Walking with family: London Bridge to Bermondsey... and beyond

Sunday April 26, 2026.

A sunny day with occasional clouds 20°C (68°F) with light winds of 6.8 mph (11 km/h).

The weather was promising to make for the perfect for a walk in London, so off we all set. 

A taxi to Watford Underground station, where we boarded a busy train to Finchley Road, with many of the passengers disembarking at Wembley Park for the football at Wembley Stadium. The Jubilee line train, which would take us to London Bridge, was just as busy, this time with people holding placards ready to support family and friends running in the London Marathon.

Our walk was to follow the route of London's first passenger dedicated steam railway, The London and Greenwich Railway. The walk would take us from London's oldest train terminus to London's oldest continually used station.

Alighting from the train at London Bridge we made our way out to Tooley Street, where the streets were busy with people heading for Tower Bridge. So, we went along Stainer Street, where Erin played a short piece on a Victorian pipe organ, which was installed in 2022.

From here it was on to St Thomas Street. Here the paths and roads were fairly clear, so we began our walk eastwards. Keilyn stopped at 'Greggs' to grab herself an ice-cold drink and a pizza slice, before our walk began in earnest.

St Thomas Street brought us onto Crucifix Lane, below the mainline south out of London Bridge, and onto Druid Street. We followed Druid Street, crossing Tower Bridge Road, which was sealed off as this was part of the Marathon route. Erin, meanwhile, was checking the progress of her school form tutor, Miss Talbot, who was running her second London Marathon. Erin would continue to check her progress throughout the day. Further along Druid Street there was a 'car meet', with all sorts of vehicles in attendance, many with furry wolf masks sitting on many of the bonnets.

Here we headed through one of the railway arches, of which there were 878 when the viaduct was constructed, and walked through Malty Street Market. This is a wonderful little market offering food and drinks from around the world, all at reasonable prices. We meandered our way through the growing crowds and found ourselves on Millstream Road, which we followed, back beneath the railway, back onto Druid Street.

New Public Realms along the River Thames

Battersea Park from Chelsea Quay.

With the completion of the new Tideway Tunnel, or Super Sewer, the tunnels that were dug down to the tunnel have been covered over. Instead of leaving these concrete-topped areas unused they have been turned into areas, of varying size and shape, that the public can access. This has allowed the public better access to the embankments and the River Thames.

Each of these new public realms is unique, with each one containing extracts of poetry, newly commissioned public art and, in some cases, allows the public to 'dip their toes' in the river. Accessible ramps, benches and planting make these wonderful places to visit.

As construction developed and artists were commissioned, the River Thames was given three distinct themes for its west, central and east sections.

• West: 'Recreation to Industry: Society in Transition'
• Central: 'Babylon to World City: Civic London'
• East: 'The Shipping Parishes: Gateway to the World'

Intertidal terraces.

So, let's take a look at these public realms, their art and what they have to offer.

Putney Embankment - 'Recreation to Industry: Society in Transition'

Putney Embankment was the first of the new public spaces to open.

It consists of granite paving with smooth surfaces, while tactile paving informs of changes in levels.

Timber-laid benches, with spaces at the ends for wheelchair users, along with other seating offer views upstream to Hammersmith and downstream through the arches of Putney Bridge. 

The public art was designed by Claire Barclay and is called 'Water Finds a Level' and includes a bronze marker for the start line of the University Boat Race. Then there are bronze handrails cast from oars that were used along the River Thames and artwork, along the walls, showing Putney's rich heritage.

Carnwath Road Riverside - 'Recreation to Industry: Society in Transition'

This pocket park sits on top of one of the three 'main drive sites', from where the tunnel boring machines began making the tunnel. 

The space has non-slip paving and has seating on the Thames Path, with the whole site being fully accessible. 

The public art was designed by Sarah Staton and is entitled 'Standing Heron and Heron in Flight'. 

It consists of two bronze-cast herons. One heron is placed at the river end of the site, while the other is visible when approaching the site, from Carnwath Road.

Chelsea Quay.

Chelsea Quay - 'Babylon to World City: Civic London'

Chelsea Quay is situated where the River Westbourne enters the River Thames.

Brick, instead of granite paving, was used to complete Chelsea Quay.

Timber benches and other seating atop the raised brick areas offer views across to Battersea Park, as well as along the River Thames, in both directions.

The raised terraces, although not accessible to all, protect the quay from flooding at high tide.

Lighting of two different colours has been incorporated into the ventilation shafts, showing if the tide is coming in or going out.

Intertidal terraces along its eastern and western edges have been planted with native species and will provide refuge for fish, while allowing birds to nest, too. The river wall is textured to promote the algae and river weed to flourish.

The lower terraces have been designed to be floodable, allowing people to literally 'dip their toes' into the river.

The public art was designed by Florian Roithmayr and is called 'Moving In'. 

It includes a tactile artwork formed of brickwork integrated into the vertical surface of the public space, steps, intertidal terraces, and the river wall. Groupings of colourful glazed bricks, in specially formulated patterns, echo the Chelsea Flower Show and the historical Ranelagh Pleasure Gardens

This artwork is designed to change as the River Thames rises and falls over parts of it, while the weather will change other pieces.

"When the lions drink, London will sink."

One of the fully accessible lions.

If you walk along the Victoria Embankment you, like many others, will quite possibly have missed the large bronze lion heads that adorn the embankment walls, as they face the River Thames.

They were commissioned by Joseph Bazalgette to line the Albert and Victoria Embankments as part of the Victorian sewage system he had engineered. They were sculpted by Timothy Butler, between 1868–1870, who added mooring rings to each lion's mouth. 

Although this was more of a nod to the river, barges and boats would use them when mooring along the river. As the water levels changed and mooring points moved on, the lions eventually lost this role and were no more than redundant features on the river wall.