South Bank - History

History

The south bank of the River Thames was slower to develop than the north bank, alongside the City of London and the Westminster, because sunlight favours the north bank and the deep channel of the Thames was alongside it. During the Middle Ages the south bank developed as a place of entertainment outside the formal regulation of the City of London on the north bank; this included theatres, prostitution and bear-baiting. By the 18th century the more genteel entertainment of the pleasure gardens had developed. However, the shallow bank and mud flats of the south bank were ideal locations for industry and docks; and the south bank went on to develop as an industrial location in a patchwork of private ownership, with the riverside cut off from the public access.

There was a shift in use when the London County Council required a new County Hall, which was built between 1917 and 1922 on the south bank near North Lambeth. The construction of County Hall returned the first section of river frontage to public use. This was extended eastwards in 1951 when the Festival of Britain caused a considerable area to be redeveloped. The legacy of the festival was mixed, with buildings and exhibits demolished to make way for Jubilee Gardens, whilst the Royal Festival Hall and The Queen's Walk were retained as part of the Southbank Centre. During the years following the festival the arts and entertainment complex grew with additional facilities, including the Queen Elizabeth Hall, and other arts venues opened along the river such as the Royal National Theatre.