Out for an early urban walk through London this morning. Gonna be headed over the river and along to Island Gardens. Stay tuned for some moderately interesting facts!

So, I was gonna cross Tower Bridge but uhh... I think it’s stuck open again? So I guess I’m gonna hang out here for a bit

Hooray, the bridge is back open again! Onward!

I really enjoy that the western tower in the small arch on the north side is different from all the others, but I’ve never been able to discover why

Bit further down the Thames, in Hermitage Riverside Memorial Garden, there’s a memorial of hope to the East London victims of the Blitz, made by Wendy Taylor. She also made that dung beetles sculpture in London Zoo

Brief sleepy swan interlude

Only about 100 metres from the last one, another Wendy Taylor sculpture, this one called Voyager. She’s really cornered the market on Thames-side sculptures East of Tower Hill

This is just a neat little alley that runs down to stairs to the Thames next to the Town of Ramsgate (the pub, not the... town)

Passing the Wapping Police Boatyard, which is just along from the Met Maritime Marine Police Headquarters. Convenient, that.

Whilst we’re passing the wonderfully floral Wapping station, it’s worth mentioning that the name Wapping probably comes from an old English word “wapol” which means... a marsh

Now in Shadwell Basin. Lift bridges are ace, and there’s a very similar one almost directly opposite over the river in Rotherhithe

Oh there it is!

One of the several Rotherhithe Tunnel exhaust shafts. Fun fact, you can walk through the Rotherhithe Tunnel, but you definitely shouldn’t!

Ive only ever seen this place from the other side of the river, and looks like a modern Hanging Gardens of Babylon and I LOVE IT

Rebuild the wharf! More public spaces! Riverside access!