Help choose the location of the 2007 Wikitravel Get-together!

User:Sapphire/Sandbox/Places/London/South Bank Travel Guide

From Wikitravel

Jump to: navigation, search
View of the London Eye at night
Enlarge
View of the London Eye at night

The South Bank refers to an extensive river-edge locality in central London, located along the "South Bank" of the River Thames and extending into adjoining streets. Skirting through several riverside neighbourhoods, the South Bank has witnessed much redevelopment over the past 10-15 years, re-establishing it as a major tourist destination for visitors to London, as well as extremely popular with Londoners themselves. A walk along the South Bank of the river is an essential part of a visit to London, reflecting much of the varied history of the capital.

Contents

Get in

Tube

  • Vauxhall (Victoria line)
  • London Bridge (Northern line)
  • Southwark (Jubilee line)
  • Embankment (District and Circle lines) - via the Hungerford Bridge (pedestrian)

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 of the Thames, looking towards the London Eye and County Hall
Enlarge
The South Bank of the Thames, looking towards the London Eye and County Hall

The South Bank area is probably best accessed on foot or by bike - parking is difficult at times and once you have found a space, you will want to keep it!

See

Landmarks

  • London Eye, Westminster Bridge Road (Tube: Waterloo, Westminster; near County Hall/Westminster Bridge), ☎ +44 (0) 870 990 8883 (, fax: +44 (0) 870 990 8884), http://www.londoneye.com. October - May: 10:00 - 20:00, June - September: 10:00 - 21:00 (Closed Christmas Day and January 3 - 8), County Hall ticket office opens at 9:30. The London eye is an enormous, 135 metre-high observation wheel with 32 exterior glass-walled capsules, the London Eye offers incomparable views over central London and up to 25 miles away on a good day. 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! Prices for walk-ups and standard ride: Adults £13.50, Seniors £10.00,.
  • Globe Theatre, Please see the "Do" section.
  • The Old Operating Theatre, Please see the "Do" section.
  • South Bank Centre (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.
    • Royal Festival Hall.
  • OXO Tower, http://www.oxotower.co.uk. Contains a restaurant and bar on the top floor, giving you a great view over the Thames. You pay for the privilege through the food bill, though.


Museums and galleries

View into the main Turbine Hall of the Tate Modern
Enlarge
View into the main Turbine Hall of the Tate Modern
  • Tate Modern (Tube: Blackfriars, Southwark), ☎ +44 (0)20 7887 8888 (Daily 9:45 - 18:00) (), http://www.tate.org.uk/modern. Sunday - Thursday 10:00 - 18:00, Friday & Saturday 10:00 - 22:00 (Last admission: Sunday - Thursday 17:15, Friday & Saturday: 21:15).. 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. Admission to the gallery is free, but donations are welcomed..
  • Hayward Gallery, Belvedere Road, ☎ +44 (0)20 7921 0813 (, fax: +44 (0)20 7401 2664), http://www.hayward.org.uk/. Tuesday & Wednesday 10:00 - 20:00, Friday 10:00 - 21:00, Every other day 10:00 - 18:00. (Closed on December 24, 25, 26, 27 and January 1 and 2).. Particularly strong on contemporary art exhibitions Admission: Adults £7.50, Seniors (60+) £7.00, Students £6.00, Children 12 - 16 £4..
  • Design Museum, Shad Thames (Nearest tube: Tower Hill, London Bridge) (), http://www.designmuseum.org/. Daily 10:00 - 17:45, Last admission at 17:15. Closed on December 25 & 26.. A must for anyone with an interest in modern and contemporary design. The permanent exhibition follows the change in British homes from the early 20th century until present day, which is constantly updated to include new design classics. There are temporary exhibits which run for 3-4 months. Recent exhibits have included Saul Bass, Peter Saville and Archigram. The museum also runs 'Designer of the Year' which awards a prize to a person or organisation that has produced an impressive piece of design (past winner was Jonathan Ive, who designed the iMac and iPod). There is a small shop that has plenty of art and design books as well as designer goods to take home with you. Admission: Adults £7, Students £4, Concessions £4.
  • The Staatchi Gallery has closed and will reopen in Chelesy in 20007.

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 Wikitravel South Bank Walk page.

Theatre and films

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
Enlarge
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
  • Shakespeare's Globe, 21 New Globe Walk (Tube: Blackfriars, Southwark;), ☎ +44 (0)20 7401 9919 (, fax: +44 (0)20 7902 1475), http://www.shakespeares-globe.org. October - April daily 10:00 - 17:00, May - September 9:00 - 17:00. Sam Wanamaker's largely authentic 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). . Tickets for plays are often available on the day, particularly if you are prepared to stand in the yard.
  • The Old Operating Theatre (Nearest tube: London Bridge), http://www.thegarret.org.uk/. Daily 10:30 - 17:00. 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.


Buy

Eat

  • Borough Market. Pick up some food at Borough Market and enjoy it under Southwark Cathedral. The market runs from 12:00-6:00 on Friday and 8:00-6:00 on Saturday.

Drink

  • The Hole In The Wall, 5 Mepham Street (Waterloo Station,), ☎ +44 (020) 7928 6196.
  • Windmill Tavern, 86 The Cut, ☎ +44 (0) 20 7207 3984 (fax: +44 207 928 5300).

Sleep

  • Marriott London County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, ☎ +44 207 928 5200, http://marriott.com/property/propertypage/LONCH. Check in time: 14:00, Check out time: 12:00. 6 floors, 186 rooms, 14 suites, 10 meeting rooms, 563 sq m of total meeting space.
  • London Bridge Hotel, 8-18 London Bridge Street, ☎ +44 (0)20 7855 2200 (fax: +44 (0)20 7855 2233), http://www.londonbridgehotel.com/. Check in time: 14:00, Check out time: 12:00. The London Bridge Hotel is a four star hotel.
This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!
Retrieved from "http://wikitravel.org/en/User:Sapphire/Sandbox/Places/London/South_Bank"
other sites