mostly). You are far enough away from the road that you don’t hear it. It’s way less crowded in terms of people traffic. You get to see up close Lots Road Power Station, the lesser known cousin of Battersea Power Station. You also get a fantastic view of the London skyline.

The one downside to this side of the river, on the walk between Putney and Battersea, is, although it is very peaceful, it is bookended with chaos. First along Wandsworth Bridge which is an ugly noisy bridge, and seems to be permanently under construction maintenance. And then on the other end, the remainder of the Thames Path walk route towards Battersea Park, takes you away from the river briefly, and then along the busy Embankment (you will have an option to cross back over the river here to get away from the road).

The south side of the river on the Putney to Battersea Thames Path walk

For many years, this is the side I usually walked on. It’s a big path, and you can walk almost the whole of the Thames Path straight to Battersea Park without going onto the road. I also slightly prefer the views form this side, to the older buildings across the River Thames (mixed in with some newer ones). This side of the river is dominated with giant new build apartment complexes, which will be a lot of your view, if you are on the other side.

Looking across the river to the house boats and buildings on the other side, on the Thames Path walk from Putney to Battersea.

Red coopered apartments buildings on the other side of the river on the Thames Path walk from Putney to Battersea.

As I said, this was the side I usually used to walk along…then lockdown happened. What used to be a lovely place to walk along the river, became crowded, like, the kind of crowded where runners trying to dodge the people walking, would knock into you. I have never seen this many people walking along the river (no judgement here, it’s great people were getting out for walks).

It’s never fully recovered. Yes, the crowded chaos has died down a little, but I still avoid it like the plague on weekends and sunny days.

One other thing I’m not crazy about on this side of the river, is that a road runs kind of parallel to it the whole way. So there is always car noise.

River crossing options

Putney Bridge, Fulham Railway Bridge, Wandsworth Bridge, Battersea Bridge, Albert Bridge. I will tell you some fun facts about each one when I go on to describe the walk further down.

Batrersea Bridge over the river Thames, on the walk from Putney. There is a red bus going across the bridge.

Points of interest on the walk between Putney and Battersea

Apart from the bridges, you have sculptures, statues, a helipad, a church, a yacht yard, barges, house boats, power stations, and one of the best parks in London (in my opinion). I will show you and tell you about each when I describe the walk below.

Old boats moored on the side of the River Thames with tall glass covered apartments on the other side on the Thames Path walk from Putney.

A group of barge boats moored on the side of the river on the walk from Putney to Battersea along the Thames Path. There is a green bridge going across the river, and apartment buildings on the other side.

Looking across the bank of the River Thames at low tide. The spire of St Mary's Church is poking up through the trees, with a glass covered apartment block behind it.

For this post, I don’t take you into the park, but I get you right up to it, so you can go and explore at will. I have actually written about the Thames Path river walk in Battersea Park on my other website, if you want to see what it’s like.

Logistics for the walk from Putney to Battersea

Start: Putney Bridge
Finish: Albert Bridge
How to get there: Putney Bridge underground station is zone 2 on the District line, on the north side of the river. Putney overground is on the high street on the south side of the river. You can get a direct train here from Clapham Junction and Waterloo. At Albert Bridge, you can get on the Thames Clippers River bus from Cadogan pier. Alternatively, if you walk through Battersea Park, you will reach Battersea Power Station underground, or Queenstown road and Battersea Park overground.

Alternative start/finish: Wandsworth overground station is a few minutes walk from the river. Or one of the river bus piers which are at various points along the route (see below for details).
Distance: 5 miles (4.8)
Time: 1h 45min (can be done quicker. I stopped a lot for photos)
Difficulty: Easy
Tips/amenities: Putney should have everything you need. There are lots of benches en route. Halfway in, there is a giant Sainsbury’s on the north side, if you need a toilet stop. There are usually a couple of coffee trucks along the south side route. At Wandsworth Bridge there is the Ship pub (it’s a popular one). At Albert Bridge there is the Prince Albert Pub. Or, if you walk through Battersea park to the other side, there are lots of restaurants.

Time of year: The photos I took for this post were from autumn/winter.

Uber river bus

The route is served by the Uber river bus. The piers along the route are Putney, Wandsworth Riverside Quarter, Planation Wharf, Chelsea Harbour, Cadogan. Then if you do decided to walk to the other side of Battersea Park, you have Battersea Power Station pier. Now, be careful of the times. This route is only in operation during commuter times. It is essentially used for commuters needing to get into the city for work. As such, it does not run on weekends, and on weekdays it stops running late morning and starts up again later on in the afternoon. Battersea Power Station pier operates differently, and you can catch a boat from there to take you east along the river on weekends and daytime.

Map for the walk from Putney to Battersea

I have only included the north side or the river walking route in the map. The south side is pretty self explanatory.

Route Description: Walk From Putney To Battersea

Now, to start this walk, if you have arrived on the south side, I would recommend walking across Putney Bridge to the north side of the river.

Looking across the bank of the river at low tide, with Putney Bridge crossing the river on the Thames Path walk towards Battersea. — Looking back at Putney Bridge, on the North side of the river

Fun facts about Putney Bridge:

It’s a grade II listed bridge.
This is not the original. It was first built in 1729 (back then it was known as Fulham Bridge). In 1870 it was badly damaged by a barge collision, and subsequently demolished to make way for the new bridge. The new one (the one we see today) was completed in 1886.
The play ‘Once Upon a Bridge’ by Sonya Kelly was inspired by an incident that occurred on the bridge. It’s not a fun incident.

Just across the river, take the steps down to reach the river side. If you look ahead, you will see Fulham Railway Bridge. The only reason to start off the Putney to Battersea walk on the North side of the river, is so you get to cross over that bridge 🙂

Fulham Railway Bridge across the water of the River Thames. The sky is blue with a few white clouds.

Looking along the Thames Path to Fulham Railway Bridge, on the walk from Putney to Battersea.

Looking along the footpath of Fulham Railway Bridge. There are a couple of people and their dog standing on the bridge looking over the railing.

So go ahead and cross it.

Fun facts about Fulham Railway Bridge:

It opened in 1889 and was designed for the London and Southwestern Railway.
In the mid 90’s it was refurbished for the London Underground.

Also known as the Iron Bridge

You will notice, just before the steps up to the bridge, there is a Thames Path sign telling you to go the other way, and not over the bridge. Ignore that.

Yes, you can continue staying on this side of the river but it’s not the best bit. It’s mostly on residential roads, and an average park before you walk back along the river again.

So as I was saying, walk over Fulham Railway Bridge to get onto the south side of the river.

Looking down the bank of the River Thames at low tide on the Thames Path walk towards Battersea from Putney. there is a group of high rise apartments in the distance on the other side of the river.

Once down the steps, you will be on a residential street. Turn left here, and it’s only a short walk before reaching the archway to the mews homes. Once through the mews, you will be in Wandsworth park.

The faced of mews homes with ivy leaves growing across it.

Looking through the brick archway and black iron gate to the green of Wandsworth park.

Walk through Wandsworth park and navigate the new builds

In Wandsworth park, to the left there is a tree lined path and a river side path. Take whichever, to lead you to the other side and exit.

A black path through a tree tunnel in Wandsworth Park.

The Thames Path on the walk from Putney to Battersea. The path is lined with overhanging trees. There are orange autumn leaves scattered across the ground.

Looking across the river to the bank and green trees lining the other side on the walk from Putney to Battersea along the Thames Path. There is a small red and white boat moored in the middle of the river.

A short way along you will reach an area that is subject to change. At the time of writing, the Thames Path takes you off the river side. Normally you would be able to keep to the river, but it’s currently closed due to construction.

Once construction is finished, you can just stick to the river, but for now….

A black lamppost with Thames Path signage on the walk to Battersea from Putney. There is an apartment building behind with scaffolding up the side.

Looking down the road in between all the tall apartment buildings.

Follow the sign to the right to reach the apartment complex road. Here you might notice a Thames Path sign which you can ignore. It directs you off this road to another. It’s totally unnecessary. Just stay on this road, and at the end you can walk alongside the river again.

Walk over the bridge and past the industrial looking area

Follow the river as it curves around and to a cute little bridge over the Bell Lane creak and River Wandle. Go over it, and continue down to the road and industrial looking area. Incase you are wondering, the area to your left is a waste place. You know, where all the rubbish goes. It is not smelly though.

Looking across the bank of the river at low tide on the Thames Path walk to Battersea from Putney. There are lots of leafy trees lining the other side of the river, and some boats moored along the side.

A metal bridge going over the river and a big building block on the other side. There are two people walking over the bridge.

Anyway, stay going straight on this road, to reach a cute Riverside walk path sign. Here go left, to walk back onto the riverside Thames Path.

Riverside walk signpost pointing the way fro the Thames Path on the walk from Putney to Battersea.

Black iron railings infant of the River Thames. There is a sign saying 'Nickols Walk' on the railing. There is construction on the other side of the river.

Looking across to the other side of the River Thames to the colourful buildings on the walk between Putney and Battersea.

Walk to Wandsworth Bridge

Continue following the river towards Wandsworth Bridge. At the time of writing the bridge is covered over. It has been this way for a long time, and is a pain to walk over due to construction stuff in the way. As such I don’t like this bridge much. Although, I wonder how it will look once it’s all finished. Maybe I won’t dislike it so much.

Fun facts about Wandsworth Bridge:

It is one of Londons busiest bridges.
This is not the original one. It was rebuilt and completed in 1940.

The colour scheme of blues was such to camouflage it from German and Italian air raids during the war.
I don’t know for sure why it’s forever under some sort of construction, but I read there is a new design feature coming.

Anyway, you do briefly walk away from the riverside to reach the bridge. It’s fairly easy to navigate though. For reference, it is here that you will walk past The Ship pub.

When you reach the bridge, the Thames Path goes under it. Go under it. Even if you plan to walk over the bridge to walk along the north side towards Battersea, still go under it. It will be a pain to cross over on the road level.

We have now reached the point in the walk where you need to decided to walk north of south along the Thames Path, for the remainder of the Putney to Battersea walk. I’m going to start off by showing you the north side all the way to Battersea Park. After which, I will show you the south side.

Walk Putney to Battersea: north side of the river

Once under Wandsworth bridge, take the steps to walk up to it, and cross over the river. I have no photos for this bit, as (at the time of writing) it’s super ugly. It’s also noisy as hell and the pathway is partially obstructed by construction. You just need to bear with it, because it soon gets real good.

At the end, at the road junction, walk to the right and passed the big Sainsbury’s. If you need a toilet break (or snacks) this is a good pitstop. Actually, when I came out to track this walk and take photos, I popped in to use the toilet. Then I noticed some good stuff on discount so I picked out a couple of things. A couple of things turned into a big shop, and next thing I know I have a few bags of shopping.

I had to abandon the walk and go home. But I came back the next day to finish it off.

Walk along the River Thames

Past the Sainsbury’s, just past the car park entrance, is an alley type path to the right. This will lead you back onto the river to continue the Putney Battersea walk.

The Thames Path next to the river on the Putney to Battersea walk. There are tall apartment buildings on the other side of there river.

As you walk further away from the bridge, you always walk further away from the noise. It is along here things become super peaceful.

If you look across the river, you can see the helipad, and if you are lucky, you will catch a helicopter. They actually come and go pretty frequently so you will probably be lucky.

Looking across the river to the tall apartment buildings on the other side on the walk along the Thames Path from Putney to Battersea. there is a red helicopter about to land.

Boats moored in the middle of the River Thames, with tall apartment buildings on the other side.

The entrance to Imperial park, with a straight path through it lined with small trees. There are apartments on the right side of the park and on the other side to the left.

You will pass by Imperial park on your left, and lots of boats in the river on your right.

The bridge you will see ahead is a railway bridge. Once you go under it, you will be greeted by a big anchor, and a bit further along, the giant hand sculptures. I have no idea of the meaning of them.

A man on a walk on the Thames Path on the route between Putney and Battersea. Ahead is a green railway bridge crossing the river.

A giant metal anchor on the path next to a green bridge which runs across the River Thames. There is a tall apartment building on the other side of the bridge.

Giant hand sculptures in front of an apartment block on the Thames Path walk from Putney to Battersea.

There is a nice place to sit here. A bench looking across the river towards St Mary’s church on the other side.

Looking across the water of the River Thames to St Mary's Church on the other side. The church is surrounded by multiple apartment buildings.

I like the juxtaposition of the old with the new.

Walk though Chelsea Harbour

You will notice a small bridge with traffic lights. These are boat traffic lights, to lead into Chelsea Harbour.

From here, you can continue straight along the river, or walk left to go the the harbour. I recommend left, to go and see all the boats and the giant fish sculpture.

Traffic lights over a small bridge which leads to Chelsea Harbour. A man is walking over the bridge.

Lots of which yachts and boats docked in Chelsea Harbour. There is a large brown and white building on the other side.

A man sitting on some steps which lead up and through a gap in the apartment buildings.

When you reach the harbour, walk along the right side, then when the path curves left, you should see some steps to the right. If you take those, you will walk back onto the river.

Walk to the London Skyline viewpoint

Walking along the river, before you reach the corner, some of the apartments on the left have paths you can walk into their grounds. One has a really nice water feature. It’s quite relaxing to go and sit next to.

When you do reach the corner, you have 3 treats waiting for you.

First off, from here you can look straight along the River Thames with a view to the city skyscrapers and the London Eye in the distance.

A view down the River Thames towards Battersea Bridge on the walk from Putney along the Thames Path. Past the bridge you can see skyscrapers from the city of London, and the London Eye.

If you look behind you, you will have the Lots road Power Station. At the time of writing, the power station is under construction.

Lots road Power Station, covered up whilst under construction.

If you look behind and straight up, you also get something else. I won’t tell you what it is. I will leave that as a surprise 😉

Walk along Lots road

Unfortunately, this is where the peace ends. You now need to follow the path around the power station and over a bridge to reach Lots road. On Lots road, go right.

A curved grey buildings with lots of windows above Lots road pub.

Pink, grey and brown facades of some houses.

The old building of Lots road pumping station.

You will pass by some nice colourful building facades and the Lots road pumping station. It’s pretty cool to see actually. It’s a 1904 grade II listed building.

Cremorne Gardens

You will have the option to walk into Cremorne Gardens. You can’t go anywhere from here. It’s more of a, go in, take a look, chill if you wish, then go out. You do get that that nice London skyline view from in there.

Walk along Chelsea Embankment

Past Cremorne Gardens, you will next be walking along the Chelsea Embankment. It’s a very busy road, but you do get some nice boat houses to look at.

Boat houses on the River Thames towards the end of the Thames Path walk from Putney to Battersea.

You will have an opportunity coming up to cross back over the river on Battersea Bridge. If decide you want to stay on this side of the River Thames for the remainder of the Putney to Battersea walk, be careful when crossing over the road at the bridge. It’s a pretty sketchy crossing, and people have been hit here.

Looking along the River Thames to Battersea Bridge, with a red bus going over it. There are some tall apartment buildings visible in the diatcue on the other side. — This is looking back toward Battersea Bridge

Fun facts about Battersea Bridge:

Like many others, this is also not the original Battersea Bridge. The first one was opened in 1771. It was demolished and rebuilt in 1885.
The original bridge was dangerous, with passing ships and boats often colliding with it.

The original bridge was actually the last surviving wooden bridge in London and has been the subject of many paintings.
It is one of the narrowest and least busy road bridges in London.

I do actually like this side of the river to walk on. Despite the road, it’s quite pretty. With the wrought iron benches, overhanging trees and old fashioned lamp posts.

A man on a walk along the Thames Path on Chelsea Embankment towards the end of the walk from Putney to Battersea. The River Thames is on the right, and Albert Bridge, lit up, is further ahead. It is getting dark.

As you approach Albert Bridge, there is a sculpture of a woman. This is one of the works of F.Derwent Wood. A famous British sculptor.

Walk over Albert Bridge to Battersea Park

My favourite bridge. Albert Bridge. Here you can see him all lit up. When you cross over the bridge, you get a view towards Chelsea Bridge and Battersea Power Station to the east.

The brightly lit up Albert Bridge as it runs across the River Thames to Battersea, at the end of the walk from Putney along the Thames Path.

Looking down the River Thames along the pier at sunset. There is a Union Jack flag raised. On the other side of the river are the trees of Battersea Park.

Looking along Albert Bridge at night. the Bridge is lit up by lights. — You have probably noticed it was now dark when we got here

Over the bridge, if you want to get to a train station, you need to now walk through the park to the other side. Alternatively, if you go back to the north side of the river, you can catch a boat from Cadogan pier which will take you back to Putney (see logistic notes for details).

Fun facts about Albert Bridge:

It wobbles. It’s very subtle, but go and stand on it and you will see.
Measures are in place to restrict the size and number of vehicles that can be on it, to stop it collapsing. As such, it’s not as car heavy as the other bridges.
Due to its wobble and risk of collapse, signs were put up to prevent troops from (the now closed) Chelsea Barracks to instruct soldiers to break step on the bridge. The signs are still there.

It is one of two remaining original Bridges in London.
Built in the 1800’s, it was originally a toll bridge, and the toll booths remain today. These are the only bridge toll booths left standing in London.
As you may have gathered from the previous facts, for a long time is was not very structurally safe. There have been talks about replacing it, but luckily this was protested against. Instead it was closed for 22 months for repair work to make it more safe.

Now for my favourite fun fact:

One of the things that was replaced in the repair work, was the timber which had been rotted away by dog urine from dogs from Battersea Park and the dogs home.

Now I am going to show you what to expect if you choose to walk along the south side of the river.

Walk Putney to Battersea: South side of the river

Once you walk under Wandsworth Bridge, just continue along the river side path. You will go past Plantation Wharf riverside pier and all the house boats. Then a wooden platform where all the birds like to hang out.

Looking across a platform to the River Thames and apartment buildings on the other side.

Barge boats moored on the river in Battersea on the walk along the Thames Path from Putney. There are red, blue and grey coloured apartment buildings on the other side.

A man on a walk along the wide Thames Path in Battersea halfway in the walk from Putney.

A wooden platform in the River Thames. There are white seagulls flying about. There is a red apartment block on the other side of the river.

When you reach the helipad, you need to walk away from the river for a brief moment. Follow the perimeter of it around and over the wooden footbridge on the other side.

A wooden floored bridge with metal railings. There is a man walking his dog on the bridge. There are trees to the left and bushes to the right on the other side of the railings.

Looking along the Thames path on the Putney to Battersea walk. There are lamppost on the path, a woman sitting down on a bench and a man walking. There is a green coloured bridge ahead, crossing the river.

A green Galway bridge over the River Thames. There are a few barge boats moored under one of the arches of the bridge. Tall apartment buildings are visible in the distance. — I like how the boats are tucked away under there. Cute.

Under the archway of the railway bridge, you will walk alongside a little green with the road on the other side. You will see what I mean about walking near the road and road noise.

A group of people on a walk along the Thames Path in Battersea. The river is to the left and there are bushes and trees to the right.

Ahead of you, you have the jigsaw puzzle type building, and then things open up ahead of you for a cute view across to St Mary’s Church.

People walking along the path next to the River Thames on the walk from Putney to Battersea. There are apartment buildings on the right and ahead.

Walk past St Mary’s Church and towards Battersea Bridge

Walk into the church grounds, where you will find some nice sitting benches and sometimes a bright orange coffee/bakery van.

A green patch of grass with a path curving around it with the River Thames ahead. There is a bench facing the river with a person sitting on it. There are a couple of trees next to the path. There is a very tall apartment buildings on the other side of the river.

A bright orange food and coffee truck in Battersea with a few people mingling about. There is a big tree behind the truck.

Through the church, continue along the river to reach Battersea Bridge.

Just before Battersea Bridge you will see the 2 people and a baby sculpture. It’s called ‘In town’.

A large open path next to the River Thames on the Putney to Battersea walk. There is a man walking cross the path. There are two trees planted on the path.

A sign saying 'area liable to flooding' infant of the railings of the River Thames. There is a cargo platform in the middle of the river and apartment buildings on the other side.

the 'In Town' statue on the Thames Path in Battersea on the walk from Putney. There are two trees next to the stature. Battersea Bridge is partially visible behind to the right.

Now, Battersea Bridge can be tricky to cross over (although it’s not as dangerous here as trying to cross it on the north side). Once across, take the angled walkway back down to the river. You will walk past the 2 swans sculptures here.

Walk towards Albert Bridge and Battersea park

The rest of the walk towards Albert Bridge is complete unobstructed by roads. The path is wide and open, with mirror glass buildings to the right, and some sort of ship docked to the left. For some reason, I always think of it as a pirate ship. I actually have no idea what it is.

The large open Thames Path towards the end of the Putney to Battersea walk. There is a curved window covered apartment building to the right and the River Thames to the left. Albert Bridge is visible in the distance going across the river.

A ship on the edge of the River Thames, with Albert Bridge visible in the distance.

Me and ollie taking a mirror selfie on the Thames Path in Battersea.

Top tip: Take a glass mirror selfie.

Another top tip: If you didn’t grab a coffee at St Mary’s Church, and now changed your mind. To the right, and under the buildings, there is sometimes a little coffee truck.

Keep going, and you will cross over Ransome’s Dock. This dock remains as it was during the Victorian times. Then you will reach Albert Bridge and Battersea Park.

Looking along Ransom's Dock in Battersea. The tide is out, revealing the river bed. There are two barge boats next to the side, and apartments to the left.

Looking across the River Thames towards the white and pink coloured Albert Bridge at the end of the walk from Putney to Battersea along the Thames Path.

More walks along the Thames Path in London

Hampton Court to Putney – 16 miles. This one is part of my Thames Path Source to Sea walking series.

Richmond to Putney – 9 miles all along the south side of the River Thames. Very green, and you will pass by some historic bridges and buildings.

Richmond to Hampton Court and Bushy Park – 9 miles give or take. It’s a lovely stretch of the River Thames. Very very green and lush. Makes you forget you are in London. Plus you get to go to Bushy Park and see the deer.

Westminster Embankment walk – Over on my other website. It’s a good one if you want to be tourist and take in some iconic London building and structures.

Battersea to Tower Bridge – Also part of my Thames Path source to sea journey.

You can also find a more detailed side by side view of walks along the Thames Path here.