London/South Bank
From Imakoopedia
The South Bank is river-edge locality in central London, located along the south bank of the River Thames and adjoining streets. Skirting through a number of riverside suburbs, the area has seen a lot of redevelopment over the last few decade, and the area is now much more pleasant to visit than it once was. A walk along the South Bank of the river is an essential part of a visit to London, taking in much of the history of the city.
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Get in
Tube
The most convenient Tube stations are Vauxhall on the Victoria Line and London Bridge on the Northern Line for the two ends of the South Bank walk, while getting off at Southwark on the Jubilee Line will bring you close to the heart of the South Bank area. A good alternative is getting off at Embankment on the District and Circle Lines - from there, a scenic walk over the newly-renovated Hungerford Bridge will take you direct to the area around the Royal Festival Hall. From here, it is a short sight-filled walk to most of the other attractions.
Get around
The South Bank area is best accessed on foot or by bike.
See
- Tate Modern (http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/), Bankside. (Nearest tube: Blackfriars, Southwark) 7887 8000 (Recorded information: +44 (0)20 7887 8008, Minicom: 020 7887 8687) Su-Th 10am-6pm, Fr-Sa 10am-10pm. An enormous art gallery converted from the former Bankside Power Station, a visit to Tate Modern could easily take half a day on its own. The gallery collects together contemporary and modern art from around the world, arranged thematically. The most stunning aspect of the building, however, is the enormous Turbine Hall, which plays host to a single piece of work commissioned for the space each year. Most recently, the hall was filled with a vision of a misty dawn sunrise envisioned by Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson. A definite must-do. Admission free (though there is a charge for temporary exhibitions). The current temporary exhibition is a retrospective of Edward Hopper's works, many on loan from the United States.... well worth a look!
- the London Eye, South Bank. (Nearest tube: Waterloo, Westminster) Opening hours vary at different times of the year - generally 9:30am-8pm in Winter, 9:30am-10pm in Summer, though visitors are advised to check the website or contact the London Eye to check individual days. An enormous ferris wheel with glass-walled capsules, the London Eye offers incomparable views over central London. In January each year, the London Eye closes for maintenance for around a month. Tickets are sold for specific times, so if visitors wish to go on the London Eye at a specific time, they are strongly advised to book in advance - particularly in the Summer. £11. http://www.londoneye.com
- the Saatchi Gallery, County Hall, South Bank. (Nearest tube: Waterloo, Westminster) Su-Th 10am-8pm, Fr-Sa 10am-8pm. An exhibition of works from Charles Saatchi's collection of contemporary art, predominantly Britart, including works by Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and Sarah Lucas. Themes of the art on display may not be suitable for all ages. The admission fee is the highest of any art gallery in the world, so tourists should consider if they are sufficiently interested in the genre of art on display before entering. The entrance corridor, which spans County Hall, contains about 20-30 works from the exhibition, so an unsure visitor can sample the type of work on display before spending out on visiting. £8.50. http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk
- Shakespeare's Globe, 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside. (Nearest tube: Blackfriars, Southwark) 7902 1400 email: info@shakespearesglobe.com, fax: 7902 1401, information for disabled visitors: 7902 1409) Sam Wanamaker's reconstruction of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, built using traditional techniques, stages plays in the Summer months. Around the year, there is an exhibition ending with either a tour of the theatre itself (in Winter, and mornings in the Summer), or a virtual tour (Summer afternoons). Open from 10am-5pm daily Oct-Apr, 9am-5pm May-Sept. Tickets for plays are often available on the day, particularly if you are prepared to stand in the yard. This year's productions is dubbed The Season of Star-Crossed Lovers, and includes Romeo and Juliet. £8 (for admission to exhibition), £5 to £29 (for tickets to see plays). http://www.shakespeares-globe.org
- The Old Operating Theatre, (Nearest tube: London Bridge) Open daily 10:30am-5pm. Britain's oldest operating theatre is an unusual tourist attraction, located in the roof space of St. Thomas's Church along with the herb store originally used by St. Thomas's Hospital's apothecary. £4.25. http://www.thegarret.org.uk/
- South Bank Centre (Royal Festival Hall, Hayward Gallery, National Theatre and National Film Theatre), South Bank. (Nearest tube: Embankment) The South Bank Centre is an concrete monstrosity on the south bank of the river, comprising a number of cultural institutions. The Royal Festival Hall hosts almost daily classical music concerts throughout the year, tickets often available on the day. The Hayward Gallery is a gallery hosting a single temporary exhibition at any one time. The National Theatre has three large auditoriums, and puts on a wide variety of shows - tickets should generally be booked in advance, but availability depends on the performance. The National Film Theatre has two screens showing less mainstream films.
Do
Walk along the South Bank
The walk along the South Bank of the Thames is a relaxing walk through central London, away (albeit only a short distance) from the traffic. Pedestrians can walk alongside the river almost the whole way from Tower Bridge to Lambeth Bridge, following the route of the Jubilee Walkway - a route through central London that takes in most of London's key attractions, which was developed for the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977. For more information on the Jubilee Walkway, visit http://www.jubileewalkway.co.uk
Major sights along the South Bank of the Thames include HMS Belfast, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, Tate Modern, The London Eye and County Hall.
A full guide to the riverside walk along the south bank of the Thames can be found on the Imakoopedia South Bank Walk page.
Buy
Eat
- Pizza Express - a well-situated branch of the dependable chain of pizza restaurants, located just to the east (downriver) of the Globe Theatre.... Sit near the windows and eat your pizza, pasta or salad while gazing over the Thames at St Pauls Cathedral and the City
Drink
- The George, 75-77 Borough High Street, 7407 2056 (George.Southwalk@Laurelpubco.Com). M Tu W Th F Sa 11AM-11PM Su 12PM-10.30PM. London's last surviving galleried coaching inn which was rebuilt in 1676. Owned by the National Trust the cobbled courtyard is particularly nice. $beerprice draft/bottle beers, $wellprice well drinks (extra price or special info). http://www.laurelpubco.com/pubdb/index.cfm/fuseaction,detail/i_id,208/index.html
