Bermondsey, SE1

Bermondsey is a flourishing south London district in the Borough of Southwark.  It is bordered by Bankside to the west, Rotherhithe to the east, and Old Kent Road to the south. A short distance away from Central London via London Bridge or Tower Bridge, Bermondsey has recently become a popular residential location for professionals working in the City and West End. The area also attracts London families too as it has a good range of local schools and provides an inclusive, culturally rich and vibrant social life. 

The district is made of three distinctive neighbourhoods: Bermondsey north, east, and south. The heritage rich north and east neighbourhoods are set along the banks of the Thames and had been shaped by the historic shipbuilding, rail, and river trade. Butler’s Wharf is one of many well-preserved Victorian building complexes in Bermondsey. It opened in 1873 as a huge warehouse complex for goods arriving in the port of London. As a setting for many buildings storing a variety of imported food from all over the world, it gave Bermondsey a nick name as ‘London’s larder’. Another architecturally significant complex that shaped this south London neighbourhood is London’s Leather, Hide and Wool Exchange. In 1833 the Exchange became a hub for the city’s tannery industry and a hive for leather trade and associated businesses located throughout the district. Today, former wharfs, warehouses and manufacturing buildings are the sought-after riverside and loft-style residential apartment blocks. The conversions into residential use in the area started in 1980s and 1990s. Also restored in the last decade are many heritage rail archways. Once former workshops they now serve as vibrant art, events, and commercial spaces.

Public transport connections in the north and the east ward of Bermondsey are excellent. The main train, Tube and bus hub is at the stunning, award-winning London Bridge, one of the London’s oldest and busiest stations. Also important for providing fast links between this area and Central London is the Bermondsey Underground station, which opened in 1999 as part of Jubilee Line extension between London Bridge & Canada Water.

South Bermondsey’s public transport connectivity improvement is ongoing and will hugely benefit from the forthcoming New Bermondsey Overground station which will be located on Surrey Canal Road, in the neighbouring Lewisham.

Culture and Entertainment

Bermondsey Street conservation area is the most vibrant, culturally rich neighbourhood in the district. The street itself still has a village character and stretches from London Bridge station to Tower Bridge Road. It emerged as a location after the WW2, when empty abandoned warehouses opened as workshops and storage facilities. In 1950 The New Caledonian Antiques Market started operating in Bermondsey Square followed by creative business, restaurants and cafes. Today, the street provides a quiet and colourful neighbourhood, a retreat away from commercial and touristy area of London Bridge, and the Shard, and the busy neighbourhood surrounding Guy’s Hospital. It is home to the Fashion and Textile Museum and White Cube gallery with 58,000 sq ft of exhibition space. This pretty café-lined street with outdoor tables has a great range of innovative restaurants, artisan shops, creative workshops, and start-up businesses. Two communal parks are accessed from Bermondsey Street: Tanner Steet Park and St Mary Magdalen churchyard. A stroll to the west is Bermondsey Square with its weekly Bermondsey Antique market held outdoors every Friday. Also on Bermondsey Street is the distinguished London Glassblowing art gallery and a hot-glass studio. There are two popular markets nearby, The Blue with food and clothing and Maltby specialising in street food.

Spa Terminus in Bermondsey south is an independent food distribution market featuring local manufacturers from cheesemongers, greengrocers to butchers and brewers. Set in 2010, it is in the restored railway arches, close to the site of the old Spa Road Station. It opens to the public each Saturday.

Transport (Zone 1 & 2)

London Bridge Transport hub provides Rail, Overground and Underground network services, and serves as a major London bus terminal south of the Thames.

Bermondsey station on the Jubilee Line provides services to Westminster, Bond Street and Canary Wharf.

Rail: South Bermondsey station gives access to trains taking less than 10 min to London Bridge. From here trains head south to Beckenham Junction and West Croydon.

Bus: the area is serviced by C10 (to Victoria), P12 (to Canada Water/Surrey Quays), 47/N47 (to London Bridge and Shoreditch), 188 (to Waterloo), and 381/N381 (to London Bridge).

New Homes and Developments

Architecturally, Bermondsey is a rich and interesting mix of period conversions, post war and ex-council houses, luxury riverside apartments and contemporary new builds of various size and scale.

The New Concordia Wharf apartments conversion was completed in 1983. Butlers Wharf warehouse was converted into residential apartments by Conran Roche in 1989.

With spectacular orange and red scalloped windows in postmodern style. China Wharf is a post-modern warehouse style was built in 1982-83 by Piers Gough of CZWG architects (Campbell, Zogolovich, Wilkinson and Gough.).The building was given Grade II listed status in 2018.

The iconic Shard by Renzo Piano opened by London Bridge Station in 2012.

Other recent residential developments in Bermondsey:

Shad Thames

One Tower Bridge

Arc House

Alwen

Tempus Wharf

Empire Square

Bermondsey Spa

Bermondsey Heights

Bermondsey Spa

The Circle 1990

London Square Bermondsey

Lazemby Square

Luna House

345 Southwark Park Road

Biscuit Factory

Bermondsey Place

Newham’s Yard

Tempus Wharf

Dockley Apartments - 111 new homes close to Spa Terminus