Borough Market, The Globe, Tate Modern, Millennium Bridge and St Paul's (2.1 km)
- Philip Carey
- Oct 13
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
This detailed set of guides for runners and striders will provide all the information you need to do this self-guided route in one place, so that you can explore London Bridge, Borough Market, Bankside, the Globe, Tate Modern, Millennium Bridge and St Paul's Cathedral at your own pace.
The Familiarisation Guide provides all the route information.
The Sightseeing Guide and Virtual Tour Guide add points of interest and 360-degree information.
The Connoisseur's Guide offers recommendations for places to eat, drink, and be entertained, as well as suggestions for exploring the surrounding areas and 'add-on' routes.
THE EXPERIENCE
A relaxed riverside jaunt past markets, cityscapes, and cathedrals. This route takes you from London Bridge Station through Borough Market, along the south side of the river to Bankside, Shakespeare’s Globe, Tate Modern, and St Paul's Cathedral. In Tudor times, the area was the City of London’s entertainment district, featuring playhouses, bear pits, and other forms of entertainment. This all changed after the Great Fire of London in 1666, which destroyed 70% of the city and this area's livelihood. A new entertainment district emerged in the late 1600's supporting the new urban developments in Covent Garden, Soho, and Leicester Square. Today, the area has reverted to its entertainment roots, with Borough Market, Shakespeare’s Globe, and Tate Modern taking centre stage. The route also has fantastic river views, cityscapes, museums, and two cathedrals.
THE ROUTE FAMILIARISATION GUIDE (Level 1)
This guide provides you with the essential information you need to become familiar with the route before you arrive.
An overview map, My Google Map, and Strava Map to help guide you along the route
A video showing you what the route looks like as if you were running it at over 40 km/h.
Information to bear in mind along the route.
Follow on route options
MAP OF THE ROUTE
The links to My Google and Strava Maps are designed to help you keep on track and limit the chances of getting lost. They don't provide turn-by-turn directions, but they do show your location relative to the route. They will open in a new tab.
The Google map shows the main route in red
HIGH SPEED VIDEO OF THE ROUTE (3:34)
The high-speed video of the main red route is designed to get you visually familiar with the route ahead of your visit. It shows you a runner's view as if they were doing it at a sprinting speed at over 40 km/h
THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND
The route can get crowded, so it's best to do this route in the early morning – especially at the weekend when it is quiet, the light is at its best, and you have the whole day ahead of you
The route will mainly be off-road, but it can be crowded around Borough Market, St Paul’s, and the Millennium Bridge. There are also uneven surfaces around Borough Market and Clink Street.
Borough Market is open six days a week, but closed on Mondays. The general opening hours are: Tuesday - Friday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Saturday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, and Sunday: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM.
THE ROUTE SIGHTSEEING GUIDE - (Level 2)
Once you are familiar with the route, why not take the opportunity to familiarise yourself with the sights along the way, take photos, and learn a bit about the area's history the next time you take it? The sights include:
Borough Market
The Shard
Southwark Cathedral
The Golden Hind
The Clink Prison Museum
The Anchor Pub
Shakespeare's Globe
Tate Modern
Millennium Bridge
St Paul's Cathedral
For more information on these and other sights nearby, see the gallery and the supporting text below
Virtual Tour Guide of the Route
This virtual tour guide is designed to help you familiarise yourself with the route and enhance your memories of 'being there'. Clicking on the picture will take you to a new page showing a map of 360 locations in the area. Click on the location icons, and you will be transported to an interactive 360-degree view of that area - in a new tab.
THE ROUTE CONNOISSEUR'S GUIDE - (Level 3)
Once you are familiar with the route and its sights, why not become a connoisseur of the area and explore the surrounding routes that will uncover new things to see, places to eat, drink, and be entertained?
FOOD AND DRINK LOCATIONS
This map shows you some of the places to eat and drink -
Borough Market and Watling Street offer the most in terms of eating and drinking venues, followed by London Bridge and Gabriel's Wharf. There are also a number around Bankside and around St Paul's Cathedral, but these are more spread out. Borough High Street/Market and the area around St Paul's will have the most pubs and bars.
THINGS TO DO LOCATIONS
There are also several venues worth visiting, which are shown below.
Attractions include places to get high-level panoramas of the city at the View from the Shard (1) and the top of St Paul's Cathedral (6). There are tw art galleries - The Tate Modern (5) and the Guildhall Art Gallery, as well as other entertainment venues such as the Clink Prison Museum, The Golden Hind, and Shakespeare's Globe. This route also has two Cathedrals - one at the start (Southwark Cathedral) and one at the end, St Paul's Cathedral.
ROUTE EXTENTION
The map below and the My Google map link provide three extensions to the main route, helping you explore the area and find places to eat and drink. These are:
Borough High Street and Market (1.3 km)
Blackfriars Loop Extension (2.1 km
Guildhall & Watling Street Extension (1.3 km)
The Google map shows the main route in red and the additional extension routes in blue. A video and a more detailed explanation of these routes will be added shortly.
FOLLOW ON ROUTES
If you want to add another section, try the 'The City of London to Central London From St Paul's Cathedral' route.
