Southwark, directly south of the river Thames, stretches from Dulwich up to Borough, Bermondsey and Rotherhithe, taking in Peckham and Camberwell along the way.
The name dates back to the 9th century, but Southwark was first settled in the Roman period.
Important landmarks such as Tower Bridge, Millenium Bridge, London Bridge, the Shard, the Tate Modern, the Globe and the Imperial War Museum are all contained within the borough.
Looking down a nondescript alley off Rye Lane it’s hard to believe this is the proposed start of “a new linear park” which will “reconnect Peckham’s neighbourhoods”. It’s here, behind Ali’s fruit and vegetable stall, that stairs and a ramp will lead to the Peckham Coal Line – […]
People have long come to London to enjoy its many attractions, but for some in the 1920s and 30s it wasn’t tourism that brought them here. Visitors travelled from across Europe and America to see Bermondsey Council’s pioneering work in providing residents with decent homes in pleasant surroundings. […]
For design students, William Morris is often regarded as the most influential person of all time. Born in Walthamstow in 1834, he is considered by many the father of the Arts and Crafts, a movement which was also influenced by the writer John Ruskin and architect Augustus Pugin. […]
Peckham Rye common is one of southeast London’s most popular expanses of greenery. Some play organised games on the marked out sports pitches, joggers run round the edge of the field and families enjoy picnics on the grass when the weather allows. One of my favourite London cafes […]
Search for the ‘East End’ on the internet and you are presented with page after page of interesting content. Bookshops are filled with volumes on this area of London as well, many of which I have read in recent years. And I hope to find other new books […]
Holy Trinity church in Rotherhithe knows how to provide a friendly welcome to visitors on a chilly November Saturday afternoon. With homemade cakes, coffees and hot soup on offer, it is the ideal spot to warm-up and take a break from exploring the surrounding area. The church is […]
If you have visited London Bridge station recently you will know it is one big building site right now. While half of the shiny new concourse is now open, there are still six platforms that remain out of use (most of which won’t be open again to 2018). […]
Soon after moving to London five years I took a boat trip down the Thames and, from the breezy open deck, the capital’s blockbuster sights flashed before my eyes. The Houses of Parliament, the South Bank Centre, Tower Bridge and Maritime Greenwich were the places that stood out. […]
The Industrial Revolution was “a storm that passed over London and broke elsewhere,” suggested J R Hammond, writing in 1925. And the author wasn’t alone in this view: “The capital cities would be present at the forthcoming industrial revolution, but in the role of spectators. Not London, but […]
The George Inn on Borough High Street is a busy place on Friday evenings as office workers, holding a pint or two in their hands, fill the rooms inside and outdoor courtyard. But this is nothing new – this pub has a history of being hectic. Writing in […]
Past In The Present 