Stage
3 - South Bank of the Thames
We left stage 2 of our walk crossing the Millennium Bridge from St
Paul's Cathedral over to the south bank of the Thames.
Two buildings will have caught your eye. The large square building
is the Tate Modern Art Gallery, a former electricity generating station
for London.
Slightly to the left is the medieval building of Shakespeare's Globe
Theatre.
We have dedicated pages for both the Tate
Modern and Shakespeare's
Globe Theatre.
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Shakespeare's
Globe Theatre |
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Once
you have visited either or both of these follow the river eastwards
back towards Tower Bridge along the pedestrian path. A little way
after the Globe Theatre is a riverside pub to refresh you for the
final sector of the walk. This whole area up to Tower Bridge was
recently just a district of old warehouses, but in recent years
has been rejuvenated into a very attractive district, very atmospheric
in places and full of interest.
The path goes under Southwark Bridge. You may see signs for Vinopolis,
a rather out of context tourist attraction down a side road offering
wine tours.
Clink Street
The path then veers a little inland into a very atmospheric, cobbled
lane, Clink Street
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The
Clink Prison Museum is on the site of the original Clink Prison ("possibly
the oldest men's prison and probably the oldest women's prison in
England") which held prisoners from the early Tudor years until
1780. Shakespeare visited an old schoolfriend here.
Golden
Hind
You soon rejoin the river and come across St Mary Overy's Wharf, in
which a replica of the Golden Hind resides in dry dock. The original
Golden Hind was the ship that Sir Frances Drake circumnavigated the
world in. The replica is not a tourist attraction and cannot be visited.
Southwark Cathedral
The path now bends inland again around a building. On turning the
corner, Southwark Cathedral is right in front of you. This historic
old cathedral can be visited, there is no admission charge but donations
are urged. William
Shakespeare is commemorated by a window and statue in the South Aisle.
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Golden Hind |
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You
are now coming across London Bridge, the original bridging point
of the Thames from 2,000 years ago, (see first stage of walk).
Cross over the busy approach road to London Bridge and take Tooley
Street, parallel to the river. London Bridge railway station is
over on your right, there is a very atmospheric basement with shops
here.
London Dungeon
Also here on your right is the London
Dungeon, consisting of a series of set scenes reproducing chilling
aspects of medieval London in a more grisly format than at Madame
Tussaud's.
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Carry
on along Tooley Street past the London Dungeon, soon after coming
to Hay's Galleria, a modern shopping mall. Walk through the shopping
centre to the river on the other side.
HMS Belfast
Turn right along Queens Walk by the river, Tower Bridge takes your
attention. The warship you would have noticed from the opposite bank
in stage 1 of the walk is HMS Belfast. HMS Belfast is a former
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HMS Belfast |
Royal Navy cruiser from the 2nd World War. Since 1971, it has been
used as a floating Museum.
GLA Building
Next, the modernistic round glass building just before Tower Bridge
is the Greater London Authority building. Home of the Mayor of London
and the London Assembly. Members of the public may visit parts of
the building Mondays to Fridays. |
Tower
Bridge
Climb
up the steps to Tower Bridge and walk across. The bridge is a visitor
attraction which you can tour inside. The entrance is at the tower
at the Tower of London side of the bridge, on the side facing the
Tower of London.
We have a dedicated page for Tower
Bridge.
Complete the walk by walking to the end of the bridge and around the
Tower of London to Tower Hill Underground Station.
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Tower
Bridge |
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