London 2012: The Capital's Olympic Torch Relay Route Annouced

By Zoe Craig Last edited 148 months ago
London 2012: The Capital's Olympic Torch Relay Route Annouced

The Olympic Torch Relay will start the final, London leg of its journey in Greenwich next summer.

The borough, which by then will be called The Royal Borough of Greenwich, welcomes the torch on 21 July. No doubt there'll be some big photo opps by the Prime Meridian Line. The torch will then travel around the capital for a week, visiting all 33 boroughs, before completing its journey at the Olympic Stadium on 27 July. There, the cauldron will be lit at the Opening Ceremony, signifying the official start of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Here's more details about the daily route:

  • 21 July: After spending the night guarded by Beefeaters in the Tower of London, the torch will travel to Greenwich, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Waltham Forest
  • 22 July: The torch starts at Redbridge Cycling Centre, before making its way through Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Bexley
  • 23 July: Today's starting point is the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in Lewisham, before being welcomed in Bromley, Croydon, Sutton, Merton and Wandsworth
  • 24 July: The route is from the Hook Centre in Kingston-upon-Thames, to Richmond-upon-Thames, Hounslow, Hillingdon and Ealing
  • 25 July: Headstone Manor and Harrow Museum in Harrow, is the starting point on 25 July. The flame then travels through Brent, Barnet, Enfield and Haringey
  • 26 July: Look out Roundhouse! The Camden venue is today's starting point, followed by Islington, the City, Southwark, Lambeth, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham and Westminster. (Quite a busy penultimate day...)
  • 27 July: The final day is all about the Thames. The torch will travel by boat from Hampton Court Palace to the Olympic Stadium

Look out for various publicity stunts along the way too: the torch will be rowed along the river at Henley, and take on the rapids at the Lee Valley White Water Centre. We predict it'll ride at least one Boris Bike, too.

The complete 70-day relay starts at Land's End in Cornwall on 19 May.

The Olympic Torch then travels about 8,000 miles around the UK carried by 8,000 torchbearers, selected because of a "personal achievement" or contribution to their local community.

Photo: author's own

Last Updated 07 November 2011