Southwark
Until time travel is possible, a visit to Southwark might be the next best thing. Encompassing Roman ruins and the gleaming Shard skyscraper, via a glimpse of Shakespeare’s London at the Globe theatre, it’s an amazing snapshot of the capital’s history.
The inner-city borough is where London’s first bridge across Thames was built, at least 1,600 years ago. For centuries it was the only bridge, making it a hugely strategic site – and where many traitors’ heads were displayed on spikes.
Around the historic Southwark Cathedral, the foodie delights of Borough Market draw in the crowds. There’s also the option of a pint in nearby pub The George, London’s last galleried coaching inn with a preserved two-storey gallery looking over the courtyard.
In 2000, Bankside Power Station reopened as Tate Modern, a gallery showing modern and contemporary art.
Borough Market with The Shard rising above it
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A timeline of Roman London: Londinium from start to end
How the Romans created London, built temples and baths, then abandoned their city 350 years later
The Thames Tunnel: Marc Brunel’s engineering marvel
A world first right under the River Thames
The outdoor theatres of Tudor London
Late 16th-century London was Shakespeare’s playground, where theatre thrived on open-air stages
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King's Head Inn Yard, Southwark (carbon print)
Dixon, Henry, Strudwick, William, Bool, Alfred & John
1881
Green's Scene in the Sleeping Beauty (scenery sheet)
Green, John Kirby, Redington, John
1850-12-26
