Sites along the River Thames

Spanning the River Thames in the center of London, Tower Bridge was built from 1887 to 1894. In the years since, it has become a symbol of the city. 

Tower Bridge is a combination of a suspension bridge on its north and south ends with a bascule bridge, or drawbridge, in the middle. Its 2 giant sections of moveable roadway can be lifted to allow shipping traffic through. 

The massive twin towers of the bridge rise 215 feet (65 m) high. High above you, between the fourth floors of the towers, are 2 walkways that offer visitors panoramic views. A glass-floor section lets you gaze down below.  

This towering skyscraper—which looks like a sharp piece of glass that could cut you—is called the Shard. Its 87 stories rise 1,016 feet (310 m) above the streets of London, and make it the tallest building in Europe.

30 St. Mary Axe—that’s the address and official name of this odd-looking building. Nicknamed the Gherkin by Londoners because of its pickled cucumber shape, the 41-story glass-and-steel skyscraper stands in the middle of The City’s busy financial district.

The black London cab is iconic and world famous. Black cab drivers are extremely knowledgeable about the city; they must take a test about routes and points of interest in order to become certified.

This historic warship is actually a museum on the river Thames. HMS Belfast is one of only 3 bombardment vessels that survived D-Day, the Allied invasion of Europe during World War II. 

It supported the troops landing on the Normandy beaches by firing its guns full broadside at a German gun battery onshore. Later in the war it was dispatched to the British Pacific Fleet in the Far East.

Flowing through the heart of London, the Thames passes landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. The river is a major shipping lane and forms part of the Port of London.

These riverbank-walkers and picture-takers are among the over 15 million visitors who flock to London every year, making the city one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. Museums, art galleries, castles, historic sites, theaters, restaurants, shopping—all are major attractions.

After an earlier church on this site was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666, the current St. Paul’s, designed by famous British architect Sir Christopher Wren, was completed in 1708. The cathedral is a symbol of the Church of England. 

Inside, sculptures commemorate the lives of writers, artists, soldiers, and clergy. Among the many famous Britons buried at St. Paul’s are poet John Donne, architect Christopher Wren, Admiral Horatio Nelson, and the Duke of Wellington.

St. Paul’s is first and foremost a church, with hourly prayer and daily services. In addition to worship, the church has been the site of historic royal and social events, including state funerals, weddings, and thanksgiving services.

The imposing statue outside the doors of St. Paul’s is of Queen Anne, who ruled Britain when the cathedral was completed. Four figures around the base represent England, Ireland, North America, and France, all or parts of which Anne claimed.

In this day of mobile phones, phone booths have become reminders of the past and have disappeared in many cities. But in London, the red telephone booth, or phone box, can still be seen. Some now contain defibrillators or mini-libraries.

For pedestrians only, the Millennium Bridge offers a way across the River Thames.  It’s a steel suspension bridge with the supporting cables placed below the bridge level—an unusual design. 

The footbridge was created this way to conform to height restrictions but also to allow pedestrians a more open view. The bridge is strong enough to support up to 5,000 people.

At the north end of Millennium Bridge, you can see the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral. The bridge was designed so that its side supports frame the cathedral for pedestrians.

To the west of Millennium Bridge is the Blackfriars Railway Bridge, allowing trains to cross the Thames. 

Directly east is Southwark Bridge. Far to the east you can see Tower Bridge.

The Tate Modern belongs to a family of 4 art galleries; the others are Tate Britain (also in London), Tate Liverpool, and Tate St. Ives. At the other Tates you can view major British artworks from 1500 to the present. 

The Tate Modern, however, was created to display international modern and contemporary art. Since opening in 2000, more than 40 million people have visited the Tate Modern, and it’s one of the top 3 tourist attractions in the United Kingdom.

After 2 decades of disuse, the Bankside Power Station was converted by the Swiss architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron to house the Tate Modern. The towering entrance is the former turbine hall, and the galleries were once the boiler house.

West of Tate Modern is the Blackfriars Railway Bridge. It is the second bridge built here, as the first was too narrow. The original red posts are still visible if you’re standing on neighbouring Blackfriars Bridge.

East of Tate Modern, beyond the Millennium Bridge, is the Globe Theatre, but it’s not the Globe of Shakespeare’s days. That structure burned down in 1613. The current Globe Theatre was built in the 1990s.

Looking across Westminster Bridge, you might think that you’re seeing the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. But technically, the sprawling building with spires is called the Palace of Westminster.

It’s the meeting place of the 2 houses of Parliament, the legislative bodies of Great Britain: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Big Ben is the name reserved for the great bell that strikes the hour, rather than what most people call the clock tower and the clock. 

The clock tower was completed in 1859. The clock started on May 31, and Big Ben, the bell, first rang out on July 11. The tower’s name was changed to Elizabeth Tower in 2012 for Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee.

Originally a royal palace built in the 11th century, the Palace of Westminster is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since the 13th century Parliament has met here. In the 1800s the palace you see today was constructed in Gothic style.

Westminster Abbey tells much of the history of Britain. The kings and queens of England have been crowned in the Abbey since 1066. Poets’ Corner commemorates literary Britons, such as W. H. Auden, Jane Austen, Robert Burns, and Charles Dickens.