Introduction
Mum, Dad, and I set out to complete the Darent Valley Path. We had previously reached Dartford; only the final stretch remained, to the point where the river joins the Thames.
Dartford
We set out from Dartford station, climbed steps down to the river, and followed the path signs, which was a slight mistake; the route is signed over a wooden footbridge, through the Wickes car park, and along the main road for a bit. You can cut all this off by walking on a newer footpath directly under the railway bridge.
An area by the road had been cleared for housebuilding. This used to be part of the GSK pharmaceuticals plant which originated, as part of Burroughs Wellcome, in 1889.
We walked down Victoria Road, passing the old gasworks and a pub called the Hufflers Arms. (The name amused us, but it turns out that hufflers are actually a thing. More about that later.)
River Darent
We then followed a riverside footpath, past a dismantled bridge, to the remains of a lock, where we met a man working on the riverbank - part of a group trying to restore the lock and make the river navigable again, which sounds like a long process. He told us what hufflers were - people who used to wait on shore by the Thames to help ’punt‘ barges up the creek to a wharf using large poles. He also said somebody was planning to sail up the creek later that afternoon.
The next long section of the path ran along an embankment built to constrain the river's flood plain on Dartford Marshes. It took an even less direct route than the river itself, so progress was slow.
We crossed under a large new road; beyond, the marshes continued. There was a motocross course to one side and, some way distant, small abandoned buildings from what is probably the old Wells fireworks factory.
Having seen the flood barrier in the distance, it took an awfully long time to reach it because of the indirect route. But we got there in the end. Some bushes beside the access lane provided the first shade we‘d encountered on the marshes, so we stopped there to eat lunch.
Conveniently, the promised boat picked that moment to ‘sail’ up the Darenth! It was actually using the engine, but still.
Thames bank
The rest of our walk followed the Thames riverbank. To begin with this followed the north edge of the marshes, where there is apparently a clay-pigeon shooting range. The constant gunshots (some echoing right across the river) were alarming, but nobody managed to actually hit us.
There‘s then a sewage works and Littlebrook Power Station, before the impressive motorway bridge.
The ferry opposite (Cobelfret Ferries Valentine) generously chose that moment to depart, so we watched it under the bridge.
We left the Thames along a short footpath to the main road, and followed it to Greenhithe station and the end of the walk.