Closing the London Loop

The London Outer Orbital Path, otherwise known as the London Loop, is an almost complete 150-mile long walking circuit around Greater London, with a missing link between Rainham and Erith located in the Thames Estuary. The proposed ferry connection would provide the connection.

The Loop lies within easy reach of the dense urban city centre and occupies the space between the city fringes and London’s surrounding countryside winding through diverse and unexpected landscapes of forest and woodland, former industrial sites, riversides paths, historical buildings, open fields and grazing land, estuaries, marshes and lush meadows. The London Loop starts and ends at the Thames Estuary, a marshy, coastal landscape with a remote and still quality from where the city is visible in the distance. Here a plaque on both sides of the river reminds travelers of the ancient Rainham to Erith “Pilgrim Ferry” that between 1199 and approximately 1854 used to connect the now first and last section of the Loop. Travellers on their journey around London as well as local residents would find this ferry link useful today.