Get to know the City of London – all in one go. (8 Km)
- philip carey
- Aug 23, 2022
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 16, 2024
Start at London Bridge Station
Finish at St Paul's Station
THE EXPERIENCE
This route combines all the City of London Sightseeing routes together. It starts by exploring an easterly riverside route from London Bridge to the Tower of London via the southern side of the river Thames. Then it returns along the north bank via Customs House and Old Billingsgate back to London Bridge. It then takes you west across London Bridge and into the heart of the City of London and its skyscrapers before heading west to St. Paul’s Cathedral, past the historic banking sector with the Bank of England and the Royal Exchange. The last part takes you along a scenic riverside route back to London Bridge via the Millennium Bridge, Tate Modern, the Globe and Borough Market and the Shard.
This is great for history and iconic sights, cityscapes, food markets, museums, entertainment venues, culture, art, skyscrapers, fantastic riverside /dockside views, sunrise/sunsets, and cathedrals. It is also supported by numerous eating and drinking spots along the way.
MUST SEE PLACES
What to See List
1. The Shard
2. Hays Galleria & River Views
3. Tower Bridge
4. St Katharine Dock
5. The Tower of London
6. Old Billingsgate Market Views
7. London Bridge Views
8. Leadenhall Market
9. The Bank of England
10. St Paul's Cathedral
11. Millennium Bridge Views
12. Tate Modern & the Globe
13. Bankside River Views
14. Borough Market
PLACES TO EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY
Areas to Eat, Drink and Be Merry List
1. Borough Market
2. Borough High Street
3. Hays Galleria and More Place
4. Around St Katharine Dock
5. Around Fenchurch Street
6. Around Leadenhall Market
7. Along Bank
8. Watling Street & One New Change
9. Around St Paul’s Cathedral
10. Along Bankside
BEST TIME
Morning - The best time to do this route is on weekends in the early morning when it is quiet and free from crowds and heavy traffic.
Day - Most of this route will be busy during the day.
Evenings - Quieter during the evening.
ROUTE OVERVIEW
The eastern look route starts at London Bridge Station on Tooley Street and heads towards the Queen's Walk by the river. It continues down to Tower Bridge and crosses over to the Tower of London via St Katherine Docks. It then returns to the Shard at London Bridge via Lower Thames Street, the river path in front of Old Billingsgate Market and then across London Bridge. The western section takes you across London Bridge again, and up Bishopsgate past the Monument and Leadenhall Market and into the City of London's skyscrapers zone. At Threadneedle Street, it heads off towards the historic buildings of the Bank of England, the Royal Exchange, Mansion House, and Cheapside before ending up at St Paul's Cathedral. The final part returns to London Bridge on the south side of the river via Millennium Bridge, the Globe, Bankside, and Borough Market.
Route at a Glance Video.
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DESCRIPTIVE PHOTO GALLERY
This gallery provides a descriptive and visual reference to many sights along this route. Use the Google Map above to find their location. Double-click to see its full size.
INTERESTING FACTS
City of London Facts
.The City of London is a very popular place to work, but not a popular place to live.Most of the people who work in the City of London commute in from other parts of London or from outside the city.
· There are 8,600 residents living in the City of London.
· 1 in 52 UK workers are employed in the City.
· There are 614,500 workers in the City of London.
The City of London is our most important city but it is also one of the smallest. It is also known as the Square Mile because it is only 1.12 square miles in size. This is where the Romans founded the city of Londinium shortly after they arrived in 43AD. In contrast, Greater London covers 600 square miles and has a population of 9.1 million
In the middle ages, London, “the City,” developed as a centre of trade, commerce, and banking. Southwark, “the Borough,” became known for its monasteries, hospitals, inns, fairs, pleasure houses, and the great theatres of Elizabethan London—the Rose (1587), the Swan (1595), and the world-famous Globe (1599)
Geography plays a key role in the success of the City of London. Unlike New York, Tokyo or Hong Kong, the City’s business day overlaps those of all the world’s financial centres. The City can trade with the Eastern Hemisphere in the morning and the Western Hemisphere in the afternoon, allowing its dealers to trade in all major markets in one day.
Some of the City’s most famous institutions started out in coffee houses at the end of the 17th century. Jonathan’s and Garraway’s coffee houses in Exchange Alley saw the first buying and selling of company stocks. Edward Lloyd’s coffee house was where ships and their cargoes could be insured, leading to the foundation of Lloyds of London.
City life used to be dominated by the Livery Companies, trade guilds who trained craftsmen, set standards and controlled the practice of trades. Over one hundred still exist today even though the trades they represented have vanished from the City of London. Many still occupy grand “livery halls” and survive as social and charitable institutions.
About a quarter of the buildings in the City are replaced every 25 years.
Beekeeping is very popular in the City. There are over 100 beehives in the City, and the number is increasing all the time. There are even beehives on top of St Pauls Cathedral!
The City of London has its own Lord Mayor. The Lord Mayor is elected every year, and he or she is responsible for representing the City of London to the rest of the world
London Wall Facts
Leadenhall Market Interior
Leadenhall Market is one of the oldest markets in London and dates from the 14th century. It is right in the heart of the City of London on the site once the epicentre of Roman London. The current structure was designed in 1881 by Sir Horace Jones, who also designed Billingsgate Fish Market and Tower Bridge. Today, it's home to boutique retailers, pubs, wine bars and restaurants. The market was also used as the location of Diagon Alley in the first Harry Potter film.
Lloyd’s of London and Willis Tower Watson
The Lloyds Building (designed by Richard Rogers) and the Willis Building (designed by Norman Foster) are on Fenchurch Street.. The Willis Building features a “stepped” design, which was intended to resemble the shell of a crustacean, whilst the “inside out” Lloyds Building has its critical service routed on its outside walls.
Fishmonger’s Hall
Fishmongers’ Hall by London Bridge is the headquarters of the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers – a guild of fish and seafood sellers in the City – and one of the 110 livery companies of the City of London. The Company has been in existence since 1272. This is their fourth hall, and it opened in 1834 when London Bridge was moved and rebuilt. Fishmongers’ Hall contains many treasures, some dating back to the 1380s.
Paternoster Square
The area takes its name from Paternoster Row, which was once the centre of London’s publishing trade. On 29th December 1940, the buildings on Paternoster Row were destroyed by the Blitz bombings, but St Paul’s Cathedral remained largely intact. The square was developed in 1956 and again in 2003. It is now the location of the London Stock Exchange, which relocated there from Threadneedle Street in 2004. The central column serves as a ventilation shaft. Temple Bar is the last surviving gateway to the City of London. It used to stand across Fleet Street by Temple as this was the historic royal ceremonial route from the Tower of London to the Palace of Westminster, the two chief residences of the medieval English monarchs. The original Temple Bar is now at the entry to Paternoster Square, behind St Paul's Cathedral. The Bar was also used from 1293 to regulate trade into the City of London
VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE AREA
Click on the picture below to take a 360-degree virtual tour of the areas.
Virtual Tour - East of London Bridge
Virtual Tour - West of London Bridge
Use the locations on the routes to explore this location by looking around in 360, taking in the sights and sounds, listening to an audio recording about the area and going on a virtual tour.
HISTORY VIDEO LIBRARY
This video gives you a short introduction to how the City of London grew during the Tudors (1560) and the Victorians (1860)
Please note - These date from before 2018 and have been done in a variety of styles to determine which one works best. They all provide very useful information and we would welcome feedback to help create the new version
7:26 mins
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