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london-footprints.co.uk |
ROUTE & WHAT TO SEE
A 4 mile linear walk from London Bridge Station (Jubilee, Northern & mainline) to Bermondsey Station (Jubilee).
From London Bridge Station exit
into St Thomas Street
In this street are the remains of St Thomas’ Hospital (north
side) comprising the Old Operating Theatre in the attic of the
church building and an adjoining row of houses built for officals
of the hospital. Guy’s Hospital still exists on the south
side. In the old courtyard is a statue of its founder Thomas Guy
and the chapel on the right hand side is worth a visit. Notice
also in this street the brickwork of the arches supporting the
railway.
Turn right into Weston Street
and first left into Melior Street
On the right is Our Lady of La Salette (1861) and at the end the
Horseshoe, formerly the Horseshoe & Wheatsheaf, pub of 1897
First right into Melior Place
then Snowsfields
On the right is an old Mission building and on the left flats
provided by the Guinness Trust (1897)
Left into Weston Street
Guy Street Park on the right was originally a burial ground for
Guy's Hospital. Further along on the left are the Bermondsey
Leathermarket buildings of 1834 and 1879. Carved reliefs depict
the processes of leatherworking which was a major industry in the
area from the Middle Ages. The area surrounding the market, the
site of the park just passed and other areas of Bermondsey were
at one time tanneries.
Walk through the Leathermarket
back into Weston Street
This has been restored and let to various businesses and trades
including glassblowing.
Continue along Weston Street
and left into Long Lane
A few old houses are still standing. The pub ‘Simon the
Tanner’ of 1829 has retained its name and sign although it
is now a wine bar.
Right into Bermondsey Street
Bermondsey Square would have been an inner courtyard of
Bermondsey Abbey. A few old houses remain in the south west
corner. It is now the site of the New Caledonian Antiques Market
held early Friday mornings. The area is due for redevelopment.
Further along the street on the right is an impossing Methodist
Chapel of 1900.
Left into Grange Road
The Grange Centre college building was once Bacon’s School
founded and endowed by Josiah Bacon in 1718 for some 50 poor
scholars. Further along on the right is the impossing former
Alaska Factory which was the premises of Martin’s the fur
merchants. The Grange to the left marks the site where the abbey
had its farm.
Continue along Grange Road and
go across to the park
This park covers the site of Bermondsey Spa run by Thomas Keyse
and operating between 1768 and 1805 during which time
entertainment was provided. In the Victorian period the area was
covered with terraced houses.
Follow the path through and
exit into Spa Road
Here are the former grand Central Library (1892-1989) and Town
Hall buildings. Next to the latter were the public baths (1906-1926)
Left into Neckinger
This marks the site of the Neckinger Stream a tributary of the
Thames which was at one time navigable to Bermondsey Abbey. The
name comes from the Devil’s neckerchief (a noose).
Right into Abbey Street
Beyond the railway arches are the former Bevington Mills
initially used to produce paper from straw but becoming
leatherworks and operating until about 1981. The Neckinger Estate
built in 1938 stands on the site of tanneries.
Return to Neckinger and go
right into Grange Walk
The cobbled Bridewain Street on the right at one time led to a
dairy. There are two school buildings, one a girl’s charity
school of 1830. Some old houses on this street include a fine
double-fronted house at number 67 built in 1700. Numbers 5 –11
are late 17th century and number 7 incorporates the
remains of the east gatehouse of the Abbey.
Go right along Tower Bridge
Road and cross Abbey Street
This would have been the site of the Abbey church which was sold
and demolished at the reformation.
Go into the churchyard
A obelisk records that this former burial ground was made into a
public park in the 1870s. It includes the tombstone of the Rolls
(of Rolls Royce) family. The watch house of 1810 in the south
west corner was at one time Ashford’s Laundry.
Exit into Bermondsey Street and
go right
The church of St Mary Magdalen is the oldest building in
Bermondsey, originally built for the lay folk of the abbey and re-built
in 1680. Next door is the Rectory. This street has a wonderful
mixture of interesting buildings both old and new. Notice at 187-9
the Time & Talents Settlement of 1907-8, the former premises
of Christy’s, the largest hatters in the world, at 175 and
number 78 dating from the late 17th century. About
halfway on the right is a small park on the site of a the Tanner
Street Workhouse and in the south east corner is a fountain made
from the top of St Olave’s Church. The striking pink and
orange building is Zandra Rhodes' Fashion & Textile Museum.
This former cash and carry warehouse was designed by Mexican
architect Ricardo Legorreta.
Turn right into Crucifix Lane (left
will take you back to London Bridge) and cross Druid Street into
the grounds of the former St John’s Horsleydown Church
The London City Mission was built on the base on the bombed
church. On the west of this site was the St Olave’s
Workhouse
Walk through the grounds
towards Tower Bridge Road and go right across Druid Street into
Roper Lane
On the right the extensive former premises of Sarsons Vinegar
Works with a number of listed buildings are now being converted
and added to for residential use.
Cross Tower Bridge Road left
into Tanner Street and follow this round into Jamaica Road
Cross to view St Saviours Dock which is where the Neckinger
entered the river. This would have been where the abbey landed
goods and in nearby Mill Street were its corn mills.
Left into Dockhead
The Roman Catholic Church of the Most Holy Trinity was re-built
in 1960 by Goodhart-Rendel after the original was destroyed by
bomb damage. At the end of the street notice the fire station
which was used in the filming of the TV series ‘Londons
Burning’
Right along Wolseley Street
On the right is the Dickens Estate with blocks named after
characters in his novels
Right into George Row and left
along Jamaica Road
There are three schools in this section
Right into St James Road
St James's Church is one of the ‘Waterloo’ churches
built in 1827-9 which could seat 2000. The bells were cast from
cannon captured at Waterloo and the tower is topped with a dragon.
The church was saved from demolition in the 1960s largely due to
the efforts of Sir John Betjemen.
Continue along St James Road to
Priter Road on the right
Here you can see the remains of the first railway terminus in
London - Spa Road (1836-1915)
Take William Ellis Way opposite, left into Storks Road, right into Collet Road and left into Keetons Road. At the end is Bermondsey Station (Jubilee line)
© london-footprints.co.uk 2006