Southwark is a treasure trove of hidden gemswhy not take a tour?

Have you ever tried being a tourist in your own borough?

We highly recommended having a wander through the familiar streets of Southwark and going off the beaten track too to find a new favourite place to eat or shop or something different to do at the weekend.

With such a rich history and a burgeoning hotspot for culture, Southwark has it all.

A walk along th e Thames takes you to a wide range of Southwark gems. There are so many things to see and do. Starting at St Paul’s Cathedral, you can wander over the Millennium Bridge to visit the Tate Modern, past the famous Globe Theatre, stock up on some fresh produce and tempting treats at the internationally renowned Borough Market, explore The Clink

Prison Museum’s history, take a look at the Golden Hinde, stop off at Southwark Cathedral for a look around and afternoon tea in the courtyard, past London Bridge, take a look inside The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret, visit the top of The Shard, walk over the glass floors at the top of Tower Bridge and past Butler’s Wharf.

Situated on the south bank of the River Thames, Southwark is the oldest part of south London. Engineers of the Roman Empire constructed the first bridge in the area around 43AD. It is believed to have become a “burh” in 886 and the area appears in the Domesday Book of 1086.

The Borough has seen massive regeneration in the last decade or so with declining wharfage trade, light industry and factories leading to residential development, shops, restaurants, bars, galleries and offices. Because of its proximity to the City, it has become a centre of business with many national and international businesses locating to the area.

Tate Modern

In December 1992, the Tate Trustees announced their intention to create a separate gallery for international modern and contemporary art in London. The former Bankside Power Station was selected as the new gallery site in 1994. The following year, Swiss architects Herzog & De Meuron were appointed to convert the building into a gallery, keeping as much of the original character of the building as possible.

The iconic power station, built in two phases between 1947 and 1963, was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, who also designed Battersea Power Station. It consisted of a turbine hall, 35 metres high and 152 metres long, with the boiler house alongside it and a single central chimney. However, apart from a remaining operational London Electricity sub-station, the site had been redundant since 1981.

In 1996, the design plans were unveiled and, following a £12 million grant from the English Partnerships regeneration agency, the site was purchased and work began. The huge machinery was removed and the building was stripped back to its original steel structure and brickwork. The turbine hall became a dramatic entrance and display area and the boiler house became the galleries. Now it houses a range of permanent and temporary art exhibitions.

Globe Theatre

From posing for a photo outside to spending an evening watching a Shakespeare play, the Globe is an iconic landmark along the Thames, situated close to the Tate Modern. The original Globe Theatre stood at the site from 1599 to 1642 and was revived in 1997.

Visitors can enjoy a unique experience at Shakespeare’s Globe Story & Tour, a new walk-through exhibition space, which brings 400 years of exciting history to life, and a guided tour of the Globe Theatre. The exhibition and tour experience, which started on 10 May, runs until 31 October 2023.

Borough Market

The world-renowned market started at the foot of London Bridge 1,000 years ago. Since 1756, the market has been in its current location at Southwark Street. Open daily except Mondays, the market, which is a charity run by a board of volunteers, has three main areas: Three Crown Square (larger producers and merchants), Green Market (small, specialist produce traders) and Borough Market Kitchen (street food traders).

You can find out more about the market by taking an official, licensed tour led by an expert guide or reading Borough Market: Edible Histories by Mark Riddaway or by trying out recipes from traders in Borough Market: The Knowledge by award-winning food writer, Angela Clutton or have a listen to The Knowledge podcast.

The Clink Prison Museum

Dating back to 1144, The Clink was the most notorious medieval prison in London and is today the oldest prison in Britain, although it no longer keeps any prisoners. Now The Clink Prison Museum sits on the original site of the prison and tells its grisly history. The name “Clink” is argued to be derived from the sound of the blacksmith’s hammer closing the irons around the wrists or ankles of the prisoners, although the Flemish word “klink” meaning “latch” could also have influenced the name.

The Golden Hinde

The full-sized sea-worthy replica of Sir Francis Drake’s ship is at St Mary Overie Dock, close to London Bridge and Borough Market. The famous Elizabethan galleon was the first English ship to circumnavigate the globe.

Southwark Cathedral

Close to London Bridge, Southwark Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie, has been a place of worship for more than 1,000 years, but a cathedral only since the creation of the diocese of Southwark in 1905. It stands in an area heavily damaged by German bombing during the Second World War – between 7 October 1940 and 6 June 1941, 1,651 high explosive bombs and 20 parachute mines were dropped on Southwark. Shrapnel damage is still visible on the outside of the building.

The cathedral is also renowned for having a resident cat. The first one, Doorkins Magnificat (named as a joke reference to atheist author Richard Dawkins) began visiting the cathedral in 2008 as a stray looking for food and shelter. She became a local celebrity and met the late Queen Elizabeth II on formal visits and has her own children’s book featuring her, Doorkins the Cathedral Cat. In 2018, she was immortalised with a stone gargoyle inside the cathedral. She died in October 2020 and a memorial service was held for her later the same month at the cathedral. If you visit the cathedral now, you may see Hodge, the new resident black and white cat.

The Old Operating Theatre & Herb Garret

Housed in the attic of the early 18th century church of the old St Thomas’ Hospital, this atmospheric museum offers a unique insight into the history of medicine and surgery. The original timber framed Herb Garret was once used to dry and store herbs for patients’ medicines and in 1822 an operating theatre was included. Predating anaesthetics and antiseptics, it is the oldest surviving surgical theatre in Europe.

The Shard

Irvine Sellar, The Shard’s developer and owner, had an ambitious vision to create an architecturally striking vertical city incorporating retail, offices, hotel, apartments, restaurants and a public viewing gallery. Architect Renzo Piano designed The Shard – London’s tallest skyscraper – as a spire-like sculpture emerging from the River Thames, taking inspiration from the spires of London churches and the masts of tall ships depicted by the 18th century Venetian painter Canaletto. It has taken its place on the London skyline since 2012, when it was completed and officially opened. The viewing gallery is almost twice the height of any other viewing platform in the capital and offers visitors 360-degree views for up to 40 miles.

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge is one of London’s best known and most loved landmarks and you have probably walked, cycled or driven across it numerous times. But have you ever taken a tour inside and walked across the top and visited the museum below? You can find out more about the history of the bridge, how it was built and who designed and built it, as well as walking across solid glass floors to look down on the river and road below – not for the fainthearted!

Butler’s Wharf

Another eye-catching building along the Thames is Butler’s Wharf, a Grade II listed building just east of Tower Bridge, now housing luxury apartments, restaurants and shops. Completed in 1873, it was designed by James Tolley and Daniel Dale as a shipping wharf and warehouse complex, accommodating goods unloaded from ships using the port of London. Interesting fact: Butler’s Wharf has been used as a filming location for two Doctor Who serials in 1964 and 1984.

There is still time to see Southwark Today Exhibition

Southwark Today shares the voices and perspectives of the people who live in Southwark now.

The free exhibition can be seen at Southwark Heritage Centre and Walworth Library on Walworth Road until 30 June 2023, having opened last June. It was created with a range of community groups to creatively draw out and document their stories.

Opening hours are Monday to Friday 10am to 8pm, Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 12pm to 4pm.