- Where?
- City of London Information Centre, St. Paul’s Churchyard
- When?
- Every Saturday
- 11 AM
- Price?
- £15 · See cityoflondonguides.com
- Parking:
- Nearby car parks
- Buses:
- 11, 15, 17, 26, 76
- Bus fares
- Trains:
- The closest station is St. Paul’s Central
- Other nearby stations: Blackfriars and Mansion House
- Train fares
Without the Thames there would be no London. It's the City's lifeblood, bringing it prosperity, defence... but also deadly disease. Over the centuries it has acted as a motorway, a burial ground, a frozen playground, and the setting for some of the country's finest buildings.
This guided walk begins outside the City Information Centre (opposite St. Paul's Cathedral) and takes you to see some of the best buildings nearby. You'll look at the re-constructed Globe Theatre (a replica of Shakespeare's Elizabethan playhouse), the re-purposed Tate Modern art gallery (an old power station on Bankside), and Norman Foster's new Millennium Bridge (which young couples snap padlocks onto to signify their unbreakable bond).
Some of the interesting stories that you'll hear are the origins of the nursery rhyme 'London Bridge is falling down', and how how the river both imperilled the City during the Blitz and helped to save it during the Great Fire of London. There will also be bits about the famous Frost Fairs, swan-upping, and parade of boats during the Lord Mayor's Show.
Other landmarks that you'll see along the way include The Shard and Tower Bridge.
If you like the sound of this river walk then how about seeing even more of the river on an open-top boat? The two boat companies that we recommend are City Cruises and TRS (TRS is slightly better because the boats are usually a lot less busy).
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