Day 3 London Bridge to Chelsea Bridge (Section 2)

This is the pedestrian underpass for the Blackfriars road bridge which was opened in 1995.

They have used pictures from the London Illustrated news to decorate the walls making it one of the more interesting passageways.

 

Love the sense of humour of whoever was responsible for the above. Below shows the options for the bridge design.

At various intervals along the Thames path there are access points down to the river

These look very sixties in style or rather lack of style.

This photo was taken by walking out onto one of the disused loading bays. Looking back you can see the Oxo Tower Wharf. This used to be a power station supplying the Post Office until the 1920s. It was then bought by the meat extract company who made OXO stock cubes. They demolished much of the old building to build this one. The architect incorporated the name OXO into the window design as there was a ban on advertising on buildings at that time. Very clever as  the word Oxo was and is an everpresent name on the skyline. When built this was the second highest commercial building in London.

Nowadays the wharf has a number of small art galleries, cafes, shops and a restaurant at the top with great views over the river.

This is Gabriel's Wharf . Saved from yet more commercial development by the Coin Street community. It now houses small craft shops and bars and restaurants. Don't be fooled by the houses behind the shops as these are painted on to the old warehouse walls.

 

A favourite corner for sand sculptures.

Always somewhere to grab a quick drink or bite to eat on this part of the pathway.

Many ITV programmes are broadcast from here.

The next bridge across the river is Waterloo Bridge

An art group just setting up ready for a day's painting.

A pop up bar for the Summer called the 'Propstore'. All the furniture and fittings are from the National Theatre's props department.

A modern day mudlark with his metal detector.

Waterloo Bridge

The National theatre, opened in 1976 and contains 3 theatres. I have seen many excellent plays here and at very reasonable prices. Plays such as War Horse started their life here. During the day you can browse through one of their free art exhibitions or just pop in for a drink or meal.

Underneath the arches of Waterloo bridge are many stalls selling second hand books. It's a great place for browsing.

Underneath Waterloo Bridge

A sandy play area for the kids.

Graffiti brightens up the concrete. It is also where the skateboarders practise their skills.

My lunch stop, underneath the room with a view. This is the roof garden at Queen Elizabeth Halls where I sat and admired the view.

Some new paintings had appeared at the back of the hall, which I only noticed as I was making my way down from the garden.