Walk This Way Riverside London Tate Britain to the Design Museum
architecture + history at your feet
The history, the evolution and the character of London is inextricably bound up with the River Thames. Massive bridges span the course, linking the north and south halves of the city that the river once divided. Walk This Way is designed to take you along this remarkable waterway as it passes through the centre of London, illuminating some of the majestic buildings that line the banks of the Thames.
See www.southbanklondon.com for a more detailed profile of the buildings and streets featured in Walk This Way – Riverside London. 1
The Influence of the River
Bearing the marks of history The town of Londinium originated as a bridging point for Roman Legions, before evolving into the heart of English trade, government and Empire. The river snakes its way through this living metropolis, bearing the marks of over a thousand years of history. Grand palaces, cathedrals, castles, representing the highest architecture of their era, stare at each other across the waters. Huge warehouses and dockyards, constructed at the apex of industrial Britain, are reborn for commerce leisure, and housing. The Thames has drowned armies and hosted frost fairs; it has moved the wealth of the world; it has carried the millions of tonnes of building material that have created the city that now embraces it.
Bridging the capital A London bridge has spanned the Thames for nearly two thousand years, but for much of the city's history, the real money to be made from the river was by the ferry companies, who were hostile to any new bridges being built, despite the obvious need. In 1750, however, the City of Westminster completed their bridge, prompting their rivals, the City of London, to build their own, Blackfriars Bridge, in quick succession. The following century saw an epidemic of bridge-building in London as population explosion and railway expansion demanded ever greater access between north and south. Foot, road and rail, more than twenty bridges were built over the Thames, resplendent with their individual decorations and built by the finest engineers of the age. While many of these have been repaired, renamed and rebuilt into solid, twentieth century constructions, each one retains its own unique appearance and history.
‘Twenty bridges from Tower to Kew… Wanted to know what the River knew, For they were young and the Thames was old, And this is the tale that the River told’ RUDYARD KIPLING (1911)
‘Sweet Thames, run softly till I end my song, Sweet Thames, run softly, for I speak not loud or long.’ T.S.ELLIOT (1922)
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St. Paul’s Cathedral Shakespeare’s Globe Southwark Bridge Cannon Street Railway Bridge Southwark Cathedral London Bridge Fishmonger’s Hall Adelaide House Hay’s Wharf & St. Olave’s House Billingsgate Market Custom House HMS Belfast Greater London Authority Headquarters Tower of London St. Katharine Docks Tower Bridge Shad Thames Design Museum
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Vauxhall Bridge Tate Britain Lambeth Bridge St. Thomas’ Hospital & Florence Nightingale Museum Houses of Parliament Westminster Bridge County Hall London Eye Golden Jubilee Bridges Royal Festival Hall Somerset House Waterloo Bridge Royal National Theatre Oxo Tower Wharf Blackfriars Bridge Blackfriars Rail Bridges Tate Modern Millennium Bridge
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1 Vauxhall
General travel information can be obtained on Transport for London’s 24-hour number: 020 7222 1234, www.tfl.gov.uk Accessible Underground Stations Westminster District, Circle & Jubilee* Waterloo Northern, Bakerloo, Waterloo & City and Jubilee* Southwark Jubilee * London Bridge Northern, Jubilee, Thameslink & National Rail* * Jubilee line exit is wheelchair accessible
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Riverside (RV1) Bus Service Riverside 1 is a bus service linking Covent Garden, South Bank, Waterloo, Bankside, London Bridge and Tower Gateway, providing a cost-effective, easily recognisable link to over thirty of London’s attractions. Accessibility Information Tate Britain London Eye Royal Festival Hall Somerset House National Theatre Oxo Tower Wharf Tate Modern The Globe Southwark Cathedral Tower of London Design Museum
020 7887 8922 0870 990 8885 020 7921 0971 020 7845 4600 020 7452 3000 020 7401 2255 020 7401 5120 020 7902 1409 020 7367 6700 020 7488 5694 0870 909 9009
Map reproduced from Ordnance Survey Landplan 1:5000 mapping with permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office © Crown copyright; Licence Number 398179
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1 Alexander Binnie 1895–1906
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Sidney Smith 1897
Vauxhall Bridge The original crossing, ‘Regent Bridge’, was designed in stone by John Rennie (engineer of the Waterloo, Southwark and London bridges). In 1813, however, the proprietors switched to a cheaper iron design by James Walker, completed by 1816 and replaced ninety years later with a five-arch steel construction. On the piers of this new bridge are bronze statues to represent the Arts and Sciences (the female statue ‘Architecture’ holds a model of St Paul’s Cathedral).
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3 George Humphreys 1929–1932
Tate Britain Millbank Built on the site of the massive Millbank Prison, the National Gallery of British Art was created to house the nineteenth century collection of Sir Henry Tate. Bequeathed a number of modern paintings in 1917, the Tate was also constituted as the National Gallery of Modern Foreign Art. In 2000, this modern art collection was moved to Tate Modern in Bankside, while the existing gallery, now Tate Britain, retained its collection of work by British artists. Constantly extended and expanded throughout the twentieth century (it has recently been upgraded for its Centenary Development), the overall appearance of the gallery is a surprisingly unified one.
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Henry Currey 1871
Lambeth Bridge Approached from the north by Horseferry Road, this point in the river was once serviced by London’s ferrymen before the construction of Lambeth Bridge. A suspension bridge of three massive iron arches, by 1929 it was rusted beyond repair and a new five-span bridge of steel and reinforced concrete was completed in 1932. At either end were placed giant obelisks, topped by pineapples (introduced to Britain by the Tradescant gardeners, buried at the neighbouring St. Mary’s Church). Adjoining Parliament, Lambeth Bridge is painted red, the colour of the Lords’ benches, while Westminster Bridge is green – the colour of the Commons’ benches – for the same reason.
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Charles Barry, A W N Pugin 1835–60
St. Thomas’ Hospital & Florence Nightingale Museum Lambeth Palace Road Opening in 1106 as the Priory of St. Mary Overie, Southwark, in 1173 it was rededicated to St. Thomas the Martyr. Closed down by Henry VIII and re-opened by his son, Edward VI, the hospital was moved to its present location in 1871. Influenced by Florence Nightingale, the design is ‘Italianate-hygienic’ allowing sunlight and fresh air to reach each of the seven pavilions. Bombed during the Second World War, only three of these ‘Nightingale’ wards now remain, though the new buildings, rebuilt from 1963, do contain a museum dedicated to the life and works of this nursing pioneer. The new grounds are also decorated with the original hospital’s statues: Edward VI and its seventeenthcentury benefactor, Samuel Clayton.
6 Thomas Page 1853–1862
Houses of Parliament Palace of Westminster The heart of English government, William the Conqueror’s oak-roofed Westminster Hall of 1078 still stands to this day. The royal palace became a parliament in 1512 and was all-but destroyed by fire in 1834. For the new Parliament, two architects were commissioned: Barry for the general arrangements, and Pugin for the Gothic detailing (including an encircling Latin inscription of the Lord’s Prayer to keep out evil). By 1860, Parliament (complete with its clock tower containing the ‘Big Ben’ bell) was finished, fourteen years over schedule, 700% over budget and minus two architects (Pugin died from nervous exhaustion in 1852 and Barry succumbed to the strain in 1860). The lavish interior of the Commons was destroyed by bombing in 1941, but the Lords was spared and Parliament was rebuilt. Westminster Bridge Battling against the powerful established interests of the London ferrymen, campaigners for a new bridge were finally permitted a public lottery to raise funds for their ‘Bridge of Fools’. The bridge foundations were laid in 1739, commencing an eleven-year project beset by European warfare, ferrymen sabotage, the death of the bridge’s sponsor, a small earthquake and the Thames freezing over. Even when the bridge finally opened, it tended to sway on its foundations and was never fully trusted. Work began on a replacement in 1853: a seven-arch wrought-iron bridge, with Gothic detailing by Charles Barry, architect of Parliament.
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The Sturgeon Lampstandards George Vulliamy 1870
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Ralph Knott 1911–1933
These cast iron Victorian lamp posts with their globe-like lanterns and encircling sea creatures were created for the illumination and decoration of the Albert Embankment. Running along both banks of the river, from Vauxhall Bridge to Tower Bridge, each lampstandard alternately bears on its base the initials of the monarch or the date of its creation, becoming newer as you walk east.
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Marks Barfield 2000
County Hall Belvedere Road Home for the London County Council, the Main Building is a six-storey, symmetrical construction, faced with Portland Stone, in the ‘Edwardian baroque’ style. It took twenty-five years to complete (outlasting its architect, who died in 1929), with North, South and Island Blocks added thereafter (the last in 1974). The capital’s government, known as the Greater London Council from 1965, was abolished in 1986. County Hall now houses Dali Universe, the London Aquarium and two hotels.
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British Airways London Eye Jubilee Gardens Already an established landmark that attracts millions, the inspiration for the London Eye came from: “The perfect symmetry of a circle which – from a distance – seems to be transparent, embodies the passages of time.” An integration of architecture, engineering and design, the creation of the London Eye was a project that brought together engineers from all over Europe on a British design. The sections of this 2,100 tonne construction were transported down the Thames and raised a massive 135 metres high. From that height, 15,000 passengers a day, travelling in the 32 glass observation pods, can view up to 25 miles over the city and beyond.
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Robert Matthew, Leslie Martin 1948–51
Royal Festival Hall Belvedere Road The only permanent legacy of the 1951 Festival Of Britain and the first post-war building to receive a Grade 1 listing, the Royal Festival Hall is a ‘Modernist’ building of glazed screens, Portland Stone facings and a green roof of weatherexposed copper. Inside, the auditorium is built high on the upper floors, insulated from the sound of the nearby railway, while beneath are galleries, shops, and performance areas. A 1965 redevelopment scheme defines much of the Festival Hall’s outward appearance: a re-cased Portland Stone exterior; an extended river frontage; and a new riverside entrance. In 2001 a £60 million programme was commenced to renovate and upgrade the capabilities of the ‘People’s Place’.
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Isambard Kingdom Brunel 1845
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Originally a suspension footbridge, the Hungerford Bridge (named after the north bank market) was bought in 1859 to extend a railway line to the new Charing Cross station. The old suspension elements were removed and used in Bristol’s Clifton Bridge, while the new bridge of trussed iron girders (steel from 1982) is the only London crossing to combine foot and rail. In 2000 a £50 million project was started to create two new foot bridges to replace the single dilapidated footbridge. As well as delivering a new visual landmark for London, the structure will open up new upstream views over the Palace of Westminster.
William Chambers 1776–86
Somerset House Victoria Embankment Once the site of the Earl of Somerset’s Renaissance palace, Somerset House was London’s first purpose-built government office block, despite its grand and Classical style. Before the embankment was reclaimed from the Thames, the 800ft riverside frontage was accessible by boat, the great river arches still present at ground level. Until 1973, the building was responsible for recording every birth, marriage and death (the “hatch ‘em, match ‘em and dispatch ‘em” department) and is still partially filled with state bureaucracy, while the remainder now houses heritage treasures and fine art: the Courtauld Institute, the Hermitage Rooms and the Gilbert Collection.
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12 Giles Gilbert Scott 1937–45
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Denys Lasdun 1969–1976 Stanton Williams 1997–2000
Waterloo Bridge Intended as the Strand Bridge, this granite construction was bought by the government, re-named ‘Waterloo Bridge’ (after Wellington’s recent victory) and opened in 1817. Falling into neglect, by 1923 the bridge was deemed beyond repair and closed permanently. Work for a replacement was delayed almost immediately the outbreak of World War II, though work still continued, labour shortage and V2 rockets notwithstanding. With few men available for construction work, most of the work was done with female labour and ‘The Ladies Bridge’ was complete by 1945.
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A W Moore 1928 Lifschutz Davidson 1995
Royal National Theatre Upper Ground In 1976, after more than a century of planning and fourteen years in the Old Vic, the National Theatre company moved into the three theatres of their new building: Lyttelton, Olivier, and Cottesloe. Lasdun’s ‘Modernist’ design of reinforced concrete and horizontal lines, with a skyline augmented by the massive Olivier and Lyttelton fly-towers, has become a landmark of the South Bank. In 1997 work began to develop and renovate the National Theatre’s main entrance, box office, bookshop and foyer performance areas; the backstage equipment was upgraded; and a new exterior performance space added: ‘Theatre Square’.
15 J. Cubitt 1860–69
Oxo Tower Wharf Upper Ground Built as a power station, the Wharf was acquired in the 1920’s by a Meat Extract Company, whose great riverside cranes could load directly from Thames barges into the factory. The Company also built a tower to bear the illuminated name of their product. Designed to circumvent strict laws about exterior advertising, the letters that spelt out ‘OXO’ were in fact shapes on stained glass windows. In the 1970’s a developer proposed to demolish the building (now derelict) and build a skyscraper development, provoking the local community to protest and eventually prevail, forming the Coin Street Community Builders to restore and regenerate the area. One of their tasks was to refurbish the Wharf, adding retail units, exhibition space, restaurants and housing. Blackfriars Bridge Opening in 1769 as William Pitt Bridge (after the Tory Prime Minister), the unpopular title was soon changed and named after the Black Friars, Dominican Monks that had settled in London in 1279. The bridge itself had nine elliptical arches of Portland stone, resting on piers of Greek columns that (the designs are depicted on the walls of the southern underpass). Badly deteriorated a century later, it was rebuilt with five cast-iron arches on granite piers.
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16 Western Bridge: Joseph Cubitt & F T Turner 1862–1864 Eastern Bridge: John Wolfe Barry & H M Brunel 1884–1886
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Giles Gilbert Scott 1947–63 Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron 1995–2000
Blackfriars Rail Bridges Too weak to support modern trains, all that remains of the original Blackfriars Railway Bridge are the piers of Romanesque columns and the company insignia on the South Bank: ‘London, Chatham and Dover Railway’. The second crossing was once St. Paul’s Railway Bridge, named after the Station on the north bank. Made of wrought-iron, it is still in use today by Thameslink train. When St. Paul’s Station changed its name to Blackfriars Station in 1937, the Railway Bridge did likewise. Tate Modern Bankside Tate Modern is now one of the most successful and popular art galleries in the world. The building was originally Bankside Power Station, a monolithic steel construction of four million bricks and a 325ft chimney, which operated from 1952 until rising oil prices caused its closure in 1981. The Tate Gallery acquired the option on the site and, in 1995, began a process of demolition, preparation and conversion to transform the building into the new home for its collection of modern art. For illumination, the ‘lightbeam’ was constructed: a two-storey glass roof structure placed on top of the power station, flooding the upper floors with natural light and housing a café that gazes across the river.
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Foster and Partners, Anthony Caro, Arup 2000–01
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Christopher Wren 1675–1711
Millennium Bridge Bankside The first completely new pedestrian bridge to be built over the Thames for a hundred years, the Millennium Bridge is a combination of art, design and technology. The three main contributors: engineer, architect and sculptor, designed the bridge to be streamlined, using an innovative and complex structure to achieve a simple form: a shallow suspension bridge that spans the river as an ‘elegant blade’. As the bridge opened, an unexpected ‘wobble’ was discovered in the structure and the bridge was closed to install a ‘passive dampening solution’.
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Jon Greenfield 1997
St. Paul’s Cathedral Ludgate Hill The first church on this site (604 AD) was replaced in 1087 by St. Paul’s, a Gothic cathedral which was obliterated by the Great Fire in 1666. Work began on the 36-year process of rebuilding in 1675 by young architect Christopher Wren, though first proposal was rejected (the original model can be viewed inside) and a second design had to be agreed with the conservative clergy. Despite the compromise, Wren’s creation is spectacular and the massive dome, constructed from 50,000 tons of Portland Stone and rising 360ft, is second only in size to St. Peter’s in Rome. Having miraculously survived the devastation of the Blitz (in which a third of the Square Mile was destroyed), the Cathedral dominates the north view of the Thames, especially during the summer, when it is floodlit.
Southwark Underpass: Artist: Richard Kindersley Delivered by Groundwork for CRP
Shakespeare’s Globe Bankside The original Tudor playhouse was financed by a consortium that included William Shakespeare and was the venue of many of his theatrical works. Burnt down in 1613, the replacement was demolished by the Puritans in 1642 and the site remained empty for the next three centuries. American director Sam Wanamaker began the project to create an accurate, functioning reconstruction of the Globe, built as close as possible to the original site and using contemporary craftsmen’s techniques (including the first thatched roof London has seen since the Great Fire, albeit with a sprinkler system). The Frost Fairs Underneath the southern end of Southwark Bridge are slate etchings of the famous ‘Frost Fairs’: winter events actually held on the iced-over Thames. This was possible as the numerous arches of the original stone London Bridge slowed the river enough to allow it to freeze over. Beginning in 1564, these festivals of food, drink and revelry continued during the coldest winters until the new London Bridge (with its larger spans) was constructed in 1814. “Behold the Liquid Thames frozen o’re, That lately Ships of mighty Burthen bore The Watermen for want of Rowing Boats Make use of Booths to get their Pence and Groats” ANON
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21 Basil Mott, Ernest George 1912–1922
22 John Hankshaw 1863–66
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William Pont de l’Arche & William Dauncey 1106
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Southwark Bridge Crossing a very narrow point on the Thames, there were fears that the arches of Southwark Bridge would impede river traffic. To reduce obstruction, the solution was an impressive feat of engineering: an iron bridge of only three spans, two of 210ft and a massive central span of 240ft, the largest ever achieved in cast-iron. In disrepair by the twentieth century, the Great War delayed work on the five-span replacement for a decade. Cannon Street Railway Bridge Built as Alexandra Bridge, this rail crossing was named after Alexandra of Denmark, wife of the future Edward VII. Re-named after its north bank railway station, Cannon Street Bridge was a five-span construction of shallow plate girders on Greek-style fluted cast-iron piers. It was widened in 1886-93, and strengthened in 1981, when much of its decoration was removed. Southwark Cathedral Borough High Street Already the site of a Roman Villa, pagan shrine and Saxon monastarium, the first church to be built was St. Mary Overie (meaning ‘over the river’) in 1106. Firedamaged in 1212, and again in 1390’s, the church was extensively repaired before being confiscated by Henry VIII. Used as a heresy court for Mary I and a swineyard in Elizabeth I’s reign, in 1614 the parishioners pooled their resources and bought the church (now called St. Saviour’s) from James I. The new 7
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nineteenth century London Bridge approach road threatened the building but by sacrificing some of its smaller chapels, St. Saviour’s was saved and became a Cathedral in 1905. After a thousand years of restoration and rebuilding, Southwark Cathedral now contains a varied mix of architecture: from the original Norman walls to the new Millennium restoration and landscaping. 24 First Stone Bridge: c.1176
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Henry Roberts 1831–34
London Bridge The first recorded Thames crossing was built by Romans in the first century AD, several hundred yards east of the present London Bridge. For the next thousand years the wooden bridges were occasionally brought down by marauding armies (such as Queen Boudicia and King Canute), inspiring the famous nursery rhyme. The Norman Conquest prompted a massive stone bridge to be constructed: nineteen arches, a drawbridge, a chapel, housing rows and the occasional severed head. It was this London Bridge that lasted over six centuries, until it was rebuilt in 1823-31, a graceful five-arched design from John Rennie (who died in 1921). Too narrow for modern traffic the bridge was replaced in 1967-72, while the old bridge was sold to an American developer and transported, stone by stone, to Arizona.
Fishmongers Hall London Bridge Approach The Fishmonger’s Company, est. 1272, is one of London’s oldest livery companies and still functions today, inspecting every fish sold in London. Their sixteenth century livery hall was lost to the Great Fire, and the replacement lasted until the 1820’s, when the site was required for the new London Bridge approach road. Rebuilt entirely from 1832-35 as an impressive Greek Revival building, the river face is a two storey Portland Stone frontage of seven bays and six giant columns, placed beneath a central pediment. Below, once at river level, are five arches of a granite plinth that led from the wharf to the basement warehouses. The building was partially converted into offices and residential accommodation from 1961 to 1981. Note: To reach the river from London Bridge, take the steps leading down labelled ‘Thames Path West’ – this will in fact enable you to head east along the riverside.
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John Burnet, Tait & Partners 1921–25
Adelaide House London Bridge Approach One of the first commercial buildings in London to break away from Classical design (despite the black marble columns at the entrance), Adelaide House incorporates a Chicago style with Egyptian finishes in an office block that was, at 148 feet, the tallest in London. As well as innovative architecture, it also contained other features never before seen by 1920’s London: central ventilation, an internal mail system, and a rooftop golf course.
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H S Goodhart-Rendel 1931–32
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Horace Jones 1874–78
St. Olave's House & Hay's Wharf Tooley Street Once a nineteenth century warehouse that unloaded the foodstuffs of the Empire straight from the Thames (a loading crane still decorates the building), Hay’s Wharf was converted into an Art-Deco office block. The former warehouse displays its name to the river in great gold lettering, while underneath are placed three large bronze reliefs representing capital, labour and commerce. On the south face is St. Olave’s House, which bears an engraving of Olaf Haraldsson, Viking King, Norwegian Saint and destroyer of London Bridge in 1016. Further east along the river was formerly Hay’s Dock, built at the same time as the Wharf and closed down in 1969. The Dock was rebuilt in 1982-86 to incorporate shops, offices and apartments, with a vast steel and glass roof covering what is now Hay’s Galleria.. Billingsgate Market Lower Thames Street
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An ancient fish market on a Saxon quay, Billingsgate was expanded and rebuilt until its present-day incarnation. A Frenchstyle building of yellow brick and Portland Stone, the arcade is set between flanking pavilions and illuminated by semi-circular windows, while the exterior includes frolicking dolphins and the fish weathervanes. Inside was a massive fish market which, supplied from the river, could move 400 tonnes of fish daily. Thronged with traders, porters and customers, the market gave rise to ‘Billingsgate Backslang’, allowing traders to converse about prices in secret. 8
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In 1982 Billingsgate Market was moved to the Isle of Dogs, ending over 900 years of tradition. The empty building was converted into a stock market, the glazed screens of the arcade creating a giant trading floor. 29
David Laing 1813–17
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Royal Navy 1938
Custom House Lower Thames Street A consistent feature of Britain’s maritime economy, the present Custom House is the fifth incarnation of a building which has stood in the vicinity for over seven hundred years. This particular Custom House, built just before its predecessor burnt down, may have been rushed to completion since, in 1825, the riverside façade collapsed due to inadequate foundations. The architect Laing was professionally ruined, and the reconstruction work was undertaken by Sir Robert Smirke: the Portland Stone façade of a six-columned Classical portico (porch), found on the wings of the riverside face, was repeated in the centre, projecting forward to the Thames. During World War II, the East Wing was heavily damaged by bombing, and was rebuilt in replica in 1962-66. H.M.S. Belfast Morgan’s Lane This 11,500-ton battle cruiser was completed in time for the Second World War when, in 1943, it participated in the destruction of the battleship ‘Scharnhorst’. Retired after service in the Korean War, the Belfast moved to the Thames in 1971, becoming a tourist attraction and floating naval museum.
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Foster and Partners 1999–2002
Greater London Authority Headquarters Tooley Street When completed, the new home of the Greater London Authority will resemble a glass globe with no front or back, intended to symbolise the transparency of the democratic process. This radical shape minimises the building’s surface area and incorporates energy efficient features such as natural ventilation, and use of underground water for sanitation and airconditioning. Allowing a high degree of public access, the lower floors are open public spaces while the immediate surroundings will be developed into a landscaped piazza, with seating, water features and trees overlooking the Thames. Moat Walkway Most of Tower Hill was once the Tower Liberty, the area beyond the walls under the jurisdiction of the Tower, not the City of London. Encircling these walls is a path on the site of the fourteenth century moat, built by Edward I, which leads from the riverside, around the Tower and into St. Katharine Docks. At one point, the walk passes by the Tower Hill Postern, the excavated remains of a medieval gate, also built by Edward ‘Longshanks’. From the Postern, an underpass detours from the walk to Tower Hill Tube Station. This underpass is decorated with new enamelled wall panels that incorporate vibrant works of art by Stephen Whatley depicting the history and character of the Tower and the Pool of London.
Note: The western entrance of the Moat Walkway is found adjacent to the ticket booths for the Tower. To walk around the Tower, pass through the gates marked ‘Tickets’ (no ticket is required to use the Moat Walkway) and continue heading east.
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William the Conqueror c.1190
Tower of London Tower Hill A living record of the past thousand years, a museum and monument to the Crown and the most important piece of military architecture in England. The long history of the Tower of London includes its use as: an arsenal against foreign enemies; a fortress against domestic ones; a palace for medieval royalty; an execution site for traitors, martyrs and monarchs; and a high security prison with a guest list ranging from Anne Boleyn to Rudolph Hess. It has also been a treasury, record office, armoury, observatory, royal mint, repository of the crown jewels and zoo (animals presented to the monarchs were kept here until 1834). It was William the Conquerer who began the construction, building the White Tower in 1097 to secure his hold on the land of the Saxons. Around this central citadel, William’s successors added stone walls, an encircling moat and no fewer than twentytwo towers. The Tower was virtually complete by the fourteenth century, although additional construction (like the Waterloo Barracks) would occur well into the nineteenth century. Since Edward IV, security has traditionally rested with forty Yeoman Warders (‘Beefeaters’) and eight flightless ravens, whose departure will spell the downfall of England.
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Thomas Telford 1827–28
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St. Katharine Docks St. Katharine’s Way The twelfth century priory ‘The Royal Foundation of St. Katharine’ endured until 1827, when it was demolished to build St. Katharine Docks: one of London’s new wet docks designed to cope with the massive cargoes from Britain’s burgeoning world trade. Despite the enormity of the task, the two basins (East Dock and West Dock), entrance lock and giant keyside warehouses, were completed in two years. Proving very successful, St. Katharine’s often stored high-value goods (as the names Ivory House and Marble Quay indicate) and, even as late as 1930, was considered “the world’s greatest concentration of portable wealth”. Suffering extensive damage during the Blitz, the surviving warehouses continued to operate until 1968. From 1969 an ongoing redevelopment scheme has transformed the derelict spaces into new commercial, retail and residential areas. Tower Bridge One of the lowest crossings over the Thames, the requirement to allow 135ft of shipping headroom resulted in the design of twin lifting sections (‘bascules’). Marvels of Victorian engineering, the steam-driven hydraulic machinery of these bascules is still on display after the 1976 conversion to electricity. High above the bridge, spanning the towers, is a pedestrian walkway and approaching the towers from each river bank are the ‘side-spans’, effectively individual suspension bridges. The Gothic detailing of the bridge was required to suit the neighbouring Tower.
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Shad Thames Butlers Wharf A corruption of ‘St. John at Thames’ (the Templar Knights who once controlled the area), Shad Thames was the main thoroughfare to the largest warehouse complex on the river. From their completion in 1873, these Victorian warehouses unloaded and stored vast quantities of goods from around the world: tea, coffee, fruit, wines and spices (indicated by names such as ‘Spice Quay’, ‘Cardamom Building’ and ‘Cinnamon Wharf’). Closed in 1972, the derelict warehouses were subsequently transformed to incorporate restaurants, museums and residential apartments. The distinctive iron walkways used to move goods between the river and warehouses were retained and are still visible today.
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Conran Roche 1989
Design Museum Butler’s Wharf The first museum in the world to be devoted to the design of everyday, massproduced, consumer goods. The building is itself a clever achievement in design: an extensive restoration of a 1950’s red-brick warehouse that appears to be a stuccoed 1930’s building. The white painted walls are prominent among the other former warehouses of Butler’s Wharf, while the layered frontage and glazed screens are utilised by the first floor Blueprint Café which incorporates extensive riverside balconies.
More Walking Guides If you have enjoyed this guide then please visit www.southbanklondon.com to discover the other titles in the series: Walk This Way – South Bank From the London Eye to the Imperial War Museum Walk This Way – Golden Jubilee Bridges From Soho & Covent Garden to South Bank Walk This Way – Millennium Bridge From St Paul’s Cathedral to Bankside and Borough Walk This Way – A Young Person’s Guide A discovery of the Thames, especially written for young people
Acknowledgements The Walk This Way series has been researched and published by South Bank Employers’ Group, a partnership of the major organisations in South Bank, Waterloo and Blackfriars with a commitment to improving the experience of the area for visitors, employees and residents. This guide has been made possible thanks to funding from the Cross River Partnership, which is supported by the London Development Agency, South Bank Employers’ Group, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Shakespeare’s Globe and Pool of London Partnership. For further information about Walk This Way or the South Bank, please see www.southbanklondon.com South Bank Employers’ Group 103 Waterloo Road SE1 8UL T: 020 7202 6900 E: mail@southbanklondon.com
Photography: Peter Durant/ arcblue.com Graphic design: Mannion Design Map design: ML Design
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