A scarecrow like figure hangs on a twenty foot high crusafix on the mast of an old green barge houseboat in a dock surrounded by other houseboats and modern blocks of flats.

Greenland Dock

This photo says it all. For more local ways of South London see the Stone Circle. The Ecology Park is nearby and a lovely walk leads there under the road following the path of an old canal.

There’s also a water sports centre here. In my experience it’s rarely windy enough for them to actually sail, what with it not being at sea but rather an inland city dock surrounded by buildings or as I like to call them “windbreaks”.

But once, when I was going through a tough time and searching for peace in London I accidentally ran a half marathon from Camden Town up and down the Thames and ended up here one peaceful afternoon watching the larking about in boats.

The ducks are a more reliable fixture, and peace can be found any day here watching the water and the birds who don’t seem to give a quack about Trump, politics, pandemics or anything. Not even bird flu.

Ducks video [1 min]

You are lucky. This video is the sort of thing that would cost ten quid (£10) in a gift shop of a Sea Life Centre as a ‘relaxation tape’ so you are lucky to get it for free.

Here’s an alternative relaxation tape: [Spotify] Swan Lake, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra don’t you know. (Or here’s a copyright free version.)

Of the ballets I’d say Swan Lake is my favourite. Not to mention the only one I know.

A fish eye lens, panoramic view of a lake/dock in foreground with London skyscrapers in the background. A few swans and ducks are in teh water. Grey sky and winter trees without leaves around the lake. Pavement and benches aroud the water, old fashioned bollards with chains between them form a safety fence at the edge of the water.
Swan Lake South London

Update: Just watched this, thought you might like it dear reader. Ballet dancers performing swan lake in the bath:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p08k25yw

Although personally I think my rendition is better.

Share on social media

//

Location

Navigate there using Google Maps, Apple Maps, or another map app