If you're at a loose end and fancy a wander in an historic part of riverside London with a real 'buzz' to it, then look no
further than
Shad Thames in Southwark.
Running between converted warehouses along the south side of the Thames between Tower Bridge at its west end and the
Design Museum to the east, Shad Thames is teaming with restaurants, cafes, and shops, including no less than three Terence Conran eateries,
Pont de la Tour, the
Blueprint Café and
Butler Wharf Chop House.
Criss-crossed by walkways above, this picturesque street was one of London's largest warehouse complexes in Victorian times, at the very heart of the trade in tea, coffee, spices and other
Cafe on the river side of Shad Thames
goods, which were loaded on the Thames river boats nearby. Following regeneration in the 1980s and 1990s, the area is now renowned for its expensive apartments and lively cafes and restaurants at ground level, which spill out on to the wide riverside embankment on the other side of Shad Thames.
View of Tower Bridge from west end of Shad Thames
For those movie buffs among you, the street is also renowned as a film location and scenes from the movies
Bridget Jones' Diary,
Run Fat Boy Run, and
A Fish Called Wanda, to name but a few, have been filmed there.
Shad Thames is a great place to go for lunch if you are visiting notable landmarks such as Tower Bridge, the Tower of London,
the Design Museum, and the Shard, Europe's tallest building, and is equally alluring in the evening when the restaurants and bars really come to life.
The nearest underground station to Shad Thames is Tower Hill on the circle and district line, which is about an 11 minute walk away on the other side of the river.