1. Abbey Wood station bus stop

About a five minute walk from the bus stop is Lesnes Abbey, situated in Lesnes Woods. The abbey was founded in 1178 and it was the home for a small group of canons regular (Catholic priests and religious brothers who live in community under a rule). The founder of the Abbey was Richard de Luci, who had been Chief Justiciar of England. It’s thought that he had the abbey built as penance for his role in the conflict between Henry II and Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, which culminated in the latter’s murder in 1170 by four of the king’s knights. In 1179, de Luci resigned his office and retired to the abbey, where he died three months later.

In 1381 Abel Ker of Erith led a local uprising during the Peasants’ Revolt, a rebellion which initially broke out in the neighbouring county of Essex. A group from Erith forced their way into Lesnes Abbey and persuaded the abbot to swear an oath to support them. They subsequently marched to join the main body of men led by Wat Tyler.

Later the marshland was drained but the cost of this and maintaining river embankments led to the Abbey suffering chronic financial difficulties. It continued despite this until 1525 when it was closed by Cardinal Wolsey, under a licence to suppress monasteries of fewer than seven inmates. Almost all the buildings were demolished apart from the Abbot’s Lodging. The surrounding area became farmland, with the abbot’s house forming part of a farmhouse. In the late 18th century a mulberry tree was planted – this still stands and is now externally propped.

The site was excavated in about 1909, and some of the archaeological finds are held by the Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust and Erith Library. By 1931, the site of the ruins was opened to the public as a park. It has since been restored to show some of the walls and the entire outline of the abbey is visible giving a good idea of the size and atmosphere of the original place. There is also a sculpture of three steel outlines emulating medieval arched windows that once graced the 12th-century Augustinian abbey.

Adjacent to the ruins is the recreated Monks’ Garden which offers a glimpse into the daily lives of the Augustinian canons who lived here during the Middle Ages. It contains a variety of medicinal and culinary herbs that the monks would have used to treat illness and injury. Plants such as sage, hyssop and cumin were valued for their healing properties, thus enabling the monks to combine spiritual life with practical knowledge of medicine. Today, walking through the peaceful garden, you can appreciate this important aspect of medieval monastic life.

Set within the grounds near the ruined abbey and the Monks’ Garden is a timber sculpture of a monk, fashioned by artist Tom “carver” Harvey directly from an existing tree trunk, depicting an Augustinian-style canon to reflect the site’s monastic history.

2. Plumstead station bus stop

Opposite the station is the Plumstead Radical Club, a fine building with a decent history. It was founded in 1887, initially occupying a small building and as the membership grew, it moved to its present purpose-built premises in 1891.. It affiliated with the Working Men’s Club and Institute Union (CIU) the following year, linking it with a national network of social and political clubs. Thanks to its elegant classical façade and central entrance, the decorative pediments above the windows and an inscribed stone panel proudly bearing the words “Plumstead Radical Club”, the building is an architectural delight.

Further up the road from here are a couple of mosaics on the side of a residential building. These colourful community mosaics are a tribute to Plumstead’s motorcycle-making heritage. Matchless motorcycles were manufactured locally and became one of Britain’s most successful marques, with their machines exported around the world and renowned for both racing and military service. The decorative border on one of the mosaics includes small tiles showing local plants, insects and industrial motifs, linking the area’s natural and manufacturing heritage.

3. Greenwich Trust School bus stop

This is the stop to see the Thames Barrier, a hugely impressive barrier system built to protect the floodplain of Greater London from exceptionally high tides and storm surges. Flooding in London has been a problem since Roman times. In 1954, a special committee was set up to investigate the catastrophic 1953 North Sea flood, which affected the Thames Estuary and parts of London. The committee recommended that the urgent construction of a barrier across the Thames, capable of being closed during exceptionally high tides and storm surges, should be considered.

It wasn’t until 1974 that construction of the barrier started and it was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1984. Today it remains one of the largest movable flood barriers in the world. Its ten steel gates, four of which are the main navigable gates, can be rotated into position when required to protect London from flooding. Since becoming operational, the Barrier has been closed hundreds of times to prevent tidal surges from reaching central London, proving its importance in protecting London’s homes, businesses and historic landmarks.

Without doubt, the Barrier is one of London’s greatest engineering achievements. Seeing it close up, it’s impossible not to be impressed by its size and ingenuity. Tiny in comparison, there is a poignant reminder of the 1953 flood – a commemorative stone dedicated to the more than 2,100 lives that were lost in countries around the North Sea.

Looking across the Thames from the Barrier, you can see the Tate & Lyle Refinery, one of London’s most recognisable industrial landmarks. Established by Sir Henry Tate in 1878, it remains Britain’s last cane sugar refinery and continues to process around one million tonnes of raw cane sugar each year. Having this in sight from the other side of the river, it’s a reminder that this part of the Thames is still a working industrial landscape as well as a place of engineering and environmental importance.

4. Anchor and Hope Lane bus stop

The Anchor and Hope pub is now left empty and sad-looking but in its heyday, it served river workers, ferrymen, and lightermen who navigated the tidal Thames in the days before the area was heavily industrialised. Customers would have arrived by boat, prompting the pub to maintain its own private causeway, jetty, and watermen’s stairs. It was built in 1899 although it’s believed a pub has been on this site since the 16thC. Immediately opposite the pub is an old large ship’s anchor to remind us of its nautical past.

Now walk carefully down the steep steps on to the beach and do make sure you’re there at low tide. The reason for this is that at low tide, you’ll be lucky enough to see the remains of old ships, known as the Charlton Ship Timbers. The large ship-timbers were once part of a shipyard. Between 1850 and early 20thC, the site was owned by a firm called Castles, which specialised in breaking-up ships at the end of their active lives before recycling the large quantities of timber.

Records show that among the last wooden warships broken up at Charlton was the 131-gun HMS ‘Duke of Wellington’, the largest and most powerful ship in the world when she was first launched in September 1852. The ship served in the Crimean War and ended her active service as the flagship of the Commander in Chief at Portsmouth until 1891, when she was replaced by HMS ‘Victory’.

Walking amongst the timbers, it’s possible to come across any number of iron fittings including spikes and bolts that are believed to have once been part of a ship’s timber construction. Just slightly along the shore are a series of crosses. It’s not obvious why they are there or what they represent but we can only guess that it’s to remember some poor souls who have lost their lives along this part of the Thames.

5. Peninsular Park Road bus stop

It’s possible to walk from the Charlton ship timbers to this part of the river but it’s also near the bus stop. First you’ll come to Murphy’s Wharf – this and neighbouring Angerstein Wharf are a reminder that the Thames remains a busy commercial river. Every day, ships unload marine sand and gravel, which are carried inland by the huge overhead conveyor belts that dominate the riverside. The material is processed by companies including Tarmac at Murphy’s Wharf and CEMEX at Angerstein Wharf before being distributed across London for use in concrete, asphalt and other construction materials. Transporting these heavy materials by river and rail removes countless lorry journeys from London’s roads and helps keep the capital supplied with essential building materials.

Finally, around the corner from these wharves is Southern Park. It forms part of the huge regeneration of the Greenwich Peninsula and Charlton Riverside, transforming former industrial land into new parks, homes and public spaces. This contrast between old industry and new development is one of the themes that runs through the latter part of this bus route.

Well this route was another unexpected treasure and pleasure. I had passed through Lesnes Woods on route 136 but hadn’t ventured as far as Lesnes Abbey – which is the Abbey in Abbey Wood station. It was breath-taking in its size, setting and atmosphere. It has been beautifully uncovered and discovered over the years and with the information boards showing floor plans and the steel sculptured windows, I would say it’s a must-see if you’re near this area. That itself would have been enough of a Wow on this route but I was delighted to see the Thames Barrier in all its glory. A truly magnificent engineering feat, this is also worth a visit. On the day I went, the Information Centre was closed but there are plenty of information boards to read about its history and development. As if these two hadn’t been enough to satisfy my forever-curiosity, I was thrilled to be at the Thames riverside at low tide near the Anchor and Hope pub to see the Charlton Ship Timbers, with their compelling history. It’s worth noting that if you’re going to see them, only go at low tide, otherwise they are immersed in the water. So all in all, this was one of my top ten (if not higher) routes, with its historical monuments (Lesnes Abbey) through to engineering feats (Thames Barrier) and ending in modern London with the refineries and regeneration park at the end.

Toilets that are open to the public and free of charge:

• Abbey Wood station
• Lesnes Abbey Lodge
• Thames Barrier