Richmond to Kew towpath closed following collapse

The Thames towpath between Richmond Lock and Kew Gardens car park on Ferry Lane is entirely closed following the collapse of a section of the towpath on Saturday 19 October. Fencing has been installed at either end and residents and visitors are asked not to make any attempt to access the towpath, at any time. It is not safe.

Diversions are now in place:

• For towpath walkers and cyclists, a route is shown on the map on the opposite side of the river, crossing at Richmond Lock
• For a more direct route to Kew, pedestrians and cyclists can take Kew Road (A307)
• Diversion signage is in place at Twickenham Bridge and at Ferry Lane

You can view a map showing the diversions or find out more about the National Trail diversion route.

We will spend more time on site in the coming days to continue to assess the situation. The priority is to make the site secure and then begin clearing. We are also liaising with the Environment Agency, Port of London Authority, National Trail and the Royal Mid Surrey Golf Club to assess solutions and minimise further impact to the public.

Our engineers will carry out further investigation, then design and implement a solution as soon as possible.