tate: [ intro ] [ 1:thames path ] [ 2:cannon st ] [ 3:southwark ] [ 4:waterloo ] [ 5:tate à tate ]

Tate

3. Cannon St

Not shown on the Tate material, an underground station but also an historic memory of the railway battle for the South East and into the City. This station runs to London Bridge but nothing on a Sunday.

Shall we come or go? Let us come. From the station, turn left and up the hill towards St Paul's. One advantage of this walking is that you can see how hilly London is (and in the middle ages much more pronounced). But turn down nearly pedestrianised Queen St to the motorway. Southwark bridge is ahead of you. Around a little corner, a haven of a garden. Notice all the missed opportunities of making the station easier to get to, right down to the Thames Path.

Half way across the bridge, notice also the missed opportunity as the rail platform goes half way across the river. Another very economical crossing, another connection to the Thames Path, another avoiding of thousands of motors, not to be used.

Notice also another little detail, the loading station for rubbish onto barges to keep London clean. Complicated process to allow walkers when barges are loading which must count as a triumph for planning.

On the South side turn right onto the Thames Path and soon to the Tate.

Alternatively, avoid that road crossing entirely and carry on Cannon St to St Paul's and the bridge. You'll pass Mansion House Station on the Underground, so that could have been a way here too, with a shorter walk. But not interesting enough for its own paragraph.

4. London Bridge

A major transport anchor in its own right, the first passenger railway station in London (1836) and still three interconnected railway companies which maintain mysteries of central side and eastern side with confusing signing. The simple walk to the Tate is completely unsigned and left a complete mystery. The Southwark TIC is signed so they might help.

Kim Wilkie has done a study for English Heritage on how this area can be improved as part of the consultation on the Railtrack plan. So as there are enough photos in that, I shant do any.

He is much too gentle though. The attacks on pedestrians are much more determined than he makes out; his compromises for partnership building give no idea of the real horror the walker here will experience.

The Thames Path is the obvious route to head for, but there are two others to be hunted out.

The first is through Borough Market, itself a joy particularly on a Saturday when the real foodies gather. There is lots to walk around here and decide on whether the damage to be caused by Thameslink 2000 will be worth the pain? Park St is the exit to head for then walk through the estate seeing what greening and traffic segregation can achieve. If you follow the path aright you will come out on Southwick Bridge Rd at Sumner St. Then straight to the Tate.

Another way of getting there is to go to Borough station on the Northern Line or walk down Borough High St., til you come to St George the Martyr. Itself quite a stunner. Hawksmoor ? The burial ground a quiet garden. Now head for the Tate from garden to garden. I'm grateful to * for giving me all these connections. A pity someone hasn't produced a pretty leaflet.

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