Tag: River Thames
-
The London Pub That Floods
The White Cross isn’t just any riverside pub. It’s a pub where the river sometimes rises and takes over, transforming the outdoor seating area into a temporary lagoon.
-
London’s Seals: Where to Spot Them
There is something faintly disobedient about seeing a seal in London. A seal belongs, surely, to postcard coasts and salt-bitten harbours, to places where people own binoculars on purpose. Not here. Not in a city of Uber Boats, glass towers and wet paving slabs. And yet the Thames, with its long memory and murky glamour,…
-
Thames Mudlarking: Hunting for Buried Treasure
Welcome to the age-old, utterly addictive pastime of mudlarking, where ordinary folks turn into part-time treasure hunters on the riverbanks of London.
-
Pharaoh’s Island: The Thames’ Most Curious Kingdom
On a languid bend of the River Thames, nestled somewhere between Shepperton and Weybridge, lies a place that sounds like it belongs in a mummy’s memoir or a Bond villain’s holiday brochure: Pharaoh’s Island. Yes, it’s real. No, it’s not a theme park. And contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to pledge allegiance to Ra…
-
The Thames Ferrymen
Stand at Bankside today and you’ll be jostled by tourists photographing the Tate, couples queuing for the Globe, and joggers with expensive earbuds who, if they could, would probably jog straight across the river. What almost no one remembers is that for centuries, the only way to cross at this stretch of the Thames was…
-
The Mini St Paul’s on Vauxhall Bridge: London’s Tiniest Cathedral
London is full of secrets — some grand, some grubby, and some so small you could almost miss them entirely. One of the city’s best-kept curiosities is the miniature St Paul’s Cathedral perched quietly on Vauxhall Bridge. Yes, you read that right: a pocket-sized dome and spire tucked into the hands of a statue, hiding in…
-
Eels and London: A Slippery Love Story
London has always had a complicated relationship with eels. These slippery, writhing creatures have fed the city’s poor, fascinated its scientists, and baffled its fishermen for centuries. From the bustling eel-pie stalls of the 18th century to the mysterious journeys of the European eel, which swims thousands of miles to spawn in the Sargasso Sea,…
-
London’s “Wet Wipe Island”
It sounds like a bad urban myth — a giant lump of wet wipes stuck in the Thames so big it’s formed an island. But it’s real. For years, an unholy alliance of convenience culture and sewage mismanagement allowed an island the size of two tennis courts to form in the middle of one of…
-
The Lady of the Thames: A Medieval Execution
The remains of a woman, dating back some 1,200 years, uncovered on the banks of the River Thames, have revealed the chilling extent of punishment and public spectacle in early medieval Britain. The Thames has seen it all: Viking ships and royal processions, smoggy trades and champagne toasts. But every now and then, it coughs…
-
The Millennium Bridge: London’s Wobbliest Wonder
Sleek, elegant, and deceptively simple, the Millennium Bridge is one of London’s most arresting pieces of urban design—a steel ribbon stretched taut across the Thames, threading together the solemn grandeur of St Paul’s Cathedral with the industrial swagger of Tate Modern. It’s a pedestrian’s dream: panoramic views, car-free calm, and that satisfying feeling of floating…
-
London’s Longstanding Love Affair with Oysters
London, our ever-hungry metropolis, has always had a complicated relationship with its food—lustful one minute, disdainful the next, reinventing old flames and discarding others like last season’s gastro trend. But one affair has endured the centuries with surprising resilience and a salty sort of romance: our ongoing love of oysters. Yes, oysters. Slippery, sensual, and…
-
The Forgotten Sands of Tower Bridge: When London Had Its Own Seaside Beach
If you stand on the banks of the Thames today, squinting past the steely grandeur of Tower Bridge and the relentless scroll of tourists, it’s hard to imagine a time when East End children once built sandcastles in its shadow. But let me take you back to a strange, lovely chapter in London’s past—a time…
-
Cleopatra’s Needle: An Ancient Egyptian Obelisk in the Heart of London
There’s a giant chunk of ancient Egypt plonked in the middle of London, and most people barely give it a second glance. Cleopatra’s Needle, an imposing 21-metre (69-foot) obelisk covered in hieroglyphs, stands on the Victoria Embankment, looking slightly out of place among the joggers, pigeons, and traffic fumes. It has nothing to do with…
-
The Thames Barrier: London’s Mighty Shield Against the Tides
The gleaming, futuristic set of defences that stand between London and a rather soggy demise.
-
A Guide to Hammersmith
Hammersmith. The very name conjures up images of hammer-wielding blacksmiths pounding iron, sparks flying in the smoky haze of industry. Well, at least that’s the romanticised version. In reality, Hammersmith is one of west London’s most dynamic and multifaceted areas, where a centuries-old name tied to a forge has morphed into a buzzing hub of…
-
Willy the Thames Whale
The Day London Fell in Love with a Lost Visitor On Friday, 20 January 2006, Londoners were treated to one of the most extraordinary sights in the city’s recent history: a Northern bottlenose whale swimming gracefully along the River Thames. This unexpected visitor, affectionately nicknamed “Willy” by locals, captured the hearts of millions, transforming an ordinary January…
-
Thames House: MI5’s HQ
Thames House, a neoclassical behemoth on the north bank of the Thames, has a dual reputation: part historic architecture, part enigma. Located on Millbank, it’s hard to miss with its imposing design and close proximity to the Houses of Parliament. This Grade II-listed structure is the headquarters of MI5, the UK’s domestic security service, making…
-
The Last Time the Thames Froze Over
Temperatures in London rarely dip below zero long enough to freeze the River Thames. The river’s constant flow makes it even more unlikely to make it freeze. So when it does, it’s a rare and special event. The last occasion the River Thames froze over was in 1968. These photos capture the remarkable moment.
-
The Prospect of Whitby (Devils Tavern)
The Prospect of Whitby is a historic public house on the banks of the Thames at Wapping in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lays claim to being the site of the oldest riverside tavern in London. Situated on a narrow, creaking strip of riverside in Wapping, The Prospect of Whitby is a pub…