Credit: Skull by Zanna. Photo (c) Katy Nicholls
walk/tour
Bridge Theatre, 3 Potters Flds Pk, SE1 2SG
what3words: camps.draw.rated
For centuries the South Bank of the Thames sat outside the historic City of London's jurisdiction — and beyond its moral gaze. This walk traces how that freedom shaped the unique buildings and streets of Southwark, and how the regenerated riverfront we see today has preserved, adapted or quietly erased that past.
London Bridge, Tower Gateway, Tower Hill, Bermondsey
London Bridge
78, 343, 381, 42, 47
The tour starts outside Bridge Theatre and ends near the Blackfriars Bridge.
Not recommend for kids, as some historic details might be 18+
Credit: Skull by Zanna. Photo (c) Katy Nicholls
Southwark's position outside the jurisdiction of the City of London gave it a peculiar kind of freedom — and that freedom left physical traces. This walk reads them: the towering warehouses of Shad Thames, built for a working river and now loft apartments; the tide-flooded cells beneath Clink Street; the coaching-inn galleries of the George; the industrial shell of Bankside Power Station, reborn as Tate Modern.
The walk explores the unique landmarks which have endured through recent acts of redevelopment and conservation. Clink Street retains its gloom almost intact. The bear-baiting rings and brothels survive only as street names. At Borough Market, James Cochran's London Hearts mural marks the 2017 terrorist attack — a wall that became a gathering point for grief, and a reminder that a place can heal while still remembering.
Along the way we look at the engineering of the bridges, the courtyards and passageways of Guy's Hospital, and the decisions — commercial, civic, accidental — that produced the riverfront now. The result is a portrait of a district whose architecture records both what it was and what it has chosen to become.
The Golden Key Academy is a course training up insightful and engaging guides dedicated to explaining London and bringing its many stories to life. This tour 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
If you would like to attend this tour, please ensure you have booked a ticket before turning up.
