Places to Visit Around Blackfriars Station

Blackfriars is the only station in London whose platforms stretch across the River Thames, and it has an entrance on each bank. That makes it a good starting point for both sides of the river: St Paul’s Cathedral and the Millennium Bridge are within six minutes, and Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe about ten. The walking times below are our estimates from the station, the same ones as in the Nearby list.

Within 5 minutes’ walk

The Black Friar (1 min) – Just across Queen Victoria Street from the north entrance, on the corner with New Bridge Street. The pub was built in about 1875 and remodelled from about 1905 with a marble, mosaic and bronze interior full of carved friars, and it is a Grade II* listed building (CAMRA).

St Paul’s Cathedral (5 min) – Sir Christopher Wren’s cathedral, dominated by its central dome, 108 metres high overall, with the Whispering Gallery inside. Its crypt holds the tombs of the Duke of Wellington and Horatio Nelson.

St Bride’s Church (5 min) – A Wren church on Fleet Street whose tiered spire is said to have inspired the shape of the traditional wedding cake. The church and churchyard are open and free to visit seven days a week (St Bride’s).

5 to 10 minutes’ walk

The Millennium Bridge (6 min) – The steel suspension footbridge between St Paul’s and Bankside. Londoners nicknamed it the Wobbly Bridge after it swayed under the crowds on its opening day in June 2000.

Dr Johnson’s House (8 min) – At 17 Gough Square, in the courts north of Fleet Street. Samuel Johnson lived here from 1748 to 1759 and compiled his Dictionary of the English Language in the garret; the house is a museum with an admission charge (Dr Johnson’s House).

Temple Church (9 min) – The round church built by the Knights Templar in the 12th century, now the chapel of the Inner and Middle Temples, two of the Inns of Court. It is usually open to visitors on weekdays (Temple Church).

Tate Modern (9 min) – Use the station’s south entrance on Bankside and you are already across the river. The gallery fills the old Bankside power station, and admission is free except for some exhibitions. The riverside walk east and west of it is covered in our guide to the South Bank.

Shakespeare’s Globe (10 min) – A reconstruction of an Elizabethan playhouse, just east of the Millennium Bridge, built as closely as possible to the original. Performances use no microphones or artificial lighting.

10 to 15 minutes’ walk

The Clink Prison Museum (15 min) – Further east along Bankside, on the site of the medieval Clink prison, which was burnt down in the Gordon riots of 1780. The museum recreates conditions in the jail; there is a charge for entry. Southwark Cathedral and Borough Market are a few minutes beyond it (18 min).

The station

The Underground station is served by the Circle and District lines, in Zone 1. The main-line station has Thameslink trains, which run through London from Bedford and Luton in the north to Brighton and Sutton in the south, and some Southeastern services. The north entrance is on Queen Victoria Street; the south entrance at Bankside opened in December 2011. Since 2014 the roof over the bridge has been covered with 4,400 solar panels.