For any visitor attempting to get an idea of London’s thriving and revolutionary art scene, a walk along the bankside district of the Thames is an ideal place to start.

Just west of Tower Bridge, the Jubilee Walkway runs along the south bank of the river and leads visitors past many of the most famous sights in London in a relatively short distance. The Jubilee Walkway is a path around London that encompasses many of the most recognized and visited locations in the nation’s capital, created in celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. The part of the pathway that runs along the side of the Thames contains sights such as Royal Festival Hall, the Globe Theatre, Tate Modern, the Hayward Gallery to name but a few.

If you are traveling by tube, the best way to see the sights is to disembark at the Tower Bridge tube station. From this point, crossing the main road and making your way down to the riverside allows for a beautiful west-ward including all the best sides that Bankside has to offer. The promenade is always full of street performers, and on a sunny day the view across the river into the heart of London is fantastic. Walking west away from the Tower Bridge, the first sight you come across is Shakespeare’s Globe theatre. Although the original was destroyed in 1613, rebuilt the year after and then closed a decade after that, the reconstructed theatre began showing Shakespeare’s plays once more in 1997. Performing a variety of the bard’s plays every season, tickets are reasonably cheap. Seats under the covered awning range between £15-30, and the standing room underneath the opened centre are only £5. Although standing for 2 hours in drizzling rain watching Shakespeare may not sound the most fun, it is an experience all its own and is highly recommended. Visit  shakespeares-globe.org for performances, dates and times.

Next door to the Globe is the new Tate Modern art museum. Formally Battersea Power Station and re-opened in 2000 as the Tate group’s Modern art house in London, the museum contains an immense collection of national and international modern art. Artists such as Manet, Rothko, Matisse, Picasso, Sol LeWitt and Andy Warhol are just a few of many renowned artists presented in the well-organized galleries (set up by concept and philosophy rather than chronology) of the permanent collection. Admission is free, and the museum always has temporary exhibitions moving through. From the front of the Tate Modern, visitors can see the dome of St.Paul’s Cathedral (only ten minutes walk away from the museum) and the brand new Millenium Bridge opened also in 2000. After a few years of traumatic construction work (upon opening the bridge swayed a couple of inches as people walked across) the bridge is open again and affords a great view down the Thames. Also outside the Tate Modern is a water shuttle that carries visitors down the Thames to the Tate Britain (boats run frequently and costs £5 for adults). The Tate Britain is on the other bank facing Chelsea and the Southbank district. It is home to fantastic British art, both modern and historic and is a must-see for anyone interested in English art history.

As you carry on walking down the bankside promenade, passing by the London Television Centre and the IBM building, you are suddenly confronted by an unimpressive concrete block of a building known as the Bankside Arts Centre. Surprisingly, this grey complex contains Royal Festival Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall, two major venues for shows and concerts in London. Nestled among this block of buildings is the Hayward Gallery. The gallery is one of the principle contemporary and post-modern exhibition sights in the UK, alongside the Saatchi Gallery and the White Cube. Although admission is not cheap (around £9), the shows at the Hayward are always worth the money. Past exhibitors include Robin Rhode, Andy Warhol, Antony Gormley.

Further down the bank from the Bankside Arts Centre are Jubilee Gardens, a large open space perfect for relaxing after the walk down the riverside Right in front of the gardens is the London Eye. Having become a hallmark of London tourism and a large part of the London skyline, the wait to get onto the Eye can be as long as 3 hours. Granted, on a clear day the view is brilliant, and it is possible to see to the far reaches of the City of London. Its also a novelty to ride on the ferris wheel, but the question remains if the expensive ticket price (adults cost £16) and long wait is worth the view. The ‘flight’ takes approximately 45 minutes to complete and offers a unique view to visitors who may only be in London for a few days.

Just down from the London Eye is the London Aquarium, one of the largest aquariums in the British Isles. Tickets are fairly cheap for families, and the building offers a fun alternative for children who have just been dragged around the mammoth exhibitions of the Tate Modern. Country Hall is also in the same building and has temporary historical art exhibits. At this point you will have reached Westminster Bridge. Just across the river Thames is the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Cathedral, which leads northwards to James’ Park.

Although this is just a small taste of what London has to offer, the bankside walk between Tower and Westminster Bridge is a great way to spend an afternoon while sampling some of the city’s great arts culture and famous sights.

Top 3 London Hotels near the river Thames

Photo of the London Bridge by RachelH

Topic:  Tips and Ideas | 0 Comments
Tags:  , ,

Subscribe


Leave a comment

 (required)
 (required)
 (optional)
Why are we asking this? We want to make sure that you are human and not an automated computer program.