Thameside Winter Markets (Tower Hill to Westminster) Short Walk

Last checked: 24/12/2025

1. From the main exit of Tower Hill Underground Station out onto Trinity Place, turn left towards the Tower of London, down some steps past the tube station entrance and through a subway under Tower Hill road to the ruined stump of a Medieval Postern Gatehouse (possibly on the site of an earlier Roman postern, i.e.: pedestrian, gate) by a T-junction with a path along the wide moat around the Tower of London. You have Info Panel 1 of the London Wall Walk (The Tower, Postern Gate) on the left-hand side on a concrete wall. [See SWC Short Walk 47 - The London Wall]
2. Turn left along the path and follow it under the Tower Bridge approach road and turn right on the far side. At the corner of the office building on the left, turn left into St. Katherine Docks. You have a row of restaurants shops on the left and the West Basin on the right. At the end of the dock, turn right along the water, with more restaurants and shops on the left. Go under an archway and - at the quayside of Central Basin - there are some more restaurants and cafes on the right, but you turn left. Bear right across a footbridge between Central Basin and East Basin onto a large square by The Dickens Inn on the left. Turn right along the water and by a drawbridge across the dock lock, turn left this side of it, towards the Thames River. Turn right across a footbridge and along the river towards Tower Bridge. You pass the St. Katherine Docks Christmas Market and at the bridge, turn right for 30m and turn up to the left up some steps (i.e. before a road turning left under the bridge approach). The steps turn to the left and you emerge on the westerly pavement of Tower Bridge and keep ahead, towards the Southbank.
3. On the far side of the bridge, turn hard left back on yourself down some steps, which turn left and left again. At the bottom, turn hard right to continue along the Southbank, with the river on your right. You walk through the Winter by the River fair, while passing the former Town Hall, the HMS Belfast, Hay's Galleria and the London Bridge Pier. 80m before London Bridge, turn left along Queen's Walk West, signed for London Bridge Station and Tooley Street, and at Tooley Street, turn right along it to in 80m go under London Bridge, passing several pubs and a Bierkeller as well as a Pizza Express branch. On the far side you pass Southwark Cathedral and turn left with the Thames Path. In 40m, before getting to Borough Market, turn hard right back on yourself towards the Golden Hinde sailing boat 50m away. Turn left to pass the ruins of the Great Hall at the Palace of Winchester and then The Clink goal. Ignore Dirty Lane on the left, leading to the Borough Yards and go under the Cannon Street Railway Bridge to turn right in front of The Anchor pub and turn left along its riverfront entrance.
4. You go under Southwark Bridge, then pass the Bankside Pier on the right and the Globe Theatre on the left. Go under the Millennium Bridge by the Tate Modern Gallery and go under Blackfriars Railway and Road Bridges to pass the OXO Tower and Gabriel's Wharf. The National Theatre and the Southbank Centre follow, as you go under Waterloo Bridge with the beginnings of the Southbank Winter Market. This continues along the stretch past the Royal Festival Hall and under the Hungerford Bridge/Charing Cross Station Railway Bridge and further along to the London Eye. Past the County Hall, you walk up some steps onto Westminster Bridge and turn right along it across The Thames to Westminster Station.