Shad Thames - Places of Interest

Places of Interest

As part of the regeneration of the area, designer and restaurateur Terence Conran opened a number of now well-known riverside restaurants including Pont de la Tour, the Blueprint Cafe and the Butler's Wharf Chop House. The area also includes numerous cafes, bars, shops and estate agents.

Public access to the riverside was obtained by local community activists including Maggie Blake, after whom an alley leading from Shad Thames to the riverfront, Maggie Blake's Cause, is named.

Terence Conran was also involved in founding the Design Museum near the east end of Shad Thames, which houses frequently changing exhibitions of graphic and product design, and is a fairly well known haunt of designers and tourists. As well as an interesting shop and cafe, the museum features the "Design Museum Tank", a large outdoor glass box, which contains a selection of items from the current exhibition. The museum is also used as a venue for corporate events.

The nearby Tower Bridge, Tower of London, City Hall, More London (where various cultural events take place) and riverside places of interest further west such as Borough Market, the London Dungeon, Golden Hind, Clink Street and Tate Modern mean that this once-overlooked area is now frequented by tourists. The Shard London Bridge - Europe's tallest building, under construction nearby and scheduled for completion in 2012 - is expected to increase the popularity of the locality further.