A clear view of the river
Walking east along St Katharine’s Way, you see a round building on the right-hand side shortly before reaching Wapping High Street. Pass through the gate to see an open paved area with seats on the banks of the river. Here you can gain a different impression of the Thames than in Westminster, as it changes from an embanked and bridged city river hemmed in by large buildings to a major commercial waterway on course for the sea. The Thames gradually becomes wider, and the rise and fall of tides is more noticeable. Passenger boats passing at speed and the currents of tide and river send waves slapping against the quay. Wind ruffles the choppy water and makes it sparkle in the sunshine. This spot, Tower Bridge Wharf, is a fine place to linger, whether the sky reflected in the Thames is blue or grey, thanks to a wonderful view along the water and across to the south bank.
Directly opposite lies Butler’s Wharf, where the largest tea warehouse in the world has been converted to luxury flats. Further to the right, the architectural jumble of new and old is almost startling: the brutal 1970s concrete tower of Guy’s Hospital, the tilted egg-shape of City Hall and the piercingly self-promotional Shard line up one behind the other next to the Gothic silhouette of Tower Bridge. Turning to look along the north bank, you can see The Monument and St Paul’s Cathedral with the British Telecom tower in the background.
Info
Address St Katherine’s Way, E1W 1UR | Public Transport Tower Hill (Circle, District Line) | Hours Mon–Sun 8am–11pm| Tip The Dickens Inn at St Katharine Docks is a tourist magnet, but good beer in a historic timber building makes it worth stopping there (Mon–Sat 11am–11pm, Sun noon–10.30pm).
After a rest at Tower Bridge Wharf, follow the Thames Path east through the redeveloped Docklands. A short way downstream, brightly coloured pennants flutter on traditional river barges. They are moored in front of new waterfront housing, past which the path leads to the Hermitage Riverside Memorial Garden. Here, in an area that suffered heavy bombing, flower beds and sculptures commemorate the civilians who died in the Second World War.
Back
To the online map