Thames Landscape Strategy - Hampton to Kew -

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Boardwalks Form Part of Dry Routes Trial

It has often been said but bears repeating that the River Thames remains tidal all the way upstream to Teddington Lock. Up here in the Arcadian Thames, that tidal effect means that more often than not, a high tide can mean the flooding of roads and footpaths. The Thames Landscape Strategy, working with our partners, are looking at the ways in which the towpaths and access ways can be managed so as to allow the safe use of these paths, even during a flooding event.

Using strategies such as Smarter Travel, and Legible London, it is considered important that the improving of the towpaths would not be sensible if the towpath is often inaccessible because it is under water. During the Floodscape consultations, it was demonstrated that the public have the desire to have access to the open space all the time. This will mean that dry routes will need to be created so as divert visitors away from water. One of these routes will include the building of discrete bridges and boardwalks to take people over the wetlands.

Two such boardwalks have been put into place in Ham as part of the Thames Landscape Strategy in Action project, London’s Arcadia. The first was put in place last year (2007), Hammertons Boardwalk, which, built by the Richmond boat builder Mark Edwards, replaced the old, dilapidated boardwalk connecting the towpath with Ham House. It received a nomination for the Transport for London Awards 2007. It has been an enormous success, standing proud of all but the highest of flood events. The building of it also included the repair of the sluice that pulls the water under the towpath in onto the wetland the boardwalk crosses. The wetland itself was also restored, replanted with native vegetation to improve the biodiversity of the habitat.

Following such success, another boardwalk is being built just a few minutes walk upstream which will connect the diversion back to the towpath, or, through improvements to the Douglas Footpath, will connect back up to Petersham Road. Built once again by Mark Edwards and his team, it is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship that, once finished, will complete this initial trial of the system that will hopefully provide a blueprint for further projects elsewhere on the River.

For more information on the dry routes plan, visit the Restoration of the Lost Floodplain site or download the project proposal document or leaflet overview

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