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THE QUEEN'S WALK - WALK LONDON

THE QUEEN'S WALK

WALK LONDON's Queen's Walk takes you over Westminster Bridge, along the south bank of the River Thames towards Tate Modern then back over the river on the Millennium footbridge to St Paul's Cathedral.

This pedestrian walkway is several miles long and passes some of London's most popular tourist and visitor attractions all of which can be visited throughout the year.

For your comfort WALK LONDON's self-guided Queens' Walk tour passes many shops, cafes, bars and restaurants on your way to see some of London's most prestigious and world famous art galleries and theatres.


walklondon logoqueens walk tourist sightseeing

Leisure walker: 2 hours
Power walker:  45 minutes


START: the queens walk start point Westminster Underground: District Line and Circle Line

Westminster Bridge → South Bank Lion → County Hall (London Sea Life Aquarium) → London Eye → South Bank Centre (Royal Festival Hall, Hayward Gallery, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Rooms, Poetry Library) → National Theatre → National Film Institute → Tate Modern → Gabriel's Wharf → OXO Tower and Centre → Shakespeare's Globe → Millennium Bridge → St Paul's Cathedral

FINISH:  the queens walk end point St Paul's Underground:Central Line



THE QUEEN'S WALK
TOURIST AND SIGHTSEEING ATTRACTIONS


Sight 1 - Westminster Bridge South Bank Loin  WESTMINSTER BRIDGE, SOUTH BANK LION


Westminster Bridge South Bank LoinWestminster Bridge, opened in 1862, is now the oldest bridge across the river Thames in London. The original Westminster Bridge, built in the reign of George II, started to sink and was replaced. The South Bank Lion weighs 13 tons and is over 150 years old. It was one of three lions which stood above the entrance to the old Lion Brewery, where the Royal Festival Hall now stands.

Sight 2 - county hall  COUNTY HALL


London Eye WheelCounty Hall, built in 1922, was the headquarters for the Greater London Council until it was abolished in 1986. Regularly in conflict with Central Government the facade of the building acted as a giant billboard for anti-government slogans. County Hall is now a tourist venue with millions of visitors each year seeing the attractions, eating in the cafes or staying in the hotels.

Sight 3 - london eye  LONDON EYE


London Eye WheelWhen the London Eye was constructed in 1999 it was the largest observation wheel in the world. Still the largest in Europe at 135m, it is one of London's top attractions with unique and breath-taking views of Westminster and the City. One rotation takes 30 minutes, on a clear day views up to 40km can be seen. Since opening over 40 million passengers have 'flown'.

Sight 4 - jubilee foot bridge  QUEEN'S JUBILEE FOOTBRIDGES


The Queens' Golden Jubilee BridgeOpened in 2002, the footbridges run both sides of Hungerford Railway Bridge and use Isambard Kingdom Brunel's original 1845 buttresses. The complex design won specialist category in the 2003 Royal Fine Art Commission's Building of the Year Award. Walk up the steps over one side and back over the other to see outstanding views of London's famous attractions.

Sight 5 - South Bank Centre  SOUTHBANK CENTRE


Royal Festival Hall, Hayward Gallery, Purcell RoomsThe Southbank Centre is the largest single-run arts centre in the world. It contains 5 iconic venues; Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Rooms, Hayward Gallery and the Poetry Library. With over a 1,000 musicians and artists performing each year, there is a wide-ranging artistic program including music, dance, literature and the visual arts.

Sight 6 - National Theatre THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE


National TheatreThe National is London's most prominent publicly funded theatre company and stages over 20 productions a year. The Grade II listed building contains three auditoriums, which present a varied program, including new plays by contemporary playwrights. The foyers, open to the public, have a theatrical bookshop, cafes, bars, exhibitions and free live music.

sightseeing 7 - oxo tower gabriel's wharf  OXO TOWER and
 GABRIEL'S WHARF


Gabriel's Wharf River Thames South BankOriginally named Stamford Wharf this iconic riverside landmark was London's second highest commercial building. The OXO ‘beef cube’ logo was incorporated as windows in the tower to get around a ban on sky advertising. Gabriel's Wharf is a mix of over 40 independent art and retail design studios, shops, restaurants and cafes set in a relaxing riverside location.

Sight 8 - tate modern TATE MODERN


Tate Modern art centre galleryTate Modern is Britain's national museum of International Modern and Contemporary art. Housed in the former Bankside Power Station, designed in the 1940's by architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the galleries and huge turbine hall, 35 meters high and 152 meters long, display works from the year 1900 to the present day. It is the most visited modern art gallery in the world.

Sight 9 - Buckingham Palace  SHAKESPEARE'S GLOBE THEATRE


Shakespeares globe theatre rose trustOpened in 1997 with a production of Henry V, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre is a reconstruction of the original Elizabethan wooden 'O' oak framed Globe. The original Globe was built in 1599 by the Lord Chamberlain's Men, a playing company to which Shakespeare belonged. The original playhouse was destroyed by fire in 1613 when a theatrical cannon miss-fired.

Sight 10 - millennium footbridge LONDON MILLENNIUM FOOTBRIDGE


The millennium foot bridge across the river thamesOpened in 2000, the London Millennium footbridge is an ultramodern steel suspension bridge that links the Southbank to the City of London. From Tate Modern, the "blade of light" bridge is aligned to give a spectacular view of St Paul's Cathedral's south facade. The eight stabilised suspension cables can support over 5,000 people on the bridge.

Sight 11 - st pauls ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL


St Paul's Catherdral walklondonA Cathedral dedicated to St Paul has overlooked the City of London since 604AD. The current Cathedral was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and completed in 1710 after its predecessor was destroyed in the 1666 Great Fire of London. Events at St Paul's have included the marriages of Catherine of Aragon to Prince Arthur, 1501 and the Prince of Wales to Lady Diana, 1981.

the queens walk london

The Queen's Walk - Interactive Google Sightseeing Map



WESTMINSTER BRIDGE to ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL the queens walk big ben houses of parlaiment to royal festival hall

START at Westminster Underground Station. Come out of the station at EXIT 4. You will be opposite the Palace of Westminster looking at the largest four-faced clock tower in the world. Big Ben, is not the Clock Tower, but is the largest bell inside the tower that strikes the hour.

Turn left out of the station on to BRIDGE STREET SW1 and walk up to VICTORIA EMBANKMENT SW1. Cross straight over the road and walk across the left hand side of Westminster Bridge to the South Bank Lion.

Walk DOWN the steps from Westminster Bridge onto The Queen's Walk (Thames Path, South Bank). Walk straight ahead past the Old County Hall (London Aquarium and National File Museum) and the London Eye wheel. Continue along the path, under the bridges (Hungerford Millennium foot and railway bridges) to the Royal Festival Hall.



ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL to OXO TOWER AND GABRIEL'S WHARF royal festival hall to oxo tower

Continue on the path past the Royal Festival, Queen Elizabeth Halls and Purcell Rooms. Walk under Waterloo Bridge to the Royal National Theatre. Continue on the path past the business offices to Gabriel’s Wharf and the OXO Tower.



OXO TOWER and CENTRE to ST PAUL'S CATHERDRAL oxo tower to st pauls cathedral

Continue on the path past Tate Modern, the Millennium Footbridge (does not wobble now) and Shakespeare’s Globe, go under Southwark Bridge. Walk across the millennium foot bridge to St Paul’s Cathedral.