heritageriverside

Rotherhithe: the old docks and the Pilgrim pub

The Mayflower sailed from here. The pub's still there.

Distance

4 km

Time

~ 75 min

Start

Bermondsey

End

Rotherhithe

Best at

afternoon

Right now

25°C· Clear

12 nearby transit lines disrupted — Waterloo & City, District.

Open in Maps for turn-by-turn, or take it offline as GPX.

Rotherhithe is the part of the south bank that the tourist infrastructure hasn't reached. The Bermondsey Antiques Market on Friday mornings is London's best for serious buyers — arrive before nine. Bermondsey Street is the restaurant mile of the area; White Cube at its north end has been showing major contemporary art since it moved here.

The Brunel Museum is a gem: the engine house of the world's first underwater tunnel, with the shaft itself open and the occasional gallery or concert staged forty feet below the Thames. The Mayflower pub at the end has the credentials — the Pilgrim Fathers departed from this dock in 1620 — and the timber jetty over the water.

The route

On the map.

A soft dashed line, numbered stops. It’s a suggestion, not a turn-by-turn.

Elevation

↑ 15 m·↓ 18 m·1–15 m ASL

Stops along the way

Things to notice.

01
1
Bermondsey Antiques Market
Fridays only, from 6am to 2pm. The best antiques market in London if you go early. Bermondsey Square holds it.
01
Bermondsey Antiques Market
Fridays only, from 6am to 2pm. The best antiques market in London if you go early. Bermondsey Square holds it.
02
2
Bermondsey Street
The street that runs south from London Bridge's southern side. White Cube at the north end; the Woolpack at the south. Good independent restaurants the full length.
02
Bermondsey Street
The street that runs south from London Bridge's southern side. White Cube at the north end; the Woolpack at the south. Good independent restaurants the full length.
03
3
Brunel Museum
Inside the old engine house of the Thames Tunnel — the world's first underwater tunnel, built by Marc and Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1843. Small, excellent, worth an hour.
03
Brunel Museum
Inside the old engine house of the Thames Tunnel — the world's first underwater tunnel, built by Marc and Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1843. Small, excellent, worth an hour.
04
4
The Mayflower pub
The Pilgrim Fathers drank here before leaving for Plymouth and then America in 1620. Timber jetty over the river, American and British flags, the most maritime pub in London.
04
The Mayflower pub
The Pilgrim Fathers drank here before leaving for Plymouth and then America in 1620. Timber jetty over the river, American and British flags, the most maritime pub in London.
05
5
Rotherhithe station
The Overground back, or continue along the Thames path east to Deptford. The path here is quieter than anywhere on the south bank west.
05
Rotherhithe station
The Overground back, or continue along the Thames path east to Deptford. The path here is quieter than anywhere on the south bank west.

Rotherhithe: the old docks and the Pilgrim pub

On the map.

Things to notice.

Bermondsey Antiques Market

Bermondsey Antiques Market

Bermondsey Street

Bermondsey Street

Brunel Museum

Brunel Museum

The Mayflower pub

The Mayflower pub

Rotherhithe station

Rotherhithe station

Two more, on similar days.

Wapping: the riverside village

Bermondsey: Maltby Street and the leather district