Shad Thames is a short, cobbled street tucked away just behind Tower Bridge. The dark-brick warehouses, iron footbridges high above the street and the narrow space create one of the most photogenic spots in London.

We would probably have walked right past Shad Thames without noticing it. However, my partner spotted it on Instagram and, as we were passing by, we popped in.

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In the end, we were surprised not only by the fantastic photos, but above all by the pleasant atmosphere of the whole neighbourhood.

If you’re looking to stay in this part of London, theBermonds Locke, Tower Bridge, offers good value for money in terms of location and facilities. The rooms have their own kitchen, and Shad Thames is about a 15-minute walk away.

Why visit Shad Thames

Shad Thames isn’t a traditional tourist attraction with an entrance fee, nor is it a single specific place. It’s a short historic street and the adjacent Butler’s Wharf.

It’s well worth a visit mainly because of:

• the narrow cobbled street between tall brick warehouses,
• the original iron footbridges connecting the buildings,
• the views of Tower Bridge from the quay,
• the restaurants, cafés and benches by the Thames,
• the contrast between industrial architecture and modern life.

You can walk the length of the street itself in 10 minutes. Allow about 30 minutes for taking photos and strolling along the riverfront. Entry is free and the site is open to the public all day.

Where to take the best photos

Shad Thames

The most famous shot is taken right in the narrow street beneath the iron footbridges. You’ll find the best compositions in the western part of the street between Tower Bridge and the restaurants at Butler’s Wharf.

Take photos of the street from both directions. In one shot, the footbridges stand out better; in the other, the brick façades and the curve of the street. There are usually fewer people here in the morning.

Butler’s Wharf Embankment

The quay offers a sweeping view of the Thames and Tower Bridge. Walk a few dozen metres eastwards, turning your head as you go. With every step, the angle of the bridge relative to the former warehouses changes.

St Saviour’s Dock

The quieter end of the walk lies by the small harbour of St Saviour’s Dock. There are significantly fewer tourists here, and the more rugged atmosphere of the former docks has been preserved.

Directly beneath the southern end of Tower Bridge, the stony banks of the Thames also become accessible at low tide. We describe the access and the risk of a rapid rising tide in detail in our Tower Bridge guide.

What used to be here

In the 19th century, Shad Thames was one of London’s busiest warehousing areas.

The extensive Butler’s Wharf complex was largely completed between 1871 and 1873 and was used to store supplies of tea, coffee, spices, sugar, grain and other goods brought in via the Thames.

The iron footbridges spanning the street were not merely decorative. They connected the individual warehouses and allowed goods to be moved between buildings without having to go down to street level.

With the development of container transport, London’s old docks lost their significance. The warehouses gradually fell into disuse and, from the 1980s, began to be converted into flats, restaurants, offices and galleries.

It is precisely this combination of preserved industrial architecture and the pleasant riverside that gives Shad Thames its current atmosphere. It is not a dead historical site, but a normal residential neighbourhood where people spend time in restaurants, stroll along the river or sit with a coffee on the riverfront.

Shad Thames in films: Harry Potter, Bridget Jones and the Bond films

Butler’s Wharf in the Shad Thames area was used during the filming of *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*.

The area is associated with the scene where members of the Order of the Phoenix fly with Harry over the Thames and past Tower Bridge.

Shad Thames also featured in the film *Bridget Jones’s Diary*. Bridget’s meeting with Daniel Cleaver was filmed in a restaurant on the riverfront.

The area around St Saviour’s Dock, meanwhile, can be seen in the opening boat chase scene of the Bond film *The World Is Not Enough*.

How to get to Shad Thames

The easiest way to get there is from the southern end of Tower Bridge. Just past the bridge, turn onto the riverfront or into Shad Thames.

• London Bridge – Jubilee and Northern lines, about 12–15 minutes’ walk
• Tower Hill – Circle and District lines, about a 15-minute walk across Tower Bridge
• Buses 42, 78 and 343 – stop at Tower Bridge

Shad Thames is best incorporated into a walking route along the south bank of the Thames. You can continue via Borough Market to Millennium Bridge, or via Tower Bridge to the Tower of London.

We explain tickets, card payments and how to use buses in the chapter on transport in London.

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