South Bank Walks: Between the Bridges, Lost & Hidden Architecture

For this edition of our free guided walking tour series South Bank Walks, we reprise our sold-out Open House Festival tour that explored South Bank's lost and hidden architecture, led by Alison Rae from the Lambeth Tour Guides Association.

The South Bank area was historically low-lying, marshy and liable to flooding, making it unsuitable for extensive building and only a few Medieval buildings survive. In the wake of Waterloo Station's construction in 1848, churches, houses and places of entertainment were lost as the South Banks of the river rapidly industrialised. However, in the 20th and 21st centuries, these spaces were reborn and revealed once again by a change of use and new purposes.

From a riverside industrial neighbourhood, the site of old breweries, power stations and timber wharves, has arisen a cultural district renowned for its leading arts institutions.

On this guided walk through South Bank we explore South Bank's unexpected and hidden architectural landmarks, revealing along the way the extraordinary stories that have shaped the area's past and present identities.

* This extended walk starts at 11am and lasts approximately 2.5 hours.

Meeting Point: St John's Church Waterloo