Southwark Greenways: Rotherhithe to Burgess Park

Explore some of Southwark’s green places on a short route that links Stave Hill Ecological Park in Rotherhithe with Burgess Park in Camberwell. This route is National Route 425 of the National Cycle Network.

Find some quiet local gems with interesting history close to the busy city. 

For a relaxed family cycle ride or if you use a wheelchair, handcycle or pushchair, we recommend the traffic free paths on the Rotherhithe peninsula and Burgess Park.   

 

Information on this page   

Places to see and explore  

  • Maritime history on the Rotherhithe peninsula where the Mayflower set sail for Portsmouth. 
  • Trading and engineering history in the Surrey Docks.  Spot bascule bridges and signs of the old docks and Surrey Canal. 
  • Russia Dock Woodland and Stave Hill Ecology Park, green spaces made from docks once used for importing newsprint timber. 
  • Surrey Docks Farm
  • Water sports in Greenland Dock  
  • Millwall football club 
  • Burgess Park – a popular city park created in the postwar Abercrombie plan. 

 

Local amenities 

There are frequent local shops, cafés and pubs along this central London route. 

 

Public transport   

By train: Canada Water, Surrey Quays, South Bermondsey 

By tube: Canada Water  

By river: Doubletree docklands pier 

Find out more about using public transport to get to the National Cycle Network on our ‘Get started on London’s National Cycle Network’ page.

a family with young children ride their bicycles through a park on a sunny day

Local loops 

Explore these local routes for family friendly, traffic free and accessible adventures. 

 

Continue on the National Cycle Network 

Want to explore more of the National Cycle Network from this route?   

Follow these directions to find other National Cycle Network routes near here:   

At Russia Dock woodland join the Thames path eastbound to Greenwich or westbound to Tower Bridge and Putney on Route 4. 

From Greenwich, take the Waterlink Way south to Lewisham, Kent House and New Addington on Route 21. 

At Doubletree Docklands pier take the river bus across the Thames to join Route 1 northbound to Docklands, the Lea Valley and Cheshunt or southbound to Greenwich. 

 

Continue walking  

Want to explore more of London’s walking network from this route?     

Find out which other routes you can join from Route 425:   

  • At Rotherhithe Street (the Thames) join the Thames Path eastbound or west bound (south bank route) 
  • At Rotherhithe Street (the Thames) join the Jubilee Greenway eastbound or westbound. 

Find more useful information about walking in London on our Get started on London’s National Cycle Networkpage.  

Two mums with pushchairs and a little girl on a scooter walking away from the camera along a traffic-free route surrounded by trees.

Accessibility information 

Barriers 

In Russia Dock woodland there are three staggered chicane barriers. 

Surface

In Russia Dock Woodland and Stave Hill Ecological Park there are short sections of cobbles. 

Take care

This route has these busier on road sections. 

  • At Surrey Quays, this route uses busy local Rotherhithe New Road for 200m, including a busy junction with Lower Road (A2208). 
  • At Ilderton Road, this route uses this busy local road for 150m.  Avoid by taking Cycleway 10 between Senegal Road and Stevenson Crescent. 
  • At Trafalgar Avenue, this route uses this busy local road for 100m.  Avoid by staying on parallel Glengall Road. 
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