Secrets of South Bank: An Audio Tour of London's Old Port

Overview

Just 40 years ago, London’s South Bank was known as the ‘Pool of London’, home to a number of wharves that received cargo from all over the world. Today, this pedestrian-friendly area is a hive of completely different activity. On this South Bank walking tour, you’ll find out the history behind the area and see how it’s been sensitively converted to allow us to appreciate its industrial architecture, and even some of the atmosphere of the old Port of London. As you make your way along the South Bank of the Thames, you’ll see historic structures including HMS Belfast and several dramatic modern developments. You’ll follow the cobbled street of Shad Thames, surrounded by former dock wharves and high-level bridges linking to distribution depots – now all converted into apartments or eateries such as the famous Pont de la Tour restaurant. By the end, you’ll have covered 2,000 years of English history and seen how the former docks have been transformed into 21st-century attractions.