The South Bank Walk

Until recently, the south side of the River Thames was dangerous and industrial. There wasn't much reason to visit it. Nowadays, a riverside promenade with shops, restaurants and historic sites make it a worthwhile visit.

Take the Tube to London Bridge (not Tower Bridge) and exit through Borough High Street east. It's best to visit Wed-Sat from 10am-5pm when Burrough Market is in full swing. There are a few places open Mon-Tue but the entire market is closed on Sundays.

Walk out to the bridge. The griffin statues (winged lions holding shields) at the south end of London Bridge guard the entrance to The City (the financial center across the Thames).

The new London Bridge was built in 1972. It's the 4th bridge on this site. In AD 50, the first bridge was built out of wood and pulled down in 1014 by boatmen to retake London from Danish invaders. This was celebrated with the song "London Bridge is Falling Down." The most famous bridge was built in 1200 out of stone and lasted for 600 years. In 1823, it was replaced with a brick one, which was sold to an American, dismantled brick by brick and rebuilt on Lake Havasu City. That's when the current bridge was built.

Stand on London Bridge and look east. You'll see Tower Bridge.

North of Tower Bridge is the Tower of London.

The Walkie-Talkie (20 Fenchurch Street skyscraper) and the Cheese Grater (Leadenhall Building) to the left of it.

To the northwest, you'll see the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral.

Walk back from the bridge and you'll see the Shard on the south bank. This is now the tallest building in western Europe.

On the right, you'll find Southwark Cathedral. The church dates back to 1207 and this is where Shakespeare prayed (his brother rang the church bells). There is a statue of him reclining with the south bank skyline as a backdrop.

Next door is the Borough Market, which will be highlighted in tomorrow's post.

Replica of Golden Hinde, Sir Francis Drake's flagship in his armada of 5, used to circumnavigate the globe from 1577-1580. The Golden Hinde refers to the gold deer or hind at the prow of the boat.

Next stop is the Winchester Palace. Only one wall of the Great Hall with a medieval rose window remains. Bishops from 1106-1626 lived here as wealthy rulers of the south bank. They profited from activities that were illegal across the river.

The Clink Prison Museum, where you can see the remains of underground cells. According to Rick Steves, it wasn't worth the admission so we didn't go.

Nearby is an impressive mural of Shakespeare.

The Anchor is the last of the 22 south bank "inns," A tavern has stood here for 800 years.

The entrance to Shakespeare's Globe, built in 1997. The original Globe (which had a capacity of 3000) burnt down in 1612 during a production of "All is True" when a cannon sparked a fire. The entire structure burnt to the ground but only 1 person was injured. I'm not sure we could do better in modern times.

The half-timbered, thatch-roofed structure now seats 1500. To see the inside, you can attend a performance or take a tour.

Millenium Bridge marks the end of the walk. This pedestrian bridge was built in 2000. It was closed after 2 days when the bridge started to wobble. Twenty months and $8 million later, it was reopened. It links Tate Modern to St. Paul's Cathedral.

Looking back on the South Bank with the Shard dominating the skyline.

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