Three areas, a former power station and archaeological theatre remains: Southwark can be explored through very different places. Borough Market offers a starting point for a market visit, while theatre and architectural history, as well as art, provide other focal points. Which of these aspects interests you can guide your choice of accommodation.
Borough Market: three areas, one arrival point
Borough Market is divided into three main areas. Three Crown Square is geared towards larger producers and traders, while the Green Market is for small suppliers of specialist produce. At Borough Market Kitchen, the focus is on street-food vendors. This layout makes the market’s different specialities easy to grasp: larger suppliers, specialist produce or street food. The market is right next to London Bridge Station, a practical landmark for planning your journey. Borough Market also offers official, licensed tours led by expert guides. These provide a separate way to combine a market visit with a guided tour.
Theatre history: The Rose and the two Globe connections
The Rose was built in 1587 and was the first theatre on Bankside in Southwark. Its archaeological remains have been preserved underwater and are marked with illuminated ropes. This allows visitors to see the theatre’s shape and size, as well as its stage. Here, architectural history and visible remains go hand in hand: the date points to the theatre’s history, while the markings bring its dimensions to life.
The two Globe connections can also be distinguished. Shakespeare’s Globe is on the banks of the Thames in London’s Bankside Cultural Quarter. The site of the original Globe Theatre, by contrast, is on the south side of Park Street. Its footprint in Playhouse Court is paved with cobblestones, and information boards stand on the viewing platform. A theatre on the Thames and the marked site of the original theatre thus offer two different points of connection to theatre history.
Art and architectural history in Bankside and Southwark
Tate Modern is located in Bankside in the London Borough of Southwark. The building was once a power station and is now an art gallery; its former purpose and present-day function give a visit to the gallery a distinctive architectural context. Admission to Tate Modern is free. This information about visiting the gallery excludes exhibitions. As a landmark, Bankside Gallery is on the Thames Path between Tate Modern and Blackfriars Station.
Other places offer different ways to explore history and architecture. The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret is located in the attic of a 320-year-old church. The Roman Catholic Church of the Most Precious Blood was built in 1891–1892 by James Smith & Sons of Norwood and is in the Neo-Romanesque style. In Clink Street are the remains of the western and southern walls of the Great Hall of Winchester Palace. The Clink Prison Museum, meanwhile, focuses on the interactive interpretation of the scandalous history of Old Bankside; the museum is in the heart of present-day Southwark. Together, these examples illustrate different historical themes: a museum in a church attic, a church building in a named architectural style, and surviving palace walls.
Getting your bearings and choosing what to focus on
A route connects Bankside with London Bridge and Waterloo stations. For planning purposes, this provides a direct link between the area and two stations, without specifying a particular walking time. The programme at Southwark Cathedral adds music, heritage, tours, talks and family events to the options.
For an art-focused stay, Tate Modern is a clear point of reference, including its free gallery admission; for theatre history, The Rose and the two Globe connections offer different perspectives. Those more interested in market offerings will find three clearly named areas at Borough Market, as well as licensed tours. This distinction can help you choose your focus without combining all the places into a single itinerary.
Discover more destinations: Camberwell, Rotherhithe.
Return to the main travel overview: Southwark.
