Historic Southwark

Southwark Tube station, Jubilee Line

Turn left onto Blackfriars Road. Continue and then turn left onto Pocock Street. Bear right onto Rushworth Street.

Starting Point: Blackfriars Settlement, 1-5 Rushworth St, SE1 0RB

This flat walk explores the historic parts of Southwark, well known to Dickens and Shakespeare.  It also focuses on how local community action is improving the area.   For the most part the route uses quiet side streets but the pavements in the immediate area around Borough Market and Borough High Street may be busy at lunch time, rush hour or during market hours.  The section from the Cathedral to the Anchor Pub is largely vehicular free, but has cobbled streets and restricted pavement width.

[1] Turn right out of the centre along Rushworth Street.  At the cross roads, cross to the left hand side of Rushworth Street and turn left into Webber Street.  Go under the railway arch.  Cross Glasshill Street.  Immediately before the traffic lights at Great Suffolk Street junction with Southwark Bridge Road, cross to the other side of Webber Street. Use the traffic lights to cross Southwark Bridge Road, continuing on the right hand side of Great Suffolk Street.  At the zebra crossing turn left and cross into Toulmin Street.

At Charles Dickens School (A), cross Lant Street into Weller Street.   At the T junction cross Mint Street to enter Mint Street Community Park (B) through a gap in the wall.  Turn left at the raised terraces and head towards the ball court.  Note murals on house and ball court walls.  By the house turn left and continue on the right hand side along Mint Street. 

[2]  At Pedestrian lights cross Marshelsea Road (C) into Redcross Way.  Opposite the school, turn left into Red Cross Garden (D).  Make a circuit of this small garden and turn left to continue along Redcross Way.  Cross Union Street (beware of cyclists on 2 way cycle path) into a short section with narrow footpaths.  Before the railway bridge pause at Cross Bones Graveyard Gates (E).  At main road, under the railway bridge, turn right passing light sculpture panels and continue along Southwark Street.

On opposite side of road note the Hop Exchange (F) with its blue columns.

Near the main junction, cross a side road and at traffic lights by HSBC bank, cross to far side of Borough High Street (Orient Expresso Cafe).  Turn right and immediately pass White Hart Yard (G). A few yards further on turn left into the George Inn (H) (Toilets and refreshments).

[3] Turn right out of the George Inn and retrace your steps to the pedestrian lights.  Cross to the HSBC bank and then use the next set of lights to cross to the far side of Southwark Street by Borough Market.  Turn left (Optionally, cross Stoney Street and go a few yards to see the Hop Exchange (F) trading floor and then return). Immediately turn right into Stoney Street, with Borough Market (I) on your right.   At Park Street junction (Market Porter Pub) turn right to enter the market.

[4] Straight on at the market, cross the roads between Turnips on your left and Furness Fish on your right.  Cross the road into Green Market and follow the line of the railway.  Southwark Cathedral (J) is on the left.  Bear left at the 2nd row of columns, to enter the cathedral gardens.  (Use steps or ramps in garden). Turn left to walk past the Cathedral entrance and exit into Cathedral Street.  Turn right and then fork left onto a cobbled road (signpost Tate).  Ahead is the Golden Hinde (K) in the 16th century St Mary Overie dock.  Keeping the Golden Hinde to your right, go straight ahead to the river front viewpoint, passing the Legend of St Mary Overie panel on the right. Return to the Golden Hinde gangway and then turn right into Pickford Wharf (cobbled street).  Pass The Clink Prison (L) where the road narrows.

[5] At the T Junction (Anchor Pub) turn right and then left alongside the river. Follow the Thames Path under Southwark Bridge and a little while later you will reach the new Globe Theatre (N).  Turn left alongside the theatre into New Globe Walk and at crossroads turn left into Park Street.  Cross Bear Gardens and Rose Alley.  Shortly after, on the left side, note the site of the 17th century Rose Theatre (M).  Go under bridge and on the right side is the site of the original Globe Theatre (N). 

[6] At the next road junction turn right into Porter Street and enter a modern housing development.  Follow the road round to the left into Perkins Square, bear right for the pedestrian cut-through to another parking area (Maiden Lane). Then turn right. The road becomes a footpath before exiting on busy Southwark Street.

[7] Use the pedestrian lights on the right, to cross into 0’Meira Street keeping to the right hand pavement. Pass Precious Blood Church (built in 1892) on your left.  Note the small shrine and garden.  At the T junction turn right into Union Street and where the road forks, cross to the central island with the cafe.  At the pedestrian traffic lights, cross Southwark Bridge Road, then Great Suffolk Street and continue straight on, keeping to the right hand side.  Cross Ewer Street and continue to the traffic lights.  Use the crossing to cross Great Suffolk Street and then turn immediately left, to also cross Union Street.  Go straight ahead on the right hand side of Great Suffolk Street. Cross Surrey Row and then turn right under the railway into Pocock Street. Turn third left into Rushworth Street to return to the centre.

(A) Charles Dickens School: Note Blue plaques – 1. Charles Dickens 1812 – 1870. School stands on the site where the 12-year-old Charles lodged in the house of one Archibald Russell, during his father’s incarceration in the Marshalsea Prison.  2. Harry Cole, a pupil from 1934 to 1940 worked at Carter Street Police Station in Walworth Road, came to prominence in the 1980's writing books on his experiences as a PC.

(B) Mint Street Community Park: Previously a semi derelict open space, acquired for the community, planting is maintained by volunteers including homeless people from the nearby St Mungo's Hostel.  A new centre is planned.

(C) Marshalsea Road: Named after the Marshalsea Prison, which featured in Dickens works.  Dickens father was imprisoned for debt there in 1824.  There have been several Marshalsea’s but all that now remains is a section of wall in a park, the other side of Borough High Street.  Many street names in this area are associated with Dickens including Little Dorrit and Quilp Street.

(D) Red Cross Garden: Octavia Hill , a co-founder of the National Trust, and ardent social reformer, established Red Cross Garden in 1887 as an 'open air sitting room for the tired inhabitants of Southwark'. She went on to build six neighbouring model dwelling cottages as a determined move to improve housing for the working poor.  Alongside is a community hall, then known as Red Cross Hall, was built as a 'Parish parlour'. The garden was restored in 1996 by Bankside Open Spaces Trust.

(E) Crossbones Burial Site: This semi derelict site is a former un-consecrated burial site, which local tradition holds was a prostitutes' graveyard. Closed in 1853, it remained largely undisturbed until the 1990's when, London Underground built an electricity sub-station for the Jubilee Line. Prior to the work, Museum of London archaeologists conducted a partial excavation of the site, removing some 148 skeletons (a small percentage of the total). The rusty iron gate is now a living art work adorned with a bronze plaque, ivy, ribbons, flowers, and various other totems which are continuously renewed at monthly rituals. Development of the site has been resisted and the community wishes to see it used as gardens.

(F) The Hop Exchange: The area around Borough High Street, was the centre of London’s brewing industry from the 17th century onwards.  The Hop Exchange, opened in 1867 and designed by R.H Moore has carvings above the main entrance showing hop gatherers at work. Although it now houses private offices, you can peer through the main doors and see the great hall with its attractive iron balconies, overlooking the former trading floor.

(G) White Hart Yard: A plaque on the right at the entrance notes this is the site of the White Hart Inn immortalised by Shakespeare and Dickens George Inn.

(H) George Inn: This sixteenth century pub is owned and preserved by the National Trust. London's only surviving galleried coaching inn, it was once an important staging post for travellers to and from the city. Grade 1 Listed.

(I) Borough Market: Borough Market is busy, noisy and bursting with produce ranging from expensive delicacies to cheaper cuts of meat and good-value seasonal fish, vegetables and fruit.  There has been a market on this area for some 20 centuries and on the current site for over 250 years. Market Hours are Thursdays: 11am - 5pm Fridays: 12pm - 6pm  Saturdays: 9am - 4pm.

(J) Southwark Cathedral: The Cathedral site has been occupied by a Church for over one thousand years. The main structure of today's church was built between 1220 and 1420. The Cathedral is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Southwark which covers South London and East Surrey.  A detailed history and ‘tour’ of the cathedral is available on the cathedral web site.

(K) Golden Hinde: Launched in Devon in 1973, the Golden Hinde is a full-sized reconstruction of Francis Drake’s ship, in which he circumnavigated the world, from 1577 – 1580. Queen Elizabeth I decreed that Drake’s ship should be preserved at Deptford, but it rotted away in the late 1600's. The new ship has circumnavigated the globe and sailed over 140,000 miles – many more than the original. It is now a living history museum offering the opportunity to see what life was like as a 16th Century sailor. 

(L) The Clink: The Clink Prison Museum is built on the foundations of one of the original prisons owned by the Bishop of Winchester, the earliest of which dates from 806 AD. It is thought it got its name from the clinking of the manacles, fetters, chains and bolts that were used there. It was also the origin of the phrase "In the Clink", to mean in prison. In the 18th century it served as a debtor’s prison before being burnt down on 1780 in a riot and was never rebuilt.

(M) The Rose: Erected in 1587 the Rose was the first purpose built theatre on Bankside – an area already rich in other leisure attractions such as brothels, gaming dens and bull/bear-baiting arenas. Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson wrote for the Rose and Shakespeare learned his trade there, but the later Swan (1595) and Globe (1599) overtook the Rose which was abandoned as a theatre by 1606.  The Rose is the only Elizabethan playhouse that has been excavated on a large scale. The site, under the offices, is open for viewing during specified open days or by tours from the Globe.

(N) The Globe: The original Globe Theatre was home to the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a theatre company that included William Shakespeare. The first theatre burnt down in 1613 after a cannon misfired, during a production of Henry VIII. A second theatre lasted until 1642 when it was closed by the Puritans. The reconstruction known officially as Shakespeare’s Globe, opened in 1997.

Route originally developed by Brian Hunt.