Walking with friends: Waterloo to Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens... and beyond

Wednesday August 27, 2025.

Having arrived back from our family holiday, in Lanzarote, on Monday, I was itching to get back to walking London's streets and discover new places.

Fortunately, I still had some time off, before I return to work next month.

My friend and colleague, Steve, also had this week off from work, so we met at Watford underground station and set off for London. Our Metropolitan line train took us to Finchley Road, where we switched to a Jubilee line train to take us to Waterloo, where our walk would begin.

As the weather forecast said rain was due in the afternoon, we both had light coats with us 

Exiting Waterloo station, we crossed Waterloo Road and made our way to the Waterloo Bus Garage, where we would have breakfast at the Bus Cafe. Now, Waterloo Bus Garage is a significant place as it became the first fully electric bus depot, in Europe, in 2016.

On entering the Bus Cafe we grabbed an available table, before I ordered two Full English breakfasts, with coffee. We didn't have to wait too long before it was served to us. As we ate the rain, that was promised for the afternoon, suddenly released a deluge. 

After we had finished we got speaking with a man at a neighbouring table. It turns out he had just flown in from Canada and, on hearing about the Bus Cafe, had entered to try his first ever Full English breakfast. A mum and daughter, at another table, were also here on their first visit. The rest of the cafe was full of bus drivers on their breaks or preparing to start their shifts.

We left the Bus Cafe and headed down Waterloo Road towards the London Ambulance Service Headquarters, where we looked at the three ambulances preserved on the forecourt, taking photos and reading about the history of the London Ambulance Service.

From here we headed down Pearman Street, crossed Westminster Bridge Road and continued down King Edward Walk, crossed Lambeth Road and cut through Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park to reach Kennington Road.

We followed Kennington Road until we turned down Chester Way, then Kennington Lane where we turned down White Hart Street. It was here, on the Kennings Estate that we discovered some ARP stretchers being used as railings. Eventually we found ourselves on Kennington Park Road.

From here we rejoined Kennington Road and made our way to 'The Dog House', as we had heard great things about it. Plus, we were getting thirsty. Unfortunately, the pub was late in opening, so we entered 'The Tommyfield', which stands opposite.

We ordered our drinks and grabbed a table, from where we checked out the pub. It turns out that this pub has comedy nights, where various comedy figures have played.

Suitably hydrated we crossed Kennington Lane and entered 'The Dog House'. And what a delight it was. We had entered into what, at one time had been the 'public' bar, where a glass cabinet held taxidermied birds, while teapots hung from the ceiling. A short corridor, covered in small movie posters promoting various horror and science fiction films.

Entering the 'Saloon' bar we discovered more taxidermied animals, while empty bird cages hung from the ceiling. The walls were adorned with random photos, prints, African tribal masks and so much more. A small snug had oriental parasols hanging above it. It is an eclectic place. After looking around as much as we could and having spoken with the landlord, about the building, we took our drinks outside to the beer garden and relaxed.

On leaving 'The Dog House' we passed the house where Charlie Chaplin had lived, from 1889-1978, before crossing Kennington Road and heading down Black Prince Road. We passed 'The Black Prince' pub and Venn Park, before reaching Tyers Street, where we stopped for a drink at 'The Jolly Gardeners'. 

Now, I have been here before and this pub houses a piano that was, supposedly, played by Charlie Chaplin Senior. It is stood in the corner of the pub, in a sorry looking state. There is no plaque or information that states its history, but it is still an intriguing piece to look at. After looking at the piano we sat in the open-air garden and sipped our drinks.

On leaving the pub we continued along Black Prince Road, where I pointed out 'The Queen's Head' pub, which is now a bistro. At one time, in its past, this pub was frequented by Charlie Chaplin as it was run by his Uncle. It was here that he drew inspiration for his "Tramp" character, after noticing a patron, Archibald Binks, who wore large loose fitting trousers and walked with a shuffle.

We continued our walk until we reached the 'Doulton' building, with its ornate office building, on the corner of Lambeth High Street. This is one of my favourite buildings in the area.

Turning up Lambeth High Street we stopped, so that Steve could have his photo taken with some firemen.

 

We then entered 'The Windmill Pub'. This is another pub that I had visited before and was eager to show Steve its wonderful interior and its amazing and entertaining 'If Places Were Faces, London' drawing. And Steve loved it, spending far too much time laughing at the names and faces on it. We then looked around the pub, before sitting to sip our drinks.

We then headed back down Lambeth High Street and back along Black Prince Road until we reached Vauxhall Walk, which we followed, passing the National Crime Agency building, until we reached Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. 

'Nancy's Steps', Old London Bridge

'Nancy's Steps'.

These steps, on the southwest side of London Bridge, the arch and a few remaining pedestrian alcoves are pretty much all that is left, in England, of John Rennie's London Bridge. 

Old London Bridge pedestrian alcove, Victoria Park.

One alcove sits in the quadrangle of Guy's Hospital, while another can be found in Victoria Park.

The rest of the bridge was sold to Robert McCulloch, who had it dismantled and shipped to America, where it was rebuilt in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

A surviving arch of John Rennie's London Bridge.

These steps are often called 'Nancy's Steps', in reference to the character of Nancy, from the novel 'Oliver Twist', by Charles Dickens.

In the novel Bill Sikes murders Nancy in a room, while Bill's dog, Bull's-Eye, watches on. 

However, in the 1968 movie, 'Oliver!', Nancy is murdered on the steps of London Bridge by Bill Sikes.

Shorely Shome Mishtake.

This makes the Blue Plaque, affixed to the wall of the surviving arch of John Rennie's London Bridge, incorrect.

You can read more about London Bridge by clicking on the link below.

London Bridge

Tram Shelter, Southwark

A relic from a bygone era.

On the junction of Union Street and Southwark Bridge Road, there is a cafe bar that resides in a wonderful relic from a bygone era.

The building began life as a tram shelter and stands on a pedestrian island near Flat Iron Square. 

It is a single storey building with timber framed doors, a pitched plain clay tile roof with a ventilation lantern. A semicircular window, above the door adds to the charm of this 1930s building.

A tram shelter repurposed as a cafe bar.

Trams once trundled by this building on their way to the northern end of Southwark Bridge and, in the other direction, to the Hop Exchange, close to Borough High Street.

Like much of this area, in and around Southwark, a lot has been lost to redevelopment, so it is nice to see that this almost 100 year old building has been repurposed.

The two London Plane trees offer some shade to patrons who choose to dine outside in the summer months.

Marshalsea Prison South Wall

Angel Place is an alley that leads from Borough High Street to Tennis Street, passing St George's Churchyard Gardens.

The wall that separates the gardens from the alley is all that remains of the south wall of Marshalsea Prison, a notorious debtor's prison that stood, in one state or another, on this site.

Brief History

The first Marshalsea Prison, 1373-1811, was located at what is now 161 Borough High Street and housed men accused of crimes at sea, political prisoners and debtors.

Free School, Rotherhithe

Peter Hills and Robert Bell founded the Free School in 1613, as a way to educate the children of impoverished seafarers and mariners.

Peter Hills died in 1614, leaving a sum of six pounds per year for the ongoing maintenance of the school. When it opened the school had just eight boys and is thought to be the first elementary school in London.

In the 1700s the free school raised new funds, as the six ponds per year was now insufficient to keep the school maintained. With new capital the school expanded, giving it room for 65 boys and 50 girls, too.

In 1739 an amicable fund was set up to supply funding to for an additional 12 boys.  

In 1742 it became known as the Charity School. The original building was on the northside of Saint Marychurch street, adjoining St Mary's church. 

ARP Stretcher Railings

Wandering London's streets, as I often do, I am still surprised by the extraordinary things hidden in plain sight.

Take the railings, in the photo above. At first glance they appear to be your standard railings, which are quite often found south of the river, in places like Bermondsey, Brixton, Camberwell, Deptford, Southwark, etc..  There even some north of the River Thames, in Poplar.

However, these are no ordinary railings. They are almost 80 years old and once served a very different purpose.

During World War II many of the metal fences and railings, around various houses and buildings, were removed, so that the metal could be used for the war effort.

'The Southwark Tavern'

The Southwark Tavern, on Southwark Street, is a wonderful pub situated on a corner opposite the busy Borough Market.

Its caramel-coloured tiles and leaded windows give the building an appealing look, especially in this area on the south bank.

Inside, the pub is not overly lit, which, along with its dark wood panelling, harkens back to days of old.

There is a large bar offering a wide selection of drinks, while meals can be ordered to be eaten at the various tables. 

'Jacob' by Shirley Pace

Wandering on the south side of the River Thames, where many of the old buildings have been repurposed as dwellings and businesses, you still come across new developments.

While many of these newer buildings still fit in with the aesthetic of the area, some do not. The latter can not be said of 'The Circle', on Queen Elizabeth Street. These newer buildings have been designed so as to not appear out of place, while still offering something new.

However, what caught my eye, as I strolled along the street, was this bronze statue of a Dray horse, named 'Jacob', stood in the centre of the road on a plinth.

When 'The Circle' was being developed the architects and designers wished to pay homage to the history of the area, hence the statue. 

As stated on the affixed plaque, Dray horses, from the nearby Courage Brewery, were stabled here from the early nineteenth century.

It is a wonderful statue that has caught the power of these mighty animals, that trekked back and forth through London, delivering beer.

The inscription on the plaque states:

"Jacob

The Circle Dray Horse

The famous Courage dray horses were stabled

on this site from the early nineteenth

century and delivered beer around London

from the brewery on Horselydown Lane

by Tower Bridge.

In the sixteenth century the area became

known as Horselydown, which derives from

'Horse-lie-down', a description of working

horses resting before crossing London Bridge

into the City of London.

Jacob was commissioned by 

Jacobs Island Company and Farlane Properties

as the centrepiece of The Circle

to commemorate the history of the site.

He was flown over London by helicopter

into Queen Elizabeth Street to launch

The Circle in 1987."

As a little footnote, I am not entirely sure that this is the actual derivation of Horselydown.

Watch House, Rotherhithe

This Watch House, on St Marychurch Street, was used by Watchmen in the 19th century. 

Constructed in 1821 it was built as a twin to the Old Rotherhithe Fire Engine House, just a bit further along Saint Marychurch Street.

It has a single floor, above ground, and a basement level, which contained a cell.

The Watchmen who were stationed here would patrol the local area in an effort to deter criminal activity. If a watchman found someone acting suspiciously they would be brought back to the Watch House, where they were kept in a cell until either being discharged or imprisoned.

This particular Watch House backs on to St Mary's Churchyard. One of the jobs watchmen were called upon to undertake was the protection of the dead. Bodysnatchers, or 'Resurrection Men' as they were known, who stole corpses for for medical research at Guy's Hospital, often visited graveyards in an attempt to find 'fresh' bodies.

The former burial ground is now St Mary's Churchyard Gardens, and the Watch House is now the Watchhouse Cafe. 

The building is Grade II listed.

Charles 'Charlie' Rouse, circa 1850.

Being a Watchmen was originally an unpaid civic duty for the local townspeople. Eventually it would become a 'profession', with Watchmen receiving a small sum for their time.

Their local parish would set down the routes that were to be followed, which they would patrol from 21:00 to 06:00. 

They were known to call out the time and weather every hour, check for fires, ensure that the village folk had locked their doors, among other things. Occasionally, townsfolk would pay the Watchmen a small sum of money to act as a walking alarm clock, waking those that had paid at a specific time.

There are still some similar Watch Houses in and around London. like the one above which is at St Matthew's Church Gardens, Bethnal Green.

'Sunshine Weekly and The Pilgrim's Pocket' by Peter McLean

Walking along the Thames Path, through Rotherhithe, you will discover Cumberland Wharf. It is a small park with circular seating areas and plenty of trees. Below is Rotherhithe Beach.

In the northwest corner is a statue, erected in 1991, of a boy dressed in 1930s attire, his dog and a pilgrim father. Which makes sense, as it is close to this spot that the Mayflower set sail for Southampton, on September 16, 1620, before heading to the New World.

The statue depicts the ghost of a Pilgrim Father, William Bradford, then Governor of the New Plymouth Colony, looking in horror over the boy's shoulder at what has happened within the New World, since his death. 

The comic, called 'Uncle Pete and Kev's Sunshine Weakly' (I think this should have read 'weekly') depicts things like automobiles, aeroplanes, an eagle, cowboys, the Empire State Building, rockets, the Statue of Liberty and much more Americana. This comic did exist, from 1936-1940.

On the back of the comic are depictions of the Mayflower and the Pilgrim Fathers.

The dog, a Staffordshire bull terrier, stood on its hind legs, appears to be trying to look at the comic, too.

In the ghost's pocket are an A-Z dated 1620, a crucifix, a lobster claw, a Native American totem pole and more. But, no bible.

Fire Engine House, Rotherhithe

This front wall is all that remains of the Old Rotherhithe Village Fire Engine House, which was built in 1821. It forms a pair with the nearby Watch House, both of which are on Saint Marychurch Street, and back on to a lovely green oasis, called St Mary's Churchyard Gardens.

This engine house once housed firemen and a single hand-operated wheeled fire engine. It must have been a small appliance as the entrance takes up a third of the wall, while two small windows take up the rest.

A fire appliance was kept here until the 1870s.

Although only a facade, now, I am still glad that it remains in situ, as part of the wall surrounding St Mary's Churchyard Gardens.

Southwark Park

The Caryatids of the Old Rotherhithe Town Hall.

Opening to the public on June 19, 1869, Southwark Park covers 26 hectares and is Grade II listed. It stretches from Jamaica Road, to the north, to Hawkstone Road in the southeast.

Southwark Park, has two entrances on Jamaica Road, Christchurch Gate, named after a nearby church, and Paradise Gate. Christchurch Gate was designated an entrance in 1903, but following damage in World War II it was replaced with a new gate, modelled on the original, thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund restoration in 2001-2002.

Southwark Park Bandstand.

Entering through Christchurch Gate the path divides, with one that leads you on a tree-lined avenue around the park, while the other leads you to the Bandstand. This Bandstand was acquired, in 1884, from the Great Exhibition in South Kensington and placed in the park. During the summer months free concerts are held here.

Caryatids. One representing Oak and the other Laurel.

Continuing south from the Bandstand you suddenly come across some stone pillars, hidden among the trees. These are Caryatids that originally flanked the the main entrance of the old Rotherhithe Town Hall. They were placed here in 2011. Continuing on there are tennis courts to the west, while a bowls club, hidden behind manicured hedges, takes up a small area at the centre of the park. 

Memorial to a working-class man.

Then there is the polished grey granite Jabez West Drinking Fountain, which is a memorial to a working-class man. 

A simple gate.

Jamaica Gate stands at the west end of Carriage Drive, which now divides the park into separate spaces.

Jabez West Drinking Fountain

Memorial to a working-class man.

In Southwark Park there is a drinking fountain that was installed in 1885, shortly after the park opened to the public in 1869. 

It is fairly unique as it is a memorial to a working-class man.

Jabez West was born in Princes Risborough, on June 6, 1810, to Anne and William West. His father was a blacksmith. 

He moved to Bermondsey some time in the 1830s and married Sarah Johnson on October 21, 1838. They went on to have seven children.

His wife, Sarah, died in 1873 and, in 1876, he married Hannah Aiton.

Jabez died on May 13, 1884.

The information board in Southwark Park.

Although he originally worked in the leather trade he is best known in the area for his devotion to political reform and the temperance movement.

He also campaigned for the creation of Southwark Park.

Following his death the Metropolitan Board of Works took the unusual step of agreeing to this memorial for a working-class man. Made from polished grey granite the fountain was paid for by public subscription at a cost of £120.

Brunel Museum

The Mural on the side of the Grand Entrance Hall.

The Brunel Museum is located within the Brunel Engine House building, Rotherhithe. This small but very informative museum allows you to descend into the Rotherhithe Thames Tunnel Shaft and visit the Engine House, where you will learn exactly what went in to building the world's first tunnel beneath a navigational waterway.

Marc Isambard Brunel designed Engine House as part of the Thames Tunnel project. Steam-powered pumps, used to extract water from the tunnel, were originally housed here, although it was used as a boiler house, between 1825-43. 

A Priming Pump from 1929.

In 1961 the Brunel Engine House opened and offered visitors the chance to see the interior of the building, as well as the Rennie flat V steam engine.

In 1974 the Engine House and Chimney were Grade II Listed. 

Between 1975-79 restoration work to stop structural decay was undertaken and completed.

The Chimney and Engine House.

In 2006 the Brunel Engine House changed its name to the Brunel Museum allowing the museum to incorporate other projects by the Brunel's. A new mural was created on the side of the Tunnel Shaft and benches were created in the style of Brunel bridges, in the garden area.

The Royal Albert Bridge, Saltash, as a bench at the museum.

Refurbishments, in 2007, included the moving of the Rennie flat V steam engine to the Chatham Historic Dockyard, thus creating a larger exhibition space and improved toilet facilities, within the Engine House. 

Memorabilia for the Thames Tunnel.

Stave Hill Viewpoint, Southwark

Looking towards the City of London.

It was while on a recent trip to Rotherhithe that I finally visited Stave Hill viewpoint, and it was not a disappointment.

Approaching Stave Hill Viewpoint.

Set in the Stave Hill Ecological Park this artificial hill stands stands 9 metres (29.5 feet) in height and offers incredible 360 degree views out across London. There are sixty concrete steps that need to be climbed, but it is definitely worth the climb. There is a handrail either side, to assist those less able.

The 60 Steps.

Obviously, the closest buildings to see are the ever increasing amount of buildings at nearby Canary Wharf, but there is more to see: Nine Elms, the BT Tower, Nine Elms, the City of London and all points in between. 

Oxo Tower

The original façade of the former power station.

Walking along the South Bank, of the River Thames, there is a myriad style of architecture, with old buildings sitting beside new tower blocks, but, somehow, it works.

It is hard to imagine, but the Oxo building was originally a power station, which opened towards the end of the 1800s, supplying power to the Royal Mail post office.

The windows, built into the tower, hint at what the building would become, following its closure as a power station, but it is these windows that would cause a controversy.

Florence Nightingale Museum

Florence Nightingale.

Friday October 28, 2022.

With so many museums about a myriad subjects it is often hard to choose which to visit. Fortunately, Erin and Keilyn made the decision to visit the Florence Nightingale Museum, which is in the grounds of St Thomas' Hospital, so is easy to reach. Emma booked the tickets and off we set.

Turkish lantern.

The museum, although small, is packed with information concerning the life of 'the lady with the lamp' from her childhood through the Crimean War and beyond, with each area of her life in three distinct areas.

Stained glass.

There were also two family 'trails', of varying difficulty, that children could attempt, where they had to search the museum for specific items or pieces of information. This was a good way of keeping the girls engaged, rather than just looking at the exhibits. There are also interactive exhibits, which allow you to explore her life.

Florence Nightingale's final bedroom.

All in all It was a fascinating trip around the museum where we all learned a great deal. Like, why she was called Florence and that she owned over 60 cats.