walk/tour
Outside London Blackfriars Station, Queen Victoria Street, EC4V 4DY
Our walk explores the river that shaped London. As we follow the North Bank, we will uncover how the Thames sparked the city’s birth, powered trade, and supported daily life. From ancient monument, to medieval bridge building, Victorian engineering, to today’s iconic views and new super sewer – the riverside reveals Londoners' evolving relationship with the Thames.
Blackfriars
Blackfriars
40, 63
The walk will finish at Old Billingsgate Walk, EC3R 6DX, in front of Old Billingsgate market. Nearest tubes Monument and Tower Hill.
Toilets are available at Blackfriars station (North Bank) and Cannon St station including accessible toilets accessed with a RADAR key.
The route is a flat walking path with lift access at the beginning. Seats at many points along the walk. Illegal cyclists can be a hazard.
Walking tour
13:00–15:00
Walk from Blackfriars along the North bank of the Thames exploring Londoners' relationship to their river.
How to book
Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.
Join us on a journey to discover how the mighty Thames has influenced the city’s growth and the lives of those who’ve lived along its banks. From trade and industry, to royal pageantry to public health –throughout the centuries, the river has been central to London’s story. We will explore past, present and future, spanning the city’s founding right up to the newly completed Bazalgette embankment. Along the way we will visit an ancient dock, trace hidden rivers, admire iconic bridges and buildings. We will uncover how catastrophe and innovation have reshaped the riverside, and gain insight into the evolving ways Londoners work, play, and survive beside the Thames.
This tour is led by a participant of Open City’s Golden Key Academy – a course training up insightful and engaging guides dedicated to explaining London and bringing its many stories to life. It is part of a wider collection of tours created by Golden Key Academy guides for the Open House Festival celebrating their conclusion of the eight month course. Further information on the Golden Key Academy can be found here https://open-city.org.uk/golden-key-academy