Historical Riverside Places Of Interest To Visit In London presents a compendium of useful information about the rich heritage of River Thames Tourism.
The River Thames has been an important part of London’s landscape.
It snakes through the capital, providing significant geographical demarcations and economic leverages.
History Doesn’t Hurt
The 346km (215 miles) long river runs from the North Sea to the Thames Estuary serving as the most important thoroughfare through the city of London.
Photo Credit : @VisitLondon
For ease of understanding, the River Thames, otherwise known as the Isis, is as long as the distance from Middlesbrough to London.
It begins from Gloucestershire at Trewsbury Mead, close to Cheltenham and ends midway between Whitstable Kent and Foulness Point, Essex.
From prehistoric times, the River Thames has been an important trade and transport route and hub.
London acquires its fame and fortunes from its rivers.
More so, the popularity of the river was boosted by its association with royal palaces over the years.
Seven royal palaces have been built on the bank of the River Thames at Richmond, Westminster, Kew, Greenwich, Windsor, Tower of London and Hampton Court.
Historical Riverside Places Of Interest To Visit In London
Historic Places Worth Visiting along the Thames
During this holiday period, there are magnificent places that you could visit along the riverbanks of the River Thames to have some fun.
Let’s look at these places in detail:
The Tower of London
The Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror in 1070.
At the time the edifice was built, its purpose was to guard the royal possessions such as crowns jewels, gold and other material possessions.
Also, in times of war, rebellion or national crisis, the Tower serves as a place of refuge for the royal family.
Photo Credit : @VisitLondon
Over 1000 years of its existence, the Tower of London has served as a William the Conqueror.
The Tower of London is open to visitors daily and an entry fee is charged to access and see the Crown Jewels, the legendary Yeoman Warder tour as well as the famous ravens.
You can get there leisurely by hopping on the Thames Clippers River Bus or the City Cruises Services travelling between Westminster and North Greenwich.
The Water stop is the Tower Pier, which is right beside the Tower of London.
Historical Riverside Places Of Interest To Visit In London
The Old Royal Naval College
The magnificent Old Royal Naval College is a fantastic sightseeing venue by the Greenwich Pier and would be worth every inch of your time.
It is renowned for its painted Hall. The facility recently enjoyed an £8.5 million makeover.
Photo Credit : @VisitLondon
The magnificent and pristine place was established in 1498 as a royal palace which was once the birthplace of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.
It later became a royal hospital and eventually became a Royal Naval College.
The Royal Naval College was redesigned and built by Sir Christopher Wren.
The Old Royal Naval College is open daily and it is located directly close to the Greenwich Pier. The Water stop is the Greenwich Pier.
You can get there by using the Thames Clippers River Bus or the City Cruises Services travelling from London Eye, Westminster, Embankment and Tower Pier to Greenwich.
The Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster is otherwise known as the House of Parliament.
It is important to note that the original palace was destroyed by fire but the Great Hall otherwise known as the Westminster Hall that was built by William II in 1099 survived the inferno.
However, the current edifice was built between 1840 and 1870.
Photo Credit : @VisitLondon
The Palace is open to visitors from Monday to Saturday.
The closest pier is the Westminster Pier which is a short walk from the palace. About 50 metres walk.
You can get there by using the Thames Clippers River Bus or the City Cruises Services travelling from London Eye, Embankment, Tower Pier and the Greenwich Pier to Westminster Pier.
The Globe Theatre
What a way to finish your River Thames tour by visiting the Globe Theatre which was built in 1599.
It is on the Southbank by Shakespeare’s company and friend, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men.
The Globe Theatre became very famous for staging the Bard’s plays.
However, it was part of the edifices destroyed by the fire in June 1613 during the performance of Henry VIII but it was rebuilt in the following year.
Photo Credit : @VisitLondon
The misery of the theatre seemed to know no bounds as it was shut down by the Puritans in 1642 and was eventually closed down in 1644.
The current structure was built in 1997 just some 230 metres away from the site of the original theatre.
A guided tour of the theatre awaits you to time-travel you back to the Shakespeare era.
The nearest pier is the Bankside Pier and the Thames River Bus Services travels every 20 minutes.
Historical Riverside Places Of Interest To Visit In London
