Ridgeway (London)

The Ridgeway is a 3.5-mile (5.6 km)[1] "cycling permitted pedestrian priority" footpath owned by Thames Water in southeast London. It runs between Plumstead and Crossness on an embankment that covers the Joseph Bazalgette Southern Outfall Sewer.

For pathway in east London that covers the Northern Outfall Sewer, see Greenway, London.

Ridgeway under Eastern Way (A2016)

Route
Ridgeway footpath, London
 Plumstead
Pettman Cresent  A206 
 Elizabeth Line depot[2]
 HM Prison Belmarsh
 White Hart Avenue
 Nathan Way/Sewell Road (East)
 Sewell Road (West)
 Thamesmead
 Harrow Manor Way  A2041 
Greenwich
Bexley
border
 Green Chain walk[3]
 Southmere lake
 Bazalgette Way
 Eastern Way  A2016 
 Crossway Park
 Crossness Pumping Station
 Thames Path[4]

The Ridgeway runs ENE/WSW:[5] the western third between Plumstead railway station and The Link community centre in Thamesmead[6] is in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, the remainder of the path towards the Thames Path and Crossness Pumping Station is in the London Borough of Bexley.

A similar path called the Greenway covers the Northern Outfall Sewer.

History

The Sewers were installed after an outbreak of cholera in 1853 and the "Great Stink" of 1858.[7][8]

Development

The Greenwich end of the Ridgeway was refurbished in 2010[9][10] and the Bexley end of the Ridgeway was refurbished in 2017.[11][12][13] The Plumstead entrance to the Ridgeway was also refurbished in 2018, with public art work installed by local artist Sam Skinner and Ninth Seal.[14][15]

The Ridgeway is incorporated in to the Thamesmead 5K and family 1 mile runs organised by the Thamesmead running club and Peabody.[16][17]

A petition was created by local users of the Ridgeway for litter bins to be installed along its entire length. The petition was rejected by Greenwich council in January 2018.[18][19][20]

There is a Facebook group [21] and Twitter page [22] for Ridgeway Users.

Future proposals

There is an option to extend the new steam railway planned for South London[23][24][25] from Crossness car park to Plumstead railway station via the Ridgeway.[26][27]

At the western end of the Ridgeway, the housing association Peabody Trust have applied to build 930 homes adjacent to Plumstead bus garage.[28][29] Improvements to existing public spaces around the development will include improvements to pathways that pass the Ridgeway. Proposals have been put forward by the Pharaoh Project to create a 'biodome' within the underpass at Pettman Crescent adjacent to the Plumstead entrance of the Ridgeway.[30][31]

TfL rail proposals

In a presentation by TfL to the Greenwich Council, they proposed an extension of the Gospel Oak to Barking London Overground train service from the new Barking Riverside station to Thamesmead Central and via Plumstead to Woolwich Arsenal that would take a route along the eastern section of the Ridgeway or Belvedere station using the eastern section of the Ridgeway. However, other Overground and DLR options would not be using the Ridgeway.[32]

Media

The Ridgeway was the subject of a radio show on Resonance FM in 2011.[33] It also features in an app produced by London Borough of Bexley to promote heritage walking trails.

  • Sign outside Ridgeway Plumstead lower entrance
  • Ridgeway upper level looking towards Plumstead and Nathan Road exit. Close to the site of the Manor Ground arena
  • Ridgeway entrance on the Thames Path
  • Example of arch signs along the route

References
  1. "London's Ridgeway: Plumstead to Abbey Wood". Ifootpath.com. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  2. "Crossrail starts race for 30m sidings depot at Plumstead". Construction Enquirer News. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  3. "Thamesmead to Lesnes Abbey - Transport for London". Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  4. "The Thamesmead Grump: 08/19/16". Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  5. "Diamond Geezer". Diamondgeezer.blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  6. "Welcome to The Link Thamesmead". Thelinkthamesmead.co.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  7. "SIR JOSEPH BAZALGETTE and LONDON'S INTERCEPTING SEWER SYSTEM" (PDF). Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  8. "View: London (Edition of 1894-96) XCV (Borough Of Woolwich) - Ordnance Survey 25 inch England and Wales, 1841-1952". Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  9. "The Ridgeway". Issuu.com. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  10. "Royal Borough of Greenwich - Consultations". Consultations.royalgreenwich.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  11. King, Emily. "12 weeks of improvement works to Ridgeway path begin next week". Bexleytimes.co.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  12. "Improvements to deliver lasting benefit to Ridgeway Path". Corporate.thameswater.co.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  13. "The Thamesmead Grump". Thethamesmeadgrump.blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  14. "More Plumstead murals appear - From The Murky Depths".
  15. "Royal Borough of Greenwich". www.facebook.com.
  16. "Thamesmead 5K and Family 1 Mile : Thamesmead". Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  17. "Thamesmead 5km Race - Thamesmead 5km". Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  18. Morrow, Matt (18 October 2017). "Pleased to present petition on behalf of @RidgewayUsers at full Council in #Greenwich calling for instillation of litter bins on the Ridgeway #Plumstead".
  19. Users, Ridgeway (17 November 2017). "@Ridgewayusers hand in a petition to @tpearce003. Thanks go to all who signed. @LBofBexley @thameswaterpic.twitter.com/tH2jCkNYYy".
  20. "Agenda for Council on Wednesday, 31st January, 2018, 7.00 pm". committees.royalgreenwich.gov.uk. 31 January 2018.
  21. "Ridgeway Users Facebook". Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  22. "Ridgeway Users Twitter". Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  23. "16/02241/FUL | Installation of a narrow gauge railway and modification to an existing industrial building for use as depot facilities for the railway. | The Old Works Crossness Sewage Treatment Works Bazalgette Way London SE2 9AQ". Pa.bexley.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  24. "Support a new steam railway for South-East London". www.ianvisits.co.uk.
  25. "RANG Railway". Crowdfunder UK.
  26. "New light railway approved for South-East London". Ianvisits.co.uk. 11 March 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  27. "Volunteers build 700-metre track to historic Victorian pumping station". Evening Standard. 25 January 2019.
  28. "Plumstead and West Thamesmead Public Consultation - Peabody". Peabody.
  29. "Ridgeway user group created to promote Plumstead to Thamesmead cycle link". Fromthemurkydepths.wordpress.com. 17 August 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  30. Plumstead, Pettman Underpass Social Space Garden Creation Biodome Pyramid. "Building BioDomes for everyone. The Pharaoh Project: Change.org Petition". Pettman Underpass Social Space Garden Creation Biodome Pyramid Plumstead.
  31. "PharaohProject". www.facebook.com.
  32. Chamberlain, Darryl (15 February 2019). "TfL lifts lid on possible Thamesmead DLR extension".
  33. deeplibrary (13 January 2011). "Plumstead to Cross Ness along the Southern Outfall Sewer".

Start and end points
  • 51°29′24.3″N 0°05′10.0″E The route's western start point
  • 51°30′36.0″N 0°08′14.0″E The route's eastern end point

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.