My Southwark (part 2)

This is the second half of my little walking tour around Southwark. The first part can be found here: My Southwark (part 1). We take a walk down Borough High Street this time. One thing I have learned through this little exercise is that I need to walk east along the river to explore Southwark around the mayor's office and west from my office to explore the area leading up to Southwark Underground Station.  There is so much more to Southwark than my little walking tour but these are my favourite spots.

6. The George Inn

The George Southwark 1

Just across Borough High Street from Borough Market and Vinopolis, you will find The George Inn.  The George Inn was frequented by Charles Dickens and in fact, features in his novel Little Dorrit.  The inn appeared on the first map of Southwark dating back to 1543 and is the only surviving galleried London coaching inn.

The George Southwark 2

 The George Southwark 3 The George Southwark 4

The George Inn
77 Borough High Street
London SE1 1NH
020 7407 2056

 

7. The Climbers by Ofra Zimbalista

Southwark 38

If you walk a little further south down Borough High Street, you will see the marvellous sculpture The Climbers by Ofra Zimbalista.  This shows three blue men climbing up Maya House, each holding a different musical instrument.  You can find Hiba Lebanese restaurant underneath.

 

8.  St George the Martyr Church

St George the Martyr Church, Southwark

The earliest record of a church on this site was in 1122 but the current buildings date back to eighteenth century.  Like The George Inn, the church has strong links to Charles Dickens and several scenes from the novel take place in and around the church.  Members of the Dickens Fellowship are welcomed to the church each year for an annual service. 

St George the Martyr Church
Borough High Street
London SE1 1JA
020 7357 7331

9.  St George’s Churchyard Gardens

St Georges Churchyard Gardens - Marshalsea Prison 5

The St George's Churchyard Gardens lie across the way from the church and are interesting in and of themselves.  This was once the site of the Marshalsea Debtors’ Prison where Charles Dickens’ father was incarcerated for debt in 1824.  Seeing his father in the prison haunted dickens for most of his life and the experience dominates Little Dorrit.  The last remnant of the prison wall forms the back wall of the gardens.

St Georges Churchyard Gardens - Marshalsea Prison 2St Georges Churchyard Gardens - Marshalsea Prison 4 St Georges Churchyard Gardens - Marshalsea Prison 1St Georges Churchyard Gardens - Marshalsea Prison 3 

 

10.  The Shard and London Bridge Quarter

The Shard London Bridge

Well, it has been a long and exciting tour around Southwark and now we head back to London Bridge Rail Station and to The Shard.  When it is finished in 2012, The Shard is likely to be the main attraction in Southwark as it will be the tallest skyscraper in the United Kingdom.  It will stand at 310 metres tall (1,017 feet) and will have 72 floors plus 15 radiator floors on the roof.  The good news is that it will also have an observation deck at the top for tourists to visit!  The building will have a glass exterior and will be made to look like a shard of glass striking out from the landscape.  I for one cannot wait until it is finished.

The Shard and London Bridge Quarter
32 London Bridge Street
London
SE1

And that is the end of My Southwark!  It was a great competition, I must say, and I’ll post about the exciting prize giving next week.

14 comments on "My Southwark (part 2)"
  1. Hi Emm - When I show your photos of London to my wife, she gets tears in her eyes. We loved living there - miss it immensely. Your photos bring us right back. You take the pictures of an resident. Intimate, lovely, wonderful.

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  2. Love the climbers sculpture! What kind of building is "Maya House"?

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  3. Cool! The climbing blue men are awesome. Have you tried that restaurant below?

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  4. Hi Emm - I enjoyed reading your two posts about Southwark. Bought back good (and bad) memories of my time working in the City....

    Good memories - I used to catch the train up to London Bridge Station and have a bracing walk across the bridge, past the Monument, Bank of England and up to Fore Street (near the Barbican).

    Bad memory - the picture of Vinopolis. Went to a company do their one evening and didn't feel very well at all the next day - I blame the food (and I'm still sticking to that story :-))

    Best wishes
    Glen / Kent Today & Yesterday

    PS - I am now following you on twitter. (@wavecrestglen)

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  5. Hi Emm..I love how you take me on an adventure each time i visit..super cool tours!! Yay! Gorgeous photos!
    Kiki~

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  6. Emm, a lovely photographic tour, I didn't know about the Dickens connection.

    My favourite pic is the last one with the cranes, blue sky and stark concrete.

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  7. I love this spot - walked alone there a couple of months ago and read the info on the boards - very interesting!!

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  8. oops, that was winchester palace I was referring to!! Had too many of your blogs open at once!!

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  9. So much history and you took some really nice photos to explain your tour. The new skyscraper and climbers also show the town's modern flavor.

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  10. What an interesting tour with you. I think my favorite was the prison and reading about Dicken's father being imprisoned for debt. Could you imagine if we did that today? Loved the photos so much and thanks for taking us with you on your journey.

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  11. Thank you, Emm for this great pictorial tour.
    Your shots are amazing!
    It's really hard to pick my favourite.
    Southwark sounds fantastic!
    B xx

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  12. Loved that sculpture The Climbers by Ofra Zimbalista as well. Thanks so much for sharing.
    B xx

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  13. @ the half life of linoleum: Thank you! I will take that as a compliment! Hopefully a "resident with a certain touristic flair"! Where has your blog gone!!!!!?????? :*(

    @ Kathy: I might be wrong, but I think they are a property group. Here is their website: http://www.mayagroupuk.com/mayahouse.htm

    @ JaPRA: Ha! I've been to Costa a couple of times but Hiba is SO expensive that I feel poorer just looking at their menu sometimes!

    @ Glen: Heh. See now, I far prefer my practice of never, ever getting drunk or barely even drinking. It means never having to wake up with regret!

    @ Kiki: Thank you! I do like playing tour guide!

    @ revivor: Heh, I understand. I always have a million windows open.

    @ AVCr8teur: Thank you! London has tons of little pockets like this with amazing history and new technology side by side.

    @ Mountain Woman: I know! I always get a little star struck to realise that history and events that seemed so otherworldly when I lived in South Africa are right here under my nose!

    @ Betty: It is indeed a lovely place and very understated.

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  14. @ Mike: Sorry!! I must have scrolled past your comment - I knew I was missing someone!! I quite like that photo with the cranes too. :)

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