South Bank, SE1 7ND
A 2.5 hour walking tour showcasing unexpected and hidden architectural landmarks of the South Bank area, revealing the different ways in which spaces have been reclaimed, reused and revived. Two walks held on two dates following a route from Lambeth Palace and the Garden Museum to Bernie Spain Gardens. Two walks held on two dates.
Waterloo
Waterloo
The tour routes are mostly step-free but have some changes of level.
There will be occasional opportunities to take a seat on public benches during the tours.
Walking tour
11:00–13:30
This guided walk explores the architectural history of South Bank between Lambeth Palace Bridge and Waterloo Bridge
How to book
Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.
Walking tour
11:00–13:30
This guided walk explores the architectural history of South Bank between Blackfriars Bridge and Waterloo Bridge
How to book
Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.
North Lambeth was historically low lying, marshy and liable to flooding, making it unsuitable for extensive building. However, parts of the Medieval complex at Lambeth Palace and St Mary's, the parish Church of Lambeth, survive.
The area changed with the coming of the railway. The tracks had to be elevated over the swampy ground by the construction of a series of viaducts and arches. The new Station, completed in 1848, took its name from the Waterloo Bridge that connects to the north bank, and a short time later the use of ' Waterloo' as a district of London came into being.
In the wake of the station's construction, churches, houses and places of entertainment were lost. However, in the 20th and 21st centuries these spaces were reborn and revealed again by a change of use and new purposes.
The South Bank area also has a history of health care and hospitals and while ground-breaking 21st Century Life Sciences develop in Waterloo, former hospitals await discovery along the route.
Now one of London’s best-loved destinations, the South Bank riverside attracts visitors seeking culture and leisure attractions. Where only a few decades ago breweries, power stations and timber wharves operated, today stand some of the UK's most iconic cultural institutions the likes of National Theatre and the Southbank Centre.
On this walk, we will reveal how South Bank's unique mix of buildings tell stories of South Bank's - and indeed of London's - past and present, and that also present visions for London's ambitions for the next century.
On the two different tours, visitors will be guided on a journey around parts of South Bank they may not have visited before, and along the way hear the unique stories behind South Bank's many famous buildings.
During the tours we will be looking at landmark buildings from a range of eras including the medieval, Edwardian, Victorian, Modernist and 21st Contemporary. We will be going inside some of these buildings to explore some of the interior details that are not always accessible to the public and to see how these historic spaces have been repurposed.
The first tour focuses on the areas of South Bank that are part of Lambeth including landmarks such as:
- Garden Museum
- Lambeth Palace Library
- St Thomas Hospital complex
- County Hall
The second tour focuses on the areas of South Bank that are part of Southwark including iconic landmarks such as:
- Sea Containers
- OXO Tower
- National Theatre
- Southbank Centre
- Topolski's Studio
At the end of each tour we will be finishing with a visit to hear about the artists and makers who still call South Bank home.
At County Hall we will take in a brand new artist-led contemporary ceramics gallery studio located deep inside this labyrinthine building.
Our second tour ends at Topolski's studio, an historic artist studio beneath Hungerford Bridge where visitors will hear from Topolski's studio archivist and view some special works from the artists's vast archives.
Talk / Workshop
education, industrial, community/cultural, gallery, retail, public realm/landscape
Unit 1.20 is one of 25 workshop and retail units in Oxo Tower Wharf and overlooks the courtyard towards the Bargehouse building from the first floor walkway. It is a multi-purpose space used as a workshop, showroom and teaching space.
Albert W Moore, 1930
Drop in
institution/profession, historical house
A very good example of Georgian/Adam architecture. Restoration 2012 of Great Room (James Barry paintings), Benjamin Franklin room. 2019, restoration and installation of 1754-2018 mural in the Long Gallery.
Adam Brothers, 1774
