London Guide: Ten Things To Do In St Katharine’s and Wapping. This part of East London runs along the north side of the Thames between Tower Bridge and Limehouse. It’s a great place to explore at the weekend because it feels undiscovered and secret. See fantastic wharf warehouses, historic pubs, beautiful churches, quaint cobbled streets and ancient stairs leading to the Thames. Please read about my Ten Things To Do In St. Katharine’s and Wapping to discover why this is such a fascinating part of London.
Wapping Sign
Ten Things To Do In St Katharine’s and Wapping List
10 Things to Do in Katharine’s and Wapping
1. Dine alfresco at St Katharine Docks
2. Admire the Thames View at the Hermitage Riverside Memorial Garden
3. View boats at the Hermitage Community Moorings
4. Enjoy a pint at the historic Town of Ramsgate Pub
5. Pretend you’re a pirate at the Wapping Old Stairs
6. Walk around St John’s Gardens
7. Tuck into a meal at Bistro Bardot at The Turk’s Head Pub
8. Take a stroll through one of the parks
9. Stop off at the Wapping Docklands Market for street food
10. Appreciate the amazing architecture
Ten Things To Do In St Katharine’s and Wapping Details
St Katharine Docks: Start your exploration from St Katharine Docks (St Kats), a luxury Marina behind Tower Bridge on the north side of the River Thames. You can eat at one of the riverside restaurants, bars and coffee houses.
St Katharine Docks
Hermitage Riverside Memorial Garden: This is a small park facing the River Thames where you can sit down and get a great view of Tower Bridge and The Shard. This is a memorial to the residents of East End London killed in the Second World War. The location was destroyed by a bomb in 1940. You will see a dove sculpture by Wendy Taylor, and if you look through the cut-out of the Dove, you will see The Shard in the distance. It is located at the start of Wapping High Street.
Hermitage Riverside Memorial Garden, Dove Sculpture by Wendy Taylor
Hermitage Community Moorings: Several boats moored at the end of the Hermitage Riverside Memorial Garden. This is run as a cooperative which provides berths for 23 vessels, many of which are residential. The idea is to foster a community of like-minded people who use or live on boats and the preservation of historic craft, located at 16 Wapping High Street.
Hermitage Community Moorings
Historic Town of Ramsgate Pub: Established in 1545, this pub is steeped in history and has changed its name. It is called the Town of Ramsgate because the fishermen of Ramsgate landed their catches at Wapping Old Stairs to avoid river taxes near Billingsgate Fish Market. It is located at 62 Wapping High Street, London E1W 2PN. If you want the oldest pub nearby, you might like the Prospect of Whitby, which dates back to 1520. It’s located at 57 Wapping Wall, London E1W 3SH.
Town of Ramsgate Pub
Wapping Old Stairs: Go through one of the alleyways to the stairs near the pub. At low tide, you can see the post where condemned pirates were chained up to die when the tide rose. The stairs are famous for Captain Bligh’s visit to inspect the Bounty Ship. Located at 51 Wapping High Street, London E1W 2PL.
St John’s Gardens
St John’s Gardens: Wander through the garden at St John’s Churchyard. The church was mostly destroyed in World War II and is now a public garden. There are two tombs on the grounds. Opposite the entrance gate, you can admire the St John Wapping School, which was erected by subscription A.D. 1760 and has a statue of a boy and a girl on the façade. Located at Wapping High Street, London E1W 2PL.
St John Wapping School
Bistro Badot at The Turk’s Head: Get your breakfast fix at this family-run pub. Choose pancake towers, a full English or veggie version. They are also open for lunch, serving burgers with fries and tapas. It is located at 1 Green Bank, London E1W 2PA.
The Turk’s Head
Parks: There are a few green spaces in the vicinity. Take your pick from Wapping Gardens (Trench Street), Wapping Rose Gardens (Wapping High Street) and Wapping Green (Wapping Lane). Please note that online research has noted anti-social behaviour at some parks, so be aware of what’s happening around you.
Wapping Rose Gardens
Wapping Docklands Market: A lovely street food market hosted on Saturdays from 10 am until 4 pm. Fresh bread, veg and fruit are also available along with gifts such as candles and art.
Wapping Docklands Market
Architecture: Walking through the area, you can admire fantastic architecture for free. You’ll find a mixture of converted old wharf warehouses with original iron winch systems mingled with newer apartment blocks with balconies overlooking the Thames.
Converted Warehouse Apartments
Ten Things To Do In St Katharine’s and Wapping Information
For historic information read the Wikipedia Wapping Page and St Katharine Docks Page.
These articles might be of interest:
St Katharine Docks To Canary Wharf Walk
Wapping Docklands Market Review
St Katharine Docks Waterside Dining
Author: Homegirl London. Photographs: Homegirl London.
Author: Homegirl London. Photographs: Homegirl London. Thanks: Homeboy for exploring the area with me.
