Discover parts of London that a casual visitor might not reach. As an introduction to London, start with the panorama from Tower Bridge. Many of the city’s most familiar landmarks are mapped out for you, but take your pick of this selection for a more intimate look at London’s life and history - all within easy reach of Tower Bridge. Just click on the attractions names for web links and further information:
North Bank of The Thames
The Tower of London, Tower Hill, EC3N 4AB
The Tower of London has seen nearly 1,000 years of constant service as a royal palace, fortress, prison, place of execution, arsenal, mint, menagerie and more. Historic highlights include The White Tower, completed in 1100, the place of execution (Tower Green) and the fabulous Crown Jewels.
Click here to visit the Tower of London website
All Hallows by the Tower, Byward Street, EC3R 5BJ
The oldest church in the City of London, All Hallows was handily placed to receive the bodies of traitors executed at the Tower. Qualified guides conduct 20 minute highlight tours, free of charge.
Click here to visit the All Hallows by the Tower website
St Katherine's Dock, adjacent to Tower Bridge
Dating from 1824, this was one of the Victorian’s great purpose-built, enclosed London docks. Once busy with ships unloading luxury goods from around the world it’s now buzzing with pubs, bistros and boats which include traditional Thames sailing barges.
Museum of London, 150 London Wall, EC2Y 5HN
Over a million items span a quarter of a million years. The Museum of London illustrates the story of London and Londoners as no other attraction can do.
Click here to visit the Museum of London website
Guildhall Art Gallery & Roman London's Amphitheatre, Guildhall Yard, EC2V 5AE
The City of London’s own fantastic art collection includes portraits from the 16th Century to the present. 250 works of art are displayed at a time, with popular Victorian masterpieces on show as well as temporary exhibitions.
Excavations of London’s only Roman amphitheatre are on view as part of the inclusive Gallery admission.
Click here to visit the Guildhall Art Gallery website
The Bank of England Museum, Threadneedle Street, EC2R 8AH
Tells the story of the Bank of England from its foundation in 1694 to its role today as the UK’s central bank. Gold bars go on display alongside ancient weapons used to defend them; computer technology and audio visual displays explain the Bank's present day activities.
The Monument, Monument Street, City, EC3R 8AH
Sir Christopher Wren’s flame-topped monument to the Great Fire of London of 1666 is the tallest, free-standing stone column in the world. Can you climb its 311 steps for the best bird’s-eye view of London? Reopening early 2009 after major refurbishment.
Click here to check the refurbishment progress
The Barbican, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS
Open 363 days a year, the Barbican presents an unparalleled variety of performing and visual arts of world class calibre: classical and contemporary concerts, theatre, opera, dance, folk weekends, jazz and world music series, first release films and cinema seasons, painting, photography, sculpture, applied arts and crafts.
Click here to visit The Barbican website
South Bank of The Thames
HMS Belfast, Pool of London, SE1 2JH
Moored just a short walk from Tower Bridge, this unique reminder of Britain’s naval heritage is a veteran of the World War II Normandy Landings and the final battle with the Scharnhorst. Nine decks of “living history” are open for exploration.
Click here to visit the HMS Belfast website
The Bramah Museum of Tea & Coffee, 40 Southwark Street, SE1 1UN
Until the 1860s, fast Clipper sailing ships carried tea up the Thames to unload in London’s Larder, around nearby London Bridge. The Museum answers all your questions about the British passion for tea and coffee. Tea Room and Shop get right to the heart of the ritual.
Click here to visit the Braham Museum of Tea & Coffee website
Southwark Cathedral & Borough Market, Montague Close & Cathedral Street / Borough High Street, SE1
Walk out of Tower Bridge into a Charles Dickens novel. The boy Dickens lived in “The Borough” of Southwark while his family was locked up in the debtors’ prison. Visit ancient Borough Market, with its weekend gourmet market stalls and specialist food shops and call in at Southwark Cathedral, where windows commemorate Shakespeare and his plays.
Click here to visit the Borough Market website
The Old Operating Theatre, 9a St. Thomas's St, SE1 9RY
A rather blood-chilling survival: a Victorian operating theatre, built into the loft space of St Thomas’ Church, which linked to the women’s surgical ward of the old St Thomas’ Hospital.
Click here to visit the Old Operating Theatre website
Butler’s Wharf, adjacent to Tower Bridge
Turn right when leaving the Victorian Engine Rooms, then follow Maggie Blake’s Causeway back to the river, where towering Victorian warehouses are converted into stylish apartments and restaurants. Keep walking, over the steel footbridge, to infamous St Saviour’s Dock, where the bodies of pirates who robbed London’s ship were hung in chains.
The River Thames
The Thames Path follows both banks of the river on either side of Tower Bridge. The popular walk from Tower Bridge to Westminster Bridge takes 1.5 hours. Take the North Bank passing the Tower of London, The Temple and Somerset House using The Embankment, which was created by the Victorians to accommodate London’s sewers. Take the South Bank for Shakespeare’s Globe, Tate Modern, the National Theatre, The Houses of Parliament and the London Eye. Take a pleasure boat to stop at different attractions or extend your trip to Canary Wharf and Greenwich World Heritage Site to the east of Tower Bridge.