London Walks - County Hall, Globe Theatre, Shad Thames, Tower Bridge

You are in: Main Page » Sightseeing » London Walks

Walk Two Image For the walking tour listed below you may/will need a good map of the city (see our choice in essentials m-o)

Duration: 3-4 hours

Our second walk begins south of the river at County Hall. Originally built to house the London County Council (LCC) following a move from offices in Trafalgar Square, the final design of the building was actually chosen following an open competition in which over 150 plans were submitted. The building's elegant Edwardian style design, complete with its colonnaded central structure, was the work of young architect named Ralph Knott (who had previously only worked on far smaller projects).

Although officially opened in 1922 by King George V and Queen Mary, construction of the building had not been fully completed. Indeed, as building works were delayed both prior to (and after) this date, County Hall was not finished until 1933.

One of the biggest difficulties faced during construction happened early on when excavations revealed the remains of a Roman boat beneath the mud (believed to have dated back to the third century). In addition, the building's original dimensions had to be altered to allow for extra LCC personnel (simply because the building works had taken so long to complete). Unfortunately, as Knott died after a short illness in 1929, he was never able to fully appreciate the result of his efforts.

County Hall served as home for London's local government (renamed in 1968 as the GLC) until 1986, when the left-wing Ken Livingstone, or "Red Ken" led Council was abolished by the Thatcher government. Today, the building houses a Travel Inn, the London Marriott, a Namco Entertainment Centre, the London Aquarium, London Eye ticket centre, Dalí Universe (a museum devoted to the artist) and several restaurants.

While we describe this page as being a guided "walk", we also highly recommend that you take a "flight" at the nearby BA London Eye. As the world's largest Ferris Wheel (weighing in at more than 2000 tonnes) the 135 metre high structure offers spectacular 360 degree views of the capital, and handles over 1,500 visitors per hour (with up to 25 people accommodated in each of the Eye's thirty-two glass capsules).

Virtually noiseless, the wheel is a remarkable feat of modern engineering. What's more, it was also a truly international project with the various components being supplied from Holland, Italy and the Czech Republic (Skoda technology powers the Eye's turbine). When construction begin in 1998, the cantilevered structure had to be floated down the Thames before being welded together over the river on temporary supports. The final (and trickiest stage) was to then hoist the wheel into a vertical position. Despite failing on the first attempt (when a support cable snapped), engineers finally locked the Wheel into place on October 16th 1999.

Despite a much vaunted start-up on New Year's Eve 1999 which ended in disappointment (due to technical problems), the Eye has since become a runaway success. Although officially it has planning permission for only five years (after which time it would supposedly have to re-locate or be dismantled) its popularity looks certain to make it a permanent fixture on the London skyline. We certainly hope so.

Continuing passed Jubilee Gardens, we'll see to our right the imposing Shell Centre. Designed as the London Headquarters of the Royal Dutch Shell Company, the building stands exactly 351ft high (some 90ft shorter than the BA London Eye). Although in its time, the Centre provided state-of-the-art offices, plans are afoot to redevelop the site by adding new work, retail and restaurant space (which should also serve as a catalyst to regenerate other parts of the area around Waterloo Station).

From Jubilee Gardens you can either take the route along the South Bank (which passes under Hungerford Foot Bridge to the Royal Festival Hall, Hayward Gallery and National Theatre) or use Belvedere Road (rather more pleasant) which leads on to Upper Ground. Either way, you'll eventually come to Gabriel's Wharf which overlooks the Thames towards Temple and enjoys excellent views of St. Paul's Cathedral. Located between Oxo Tower and the Independent Television Centre, Gabriel's Wharf is a pleasant collection of cafés, bars and boutiques (which also features a small craft market at weekends).

Originally slated for redevelopment as an office block, the Wharf was instead created following objections from local residents. This gave rise to a series of more public natured projects, with shops, leisure areas and restaurants, headed by the Coin Street Community Builders. With small outlets making up the bulk of what's on offer, Gabriel's Wharf is home to the ever-popular Gourmet Pizza Company as well as the London Bicycle Tour Company.

Continuing our walk we eventually come to the end of Upper Ground and arrive at Blackfriars Bridge. From here, both Hopton Street and the "Millennium Mile" take you to the Tate Modern (in the former Bankside Power Station) and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.

A "must see" visit for Londoners and tourists alike, the Tate Modern is not only the city's newest and (biggest) gallery, but a wonderful piece of architecture in its own right. With an interior remodelled by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, on entering you're immediately struck by the sheer size of the place, with the building's vast Turbine Hall now turned into a stunning concourse. Tate Modern displays (as the name suggests) contemporary art from the last century including works by Dalí, Picasso, Rothko, Matisse, Warhol as well as the wonderfully inventive Gilbert & George. Special exhibitions and other public events are also held here throughout the year.

Nearby, the faithful reconstruction of the Globe which originally stood on Bankside in 1613 is the inspiration of the late Sam Wannamaker, an American actor with a passion for historical drama.

Opened in June 1999, exactly four hundred years after the original opening, tours of the theatre operate during the day, while a season of Shakespearian plays is held during the summer. With 1000 people seated in the galleries and a further 500 standing below the stage, it's a great way to experience just how theatre was performed at the original Globe.

It's also interesting to know that, while the first Globe had been erected in Shoreditch in 1599, it was then transported piece-by-piece to Bankside some 15 years later - a feat in itself. At that time, Bankside was actually the entertainment centre of London, with plays such as Shakespeare's Macbeth vying against more earthly pursuits such as drinking, bear baiting and cock fighting!

Looking out across the Thames you'll also see London's most modern foot crossing - the Millennium Bridge. Dubbed the "wobbly bridge", by the London Evening Standard, the bridge hit the headlines last year having been forced to closed just days after its public opening. Although the nausea inducing 'ride' that many experienced (caused by sheer weight of numbers) never threatened to undermine its structural integrity, the bridge's excessive wobbling forced designers back to their drawing boards.

Spanning the Thames between the Tate Modern and St. Paul's Cathedral, the Millennium Bridge is the first to be built in the city for over 30 years. Undoubtedly a spectacular addition to London's cityscape, Lord Foster (its architect) envisaged the bridge as being a "blade of light" when lit at night. Certainly, it succeeds on this level, not only being unique in appearance but also being one of the world's first horizontal suspension bridges. Famously closed soon after opening in 2000 (due to excessive wobble) the bridge's engineers - Ove Arup and Partners - have since added a sophisticated damping system to eliminate the problem, thus ensuring that its users (some 5 million people per year) are able to cross without feeling seasick!

Heading east along Bankside we now come to Southwark Bridge. Originally built following the formation of The Southwark Bridge Company in 1814, John Rennie's much vaunted cast iron crossing featured a huge central span of over 220ft. With granite piers and a simple, yet elegant design it stood until 1912 when Mott & Hay replaced it with a five span steel bridge. Linking Cannon Street and The City to Bankside, it is flanked on either side by Blackfriars and London Bridge.

From Park Street, you can then either explore the Clink Prison Museum (on Clink Street) or Vinopolis (just behind on Bank End). As one of the more recent additions to London's tourist attractions Vinopolis - City of Wine - is hidden in vaults below street level. Created as an 'interactive tour' of the world's wine regions, Vinopolis takes in the great wine producing countries of Europe as well as the 'New World' wine growing regions of America, Australia and New Zealand.

Stretching through 20 themed rooms, the tour highlights the grapes and wines of each particular country or region. In addition, you can learn about the history of wine growing in general, also finding out how London has played a major role in the wine trade over the centuries. For Champagne lovers, there's a room dedicated to the splendours of the bubbly stuff.

As a finale (and included as part of the entrance fee), you'll have the chance to taste five wines from a list of over 200. Tasting notes for your choices are also included should you wish to know a bit more each wine sampled. You also have the chance to taste more wines for an additional charge.

If you're in need of further refreshment (or indeed lunch) try the nearby Anchor Bankside pub at 224 Park Street or alternatively, Fish! at Borough Market, Stoney Street (which is a very decent local eatery).

By continuing east, we enter a slightly less picturesque area next to London Bridge, although things improve as we make our way along Tooley Street (and the London Dungeon) to Hay's Galleria. As one of the most impressive (and indeed sympathetic) restorations in Bankside, Hay's Galleria boasts an upmarket collection of wine bars, pubs, craft-stalls and traditional shops, such as Jones the Bootmakers.

Originally built in the 1850's, Hay's Wharf (as it was then known) served as a dockside warehouse, unloading tea, spices and other provisions from around the world. Nicknamed the 'Larder of London', it was also one of the first places in London to use cold storage, importing dairy goods from as far afield as New Zealand.

Now refurbished as a piazza, the Galleria's huge iron columns support a gently winding clear-glass panelled roof. Aside from the building's sheer size, the river facing north-end features a wonderfully inventive moving sculpture - The Navigators - by David Kemp. Equipped with water jets and several fountains, the 60ft kinetic sculpture is a real favourite with children.

Along this part of the Thames you'll also find HMS Belfast. An impressive example of a Second World War fighting ship, the Belfast was launched in March 1938 just over a year before the outbreak of hostilities in Europe. Weighing in at over 10,500 tonnes, it played an important part in the sinking of German Cruiser Scharnhorst (during the Battle of North Cape), with her twelve six-inch guns, mounted on four turrets, also provided covering fire for Allied troops during the Normandy Landings.

As well as serving in World War II, the ship also saw action in the Korean War. Indeed, the Belfast remained part of the Royal Navy Fleet for 27 years until 1965 (before being saved from the scrap heap and moved to her current location in 1971).

Finally, by continuing along The Queen's Walk we come to Tower Bridge. Traditionally among the most well known (and liked) landmarks in London, the bridge stands at the entrance to the Pool of London. Opened in 1894 by the then Prince of Wales (who was later crowned as Edward VII) the bridge was widely regarded as a masterpiece of engineering at the time. Costing more than one million pounds to build, the complicated design incorporated steam engines to power a hydraulic mechanism lifting the two halves of the central span (so as to allow tall masted ships, still common at the time, to pass through into the Pool).

As the Bridge is still raised occasionally today, you may be lucky enough to witness the unique lifting mechanism in action. Information on when the bridge will be raised is displayed by the ticket office.

As part of the 'Tower Bridge Experience' visitors are given a guided tour of the bridge, which includes an interactive exhibition using animatronic (modern-day puppetry) and video displays detailing the history of the bridge. Each segment takes approximately 10 minutes, with breaks in between to allow visitors to take in the great views from the bridge's overhead walkways (140ft above the Thames). You can actually stray from your fellow visitors if you need time to take photographs, and then rejoin the presentations as part of a later group.

Following the last presentation (including a surprise that we'll let you discover for yourself) you'll exit on the Southeast side of the Bridge. By following the blue line along the pavement - and taking some stairs down to the embankment - you'll find yourself at the entrance to the pump rooms. Housing the beautifully maintained steam engines (even the revolution counters still work) and huge transformers, the pump rooms allow you to fully appreciate the inner-workings of such a large-scale monument. The tour culminates with a film showing some of the more memorable events that have taken place in London since the bridge was first constructed.

Also worth exploring further is the nearby area of Butler's Wharf. Once the largest warehouse complex on the Thames, Butler's Wharf fell into disrepair during the 70s and 80s following its closure to shipping in 1972.

Although between 1973 and 1980 many of the empty warehouses became a haven for leading British artists (with the setting also regularly used as a backdrop to film numerous TV/film productions including The Elephant Man and BBC's Doctor Who) the Wharf was finally brought back to life by a Terence Conran led property consortium.

Today, a sympathetic mix of upmarket housing and retail developments predominate, while swanky restaurants such as Le Pont de la Tour and Butler's Wharf Chop House doing a roaring trade. Along with the Design Museum, Shad Thames (just behind Butler's Wharf) is also well-worth a visit, as is the Bramah Museum of Tea and Coffee which helps to accurately reflect the dock's historic past.

You are in: Main Page » Sightseeing » London Walks

London Guided Walks - County Hall to Tower Bridge (via Gabriel's Wharf, Tate Modern and London Bridge)