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| Wise words. |
Thursday October 30, 2025.
Having taken a few days off work, Emma and I took Keilyn to London, while Erin was staying with friends.
We set off, via taxi, to Watford Metropolitan station to board a train to Finchley Road and from there a Jubilee line train to Waterloo.
On leaving Waterloo station we crossed Waterloo Road and headed for the Bus Cafe, for a spot of lunch. Full English breakfasts were ordered and devoured, washed down with coffee and tea.
With our bellies full we left the bus garage and headed along The Cut and onto Union Street. We passed the Embassy Tea House and the London Fire Brigade Headquarters, before crossing Southwark Bridge Road. We then passed the old Tram shelter, which is now a gourmet burger restaurant, and the Mint & Gospel Lighthouse Mission building, before turning up Redcross Way beside Crossbones Graveyard.
Redcross Way brought us to Dirty Lane and the arches beneath the mainline railway of Cannon Street station. This eventually brought us to Clink Street. Keilyn's face lit up when she discovered that we were going into the Clink Prison Museum, a place she had wanted to visit for ages.
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| "The Clink": the prison that gave its name to all others. |
We descended the stairs, paying our dues at the booth, before entering the site of the original Clink Prison. The prison that gave its name to all others.
Information boards told the history of the prison from its earliest inception, in 1144, to its closure in 1780. Manacles, locks, swords, torture implements, chastity belts and much more were on display, many of which could be handled, allowing you to feel the weight of the chains, giving a sense of how it would feel to be manacled for days on end.
There was also information on Crossbones Graveyard and the Winchester Geese, the Liberty of the Clink, the Bishop of Winchester and a brief mention of the other five prisons that were in Southwark.
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| "Off with his head!" |
As we walked through the Clink Keilyn was keeping an eye out for the 'ghosts' that had been hidden around the museum. These 'ghosts' were small puppets and, should you find all ten, you received a sweet on leaving the gift shop. Of course, Keilyn spotted all ten and received her lollipop as we left the prison.
We continued along Clink Street and joined the throng of tourists, passing the Golden Hinde and turned onto Cathedral Street and then Montague Close, where we sat in Minerva Square to rest our legs and have a drink. We then continued along Montague Close and joined Tooley Street, before turning along St Olaf Stairs and joining The Queen's Walk along the River Thames. Countless wooden sheds were in various stages of being built and painted, ready for the Christmas season, while the old City Hall is in the middle of a major refurbishment, with much of its glass having been removed.
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| A Victorian era postbox. |
We looked at the Royal Mail Penfold Postbox, a relic of the Victorian era, before we turned south along Duchess Walk to Queen Elizabeth Street. After buying an ice cream, for Keilyn, and some more refreshments and snacks, we walked along Tower Bridge Road and headed for our hotel... Premier Inn London Tower Bridge Hotel.
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| The view from our hotel room. |
After checking in, Keilyn grabbed the room key and took the lift to the top floor, all the while we were hoping for a room with a view. And we were not disappointed. We could just make out the top of the London Eye and half of the dome of St Paul's Cathedral, but we had a clear view of The Shard, which was perfect.
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| Once a turret of the church. |
With time getting on we headed out to grab some dinner, deciding on a pub as the best place as they would have something to please us all. But, first, Keilyn wanted to explore Tanner Street Park, which also gave me the chance to discover another of London's drinking fountains. The Tanner Street Drinking Fountain was originally the turret at the top of the tower of St Olaf's Church, on Tooley Street, and is Grade II listed.
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| My dinner. |
Having explored the park we headed to The Pommelers Rest, which is located in the former Tower Bridge Hotel that operated from 1837-1901. The pub was busy, but we managed to find a table and, using the app, placed our order. Keilyn opted for a jacket potato with beans and cheese, while Emma had the Lasagne. I went for a Tennessee Burger, with a beef patty, maple-cured bacon and Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey glaze. The service was fast and the food delicious. For dessert Keilyn had warm chocolate fudge cake with vanilla ice cream, while Emma had British Bramley apple crumble. I was full, so didn't partake in the desserts.
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| Tower Bridge from Duchess Walk. |
On leaving the pub we crossed Tower Bridge Road and headed towards the River Thames, via Duchess Walk. Keilyn, now fully topped up with energy, was running around, taking photos and generally having a great time. I took a few photos of Tower Bridge, the City of London and HM Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London.
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| Butler's Wharf. |
We then passed beneath Tower Bridge and continued our walk in Shad Thames, turning along Maggie Blake's Cause to join the River Thames. More photos of Tower Bridge and, to the east, Canary Wharf were taken, while Keilyn explored the various anchors, chains and propellers dotted along Butler's Wharf.
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| The former Tower Bridge Magistrates Court. |
With time getting on we meandered our way back to the hotel, via Curlew Street, Queen Elizabeth Street, Three Oak Lane and Tooley Street, which brought us back to Tower Bridge Road. I stopped to take a photo of The Dixon Tower Bridge Hotel, which occupies the former Tower Bridge Magistrates Court and Police station building that operated from 1906 until 2013.
Once back at the hotel we all waited patiently for the top of the hour, when The Shard would light up with a lightshow telling those that could see it the time. And, sure enough, at 8 o'clock we could see the ascending lights at the top of The Shard. This lightshow happens every evening from sunset until 01:00.
A great first day was had by all, as we settled into bed.
Distance travelled:
- Bus - 0.0 miles
- Cable Car - 0.0 miles
- Car - 0.0 miles
- DLR - 0.0 miles
- Ferry - 0.0 miles
- Overground - 0.0 miles
- River Boat - 0.0 miles
- Taxi - 0.7 miles
- Train - 0.0 miles
- Underground - 19 miles
- Walking - 4 miles
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