Recommended Links

Thames River Services recommend the links below:-

Houses of Parliament
The UK Parliament is one of the oldest representative assemblies in the world. The site of the Houses of Parliament is the Palace of Westminster, a royal palace and former residence of kings. The layout of the Palace is intricate, with its existing buildings containing nearly 1,200 rooms, 100 staircases and well over 3 kilometers (2 miles) of passages. Among the original historic buildings is Westminster Hall, used nowadays for major public ceremonial events.
Millennium Wheel
Your exciting thirty-minute Discovery Flight on the London Eye will take you on a journey through the centuries as you discover how London’s spectacular skyline has been shaped by events through history from the building of Buckingham Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral to the Houses of Parliament and modern day wonders such as Canary Wharf and the Gherkin building. As you marvel at the dazzling views, your informative guide will also help to point out some of the hidden gems such as 10 Downing Street, the home of the Prime Minister and provide a fascinating insight into the construction of this iconic landmark.
Cleopatra's Needle
It was made in Egypt for the Pharaoh Thotmes III in 1460 BC, making it almost 3,500 years old. It is known as Cleopatra's Needle as it was brought to London from Alexandria, the royal city of Cleopatra. The Needle arrived in England after a horrendous journey by sea in 1878. It seems Britain wanted something big and noticeable to commemorate the British victory over Napoleon, sixty-three years earlier. The British public subscribed £15,000 to bring it over from Alexandria in Egypt. Cleopatra's Needle stands on the Thames Embankment close to the Embankment underground station. Two large bronze Sphinxes lie on either side of the Needle.

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South Bank
The South Bank is a beautiful stretch of riverside London which faces the Houses of Parliament and is only minutes from Covent Garden. Flanked by the iconic London Eye and Oxo Tower Wharf, its relaxing, creative atmosphere appeals to all ages whilst its spectacular views are worth savouring. The packed programme of exhibitions, shows, films and free events means that you will never be short of something interesting to do. The South Bank is the cultural heart of London, home to the South Bank Centre, Old Vic, Young Vic, National Theatre, BFI IMAX, BFI Southbank as well as art galleries, such as the.gallery@oxo and Bargehouse.
St Paul's Cathedral
A Cathedral dedicated to St Paul has overlooked the City of London since 604AD, a constant reminder to this great commercial centre of the importance of the spiritual side of life. The current Cathedral – the fourth to occupy this site – was designed by the court architect Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1675 and 1710 after its predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. Its architectural and artistic importance reflect the determination of the five monarchs who oversaw its building that London’s leading church should be as beautiful and imposing as their private palaces.
Millennium Bridge
London's Millennium Bridge is the first pedestrian river crossing over the Thames in central London for more than a century. It is a 325m steel bridge linking the City of London at St Paul's Cathedral designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the 17th century, and Herzog & de Meuron's Tate Modern gallery. Tate Modern and the Millennium Bridge are symbols of regeneration in the London Borough of Southwark. As well as helping you to get to the bridge, our map highlights some contemporary and historic landmarks within walking distance of it.
Tate Modern
Tate Modern is the national gallery of international modern art. Located in London, it is one of the family of four Tate galleries which display selections from the Tate Collection. The Collection comprises the national collection of British art from the year 1500 to the present day, and of international modern art. The other three galleries are Tate Britain, also in London, Tate Liverpool, in the north-west, and Tate St Ives, in Cornwall, in the south-west. The entire Tate Collection is available online. Created in the year 2000 from a disused power station in the heart of London, Tate Modern displays the national collection of international modern art. This is defined as art since 1900. International painting pre-1900 is found at the National Gallery, and sculpture at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

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The Globe Theatre
Founded by the pioneering American actor/director Sam Wanamaker, Shakespeare's Globe is a unique international resource dedicated to the exploration of Shakespeare's work, and the playhouse for which he wrote, through the connected means of education and performance. In 1949, when Sam Wanamaker came to London for the first time, he looked for the site of the original Globe and was disappointed not to find a more lasting memorial to one of the greatest playwrights in the world. In 1970 he founded the Shakespeare Globe Trust, dedicated to the experience and international understanding of Shakespeare in performance. Its work celebrates the fact that the greatest dramatic poet in the English language lived and worked in London and that the cradle of English theatre was on Bankside by the River Thames.
Hays Galleria
Built in the 1850's, Hay's Wharf took deliveries from ships from all over the world and the area became known as the 'Larder of London'. The great Hay's Wharf complex has been restored to its former glory and those who visit the Galleria today stand on the same spot where the tea clippers from India and China edged their way into the dock 150 years ago.
A focal point in the heart of the Galleria is David Kemp's magnificent 60ft kinetic sculpture, providing a hypnotic combination of moving parts, water jets and fountains. Traditional craft and market stalls decorate the walkways, sharing the spectacular surroundings with the permanent shops. Open every day, the stalls offer a variety of products from jewellery to paintings, ceramics to designer children's wear.
HMS Belfast
HMS Belfast is the largest surviving example of Britain's twentieth century naval power and is now a museum moored on the Thames between Tower and London Bridge. She was the first ship to be saved for the nation since Nelson's HMS Victory due to her historical importance. Best known for her role in supporting the advancing Allied troops as they made their way onto Gold and Juno beaches on the morning of D-Day, 6 June 1944, HMS Belfast is now a naval time capsule, providing nine decks of living history to explore. The HMS Belfast experience provides living testament to her illustrious service, her battle stories and the conditions in which up to 950 crew members lived and fought in until her retirement from the Royal Navy in 1965.

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Tower of London
Founded by William the Conqueror in 1066-7 and enlarged and modified by successive sovereigns, today the Tower of London is one of the world's most famous and spectacular fortresses. The Tower of London has been the setting for many great events during its 900-year history as a royal palace and fortress, prison and place of execution, arsenal, mint, menagerie and jewel house. No visit to the Tower of London would be complete without seeing the Crown Jewels but don't forget there are also 11 towers and 1,000 years of royal history waiting to be discovered.
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge was completed in 1894, after 8 years of construction. Originally, London Bridge was the only crossing over the Thames. As London grew, so more bridges were added, but these were all to the west of London Bridge. In the 19th century, the east end of London became so densely populated that public pressure mounted for a bridge to the east of London Bridge. At the Tower Bridge Exhibition you can enjoy breath-taking views from the high-level Walkways and learn about the history of the Bridge and how it was built. You can then visit the Victorian Engine Rooms, home to the original steam engines that used to power the Bridge lifts. Tower Bridge Walkways have specially designed windows, giving visitors a unique opportunity to take photos of the views without them being obscured by glass.
Docklands
Walk alongside the Tower walls and suddenly you are thrust into the most modern area of London. From Tower Bridge to the Royal Docks and the Isle of Dogs is one of the oldest areas of London, containing the wharfs, warehouses and ports along the River Thames. In the last half of the 1980s this whole area was rejuvenated with very modern buildings and an extensive new light rail system, Docklands Light Railway (DLR). The trains are fully automatic, with no drivers but a service agent on board to assist passengers. Throughout the Docklands, there are restaurants, shops, apartment and town house developments (with a distinct Canadian flavour) sometimes mingling with some of the oldest streets in London.

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Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf is planned on a grand scale, yet with meticulous attention to detail. The estate extends to over 97 acres and is so called because when in use as a dock, many of the imports were from the Canary Islands. Approximately 14.1 million square feet of office and retail space has been constructed to date. The first tenants moved into Canary Wharf in August 1991. Now 80,000 people work here. Currently the development comprises twenty four office buildings, five retail malls, a department store, sports and health clubs, two conference and banqueting centres, two Docklands Light Railway stations, a London Underground station, landscaped parks and gardens and five public car parks (in addition to car parking below the office buildings).
Greenwich
Greenwich is recognised for its cultural heritage:
- the grandeur and sheer beauty of its buildings;
-the magnificent vistas and views across London;
-its royal history, as the birthplace of both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, among others;
-its naval and sea-faring history - the Old Royal Naval College was built originally as a hospital for veteran sailors and Admiral Lord Nelson lay in state in its Painted Hall prior to his funeral.
-The National Maritime Museum and the Cutty Sark are also within the Heritage boundaries;
-its scientific accomplishments – with Greenwich Mean Time and Longitude 0°, Greenwich is the centre of time and space.
Thames Barrier
The barrier is an impressive construction and is the worlds largest movable flood barrier, spanning 520 metres across the Thames at Woolwich. The barrier completed in 1982, is valued at over £1000 million and took 8 years to build. The barrier was designed to protect the capital from flooding until the year 2030, although whether global warming will invalidate the original calculations remains to be seen. It was the results of the 1953 floods in which 300 people were drowned and 160,000 acres of farmland flooded, that finally prompted an urgent enquiry into solving the threat. The design was selected from 41 proposals and succeeded because it minimises interference with the natural flow of the river, does not restrict headroom for shipping, whilst remaining aesthetically pleasing.

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