Borough Hotels

Borough is south of the river, in Southwark.  The High Street used to be the only route into London from the South, so it was a very important thoroughfare that had lots of coaching inns, mentioned by the likes of Chaucer in “The Canterbury  Tales”.  One of these inns remains to this day.  It is still a thriving area and there are also plenty of shops, restaurants and cafes as well as a food market on Fridays and Saturdays.  There are a couple of mid-price hotels near Borough Station.  The London City Hotel (***) is very close to the tube, in a modern building on the High Street.  The Bridge Hotel (***) is also in this area and has a café.  There are more Borough hotels closer to the South Bank of the river Thames, again mainly 3 star properties.  The walk along the riverside is very lively and interesting, with the Tate Modern to visit, street performers to enjoy and plenty of bars, restaurants and theatres overlooking the water.

Borough Tube Station

Borough Tube Station is in the Borough of Southwark, in central London, south of the river.  It’s on the Northern Line,in Zone 1.  It opened in 1890 as part of the first deep-level tube line.  It was rebuilt in the 1920’s and has recently had another much-needed facelift.  Disused tunnels at the station were used as air raid shelters during the Second World War, which is marked by a plaque on the wall outside the building.

Attractions

Borough Market is held on Friday and Saturday and has lots of delicious smells and flavours on offer.  It has every kind of food on sale, from fruit and veg to cakes, bread, meat and cheese.

The London Fire Brigade Museum is housed in Winchester House, which was the home and workplace of London’s chief fire officers between 1878 and 1937.  It has a vast collection of firefighting equipment and memorabilia, from early leather helmets to recently replaced breathing apparatus.  It traces the history of firefighting in London from the Great Fire of 1666 to the modern day.

The George Inn is the only surviving coaching inn of its kind in London.  It was rebuilt in 1676 and is arranged around a courtyard, with galleries overlooking it.  Pubs like these were the first theatres and it was in places like this that Shakespeare’s plays were first performed.  It was mentioned by Charles Dickens in “Little Dorrit” and is now a National Trust property.

Vinopolis is a wine and spirit tasting centre, which combines tours and tastings with all kinds of events, from stand up comedy to Ceilidh dancing.

Recommended Web Sites

Email team@tubehotels.com to get your Borough related website listed. It must be complimentary and not a competitor to TubeHotels, and you must be willing to co-promote.