The Riverside Walk extents from
Victoria Embankment to Tower Pier on the north side of the
River Thames and is part of the Thames Path.
In 2004 the City adopted the Riverside Walk Enhancement
Strategy. The strategy offers the opportunity to create a high
quality Riverside Walk dealing with both public and private space
in a coherent manner. The main aims of the strategy are to:
- Provide accessible connections between the riverside and the
rest of the City.
- Create new and improved green spaces to enhance people’s
enjoyment of the Thames.
- Encourage the biodiversity of the City riverside.
The strategy has been developed by the City following a series
of studies undertaken to consider pedestrian activity, the public
realm and access improvements and incorporates a series of measures
that have already been implemented to improve the Riverside Walk
including:
- The introduction of new lighting along the riverfront at Three
Quays.
- The conversion of all lighting on the riverside located between
London Bridge and the Tower of London to white light sources.
- Additional white lighting to the steps leading from the
Riverside Walk under London Bridge to the bridge deck level.
- Repaving of sections of the walkway at St Magus House and
Montague House in natural stone.
- Replacement and repair of damaged benches.
- The repair and replacement of handrails and steps along the
Riverside Walk.
- The repair of planters on the walkway and cutting back of other
property owners planting.
- A new ramp to connect the Blackfriars section of the Riverside
Walk and the Embankment.
Two sections of the Riverside Walk at Sir John Lyon House and
Queens Bridge House are not yet complete but are incorporated in
the recently approved proposals for the redevelopment of Sir John
Lyon House and proposals by the City Surveyor to open up a length
of the Riverside Walk along the riverfront of Queens Bridge
House.
The completion of the Riverside Walk along the riverfront is a
key element in its enhancement as a pedestrian route and as an open
space for public amenity. Combined with the completion of the ramp
connecting the Riverside Walk at Blackfriars with the Embankment,
the completed walkway will make the journey from the Embankment to
the Tower of London a more straightforward and enjoyable experience
and increase the numbers of people using the Riverside Walk for
pleasure and as a route to and from workspaces, homes and
stations.
A number of problems have been identified on the Riverside
Walk.
Some projects to address the issues identified are already on
their way including:
- The replacement of way-finding signage as part of the City
Signage project.
- The conversion of all lighting on the riverside to white
light.
- Improvements to the crossing of Upper and Lower Thames Street
as part of the Street Scene Challenge schemes at Monument and Queen
Street.
The Strategy seeks to address the rest through three main
enhancement areas:
- The creation of a legible Riverside Walk with a vibrant
distinctive and unified character at day and night.
- The creation of universally accessible connections between the
riverside and the rest of the City.
- The creation of new and redesigned existing open areas, to
create the highest quality green spaces and other amenities for
people to stop and enjoy the Thames and encourage
biodiversity.
The improvement proposals fall into two types:
- Those that could be reasonably carried out by the City of
London would have a direct impact on the coherence of the Riverside
Walk and affect areas directly owned or managed by the City.
- Those that would be on private land and under private
management, which can be more appropriately improved through
partnership schemes, either with the relevant owner or funding
agencies, and through Section 106 agreements applied to Planning
Permissions for redevelopments adjacent to, or in the vicinity of
the Riverside Walk.
Legible Riverside Walk
The enhancements to create a legible Riverside Walk with a
vibrant distinctive character are:
Paving, surface materials and the river wall
A limited palette of high quality materials and finishes will
raise the overall quality of the Riverside Walk. York stone is the
paving material used in the City for high status areas and should
be used throughout the Riverside Walk to provide continuity.
Solid riverside wall sections will be faced in a light mid grey
granite, similar to the solid river wall along the Embankment. A
single, more nautical design of railing with a substantial hand /
leaning rail in oak will also be used for all sections of railing
along the Riverside Walk.
Seating and street furniture
New seating will be provided to increase seating along the whole
of the Riverside Walk and existing seats will be replaced with two
new types of seating, stone benches made in granite to match the
river wall and a contemporary design of oak bench with a back and
intermediate arms which complies with the City’s access guidance on
creating an accessible City.
Lighting
A lighting strategy is required to address the lack of
consistency in lighting unit design, quality, color and height of
the existing lighting. The main principles of the lighting strategy
proposed are a consistent level of white light for all parts of the
Riverside walk, use of lighting units of a constant height whether
they are mounted on freestanding columns, the river wall or
buildings, provision of festoon lighting as used on the Embankment
and South Bank as a linear lighting feature, feature lighting to
uplight trees and other features on the walkway such as public art
or memorials, and the illumination of buildings and structures of
architectural and historic interest adjacent to the Riverside
Walk.
Public conveniences and cleansing
Increasing use of the Riverside Walk following its completion,
improved access to the walkway and the redevelopment of buildings
on the riverside will create opportunities for the inclusion of
more retail and other public amenities and will increase the demand
for more facilities. This includes public conveniences and hydrants
for cleansing the walkway. Opportunities for additional public
conveniences have been identified at Paul’s Walk, under Blackfriars
access road, by Mondial House and in the area around Swan Lane and
Swan Pier.
Planting and biodiversity
The south facing aspect of the Riverside Walk makes it
particularly suitable for planting being a strong part of its
character. There are a number of opportunities for planting on the
Riverside Walk including new planted areas and garden spaces, the
incorporation of planters into the riverside wall, the use of
trellis and climbing plants on large blank areas of wall and the
inclusion of native riverside plants to attract insects and
birds.
Accessible connections
The creation of universally accessible connections between the
riverside and the rest of the City and between sections of the
walkway and adjacent areas is a vitally important aspect of making
the Riverside Walk a truly public space that is accessible to, and
caters for the needs of all sections of the City community and
visitors.
Green spaces and other amenities
Landscape proposals for the Riverside Walk seek to create
coherently designed garden spaces along the walk, which will draw
visitors to the area and provide them with beautiful spaces in
which to walk, sit or relax. There are many opportunities to
introduce high quality formal gardens on both public and private
property through the enhancement of existing spaces or the creation
of new ones.
Locations
Space under Blackfriars Bridges
There are a number of opportunities to enhance the pedestrian
environment where the Riverside Walk passes underneath the two cast
iron 19th century bridges. West of White Lion Hill the provision of
an at-grade crossing to link the Riverside Walk with Puddle Dock
would enhance the accessibility of the walkway. The areas to the
north of the Riverside Walk beneath Blackfriars road bridge and the
structure descending to Victoria Embankment provide the opportunity
for new built structures to introduce new activities and bring
vitality to the Riverside Walk.
White Lion Hill
The sloping embankment from White Lion Hill could be transformed
into a ‘green wall’ through the introduction of climbing plants on
a trellis of discrete climbing wires which follow the sweeping road
embankment. Dramatic lighting of the ‘green wall’ would be
introduced to enhance this area of the walkway at night and make
the White Lion Hill wall a dramatic feature of the Riverside Walk.
Seating would be raised on a low plinth to allow better views of
the river and the Automatic Public Toilet would be re-oriented to
face directly onto the walkway and the space to its side and rear
enclosed to prevent misuse.
Paul’s Walk
The surface treatment to Paul’s Walk follows the recommended
palette of materials of York stone paving and granite edging with
enhanced planting and lighting.
High Timber Street
Pending completion of the Riverside Walk at Sir John Lyon House,
the Riverside Walk diverts off the riverside along High Timber
Street. A proposal has been approved to improve the accessibility,
appearance and legibility of the area by allocation of more space
to pedestrians, especially those following the Riverside Walk,
between the two completed sections of Riverside Walk on either side
of Queenhithe Dock and Sir John Lyon House. The scheme will be
implemented in January 2007.
Steelyard Passage
Currently the Riverside Walk passes through Steelyard Passage,
an open arched tunnel beneath the Canon Street station platforms.
This poor pedestrian route will be enhanced through a well designed
scheme with improved lighting and policing of illegal parking. The
scheme will be implemented in autumn 2006.
Cannon Street Station
An alternative solution which would avoid diverting pedestrians
away from the riverside would be to create a new Riverside Walk to
link Cousin Lane and Allhallows Lane by building out into the river
beneath Cannon Street rail bridge subject to necessary planning,
Port of London and Environmental Agency approval and consideration
of the proposed pedestrian bridge that is to be attached to the
rail bridge across the Thames.
London Bridge and the Riverside
A new staircase has been approved on the east side of London
Bridge that visibly links the bridge to the Riverside Walk and
creates a very legible and open route between them. The landings on
the staircase can be used as viewing platforms and the top-rail of
the balustrade will incorporate interpretative material relating to
the original location of London Bridge which is further to the east
of the existing bridge.
St Magnus the Martyr and Magnus House
The open areas (both public and private) outside of St Magnus
the Martyr and Magnus House have the potential to develop into a
thriving meeting place. It requires a more cohesive landscape
treatment to create a unified whole and produce a single high
quality public space of some considerable impact on the
riverside.
Billingsgate Market
The paved area in front of Billingsgate Market lends itself to
the creation of a garden space in keeping with the Baroque style of
the building and its Grade II* listed building status. A series of
parterre or knot gardens in front of the market, in a manner that
reinforces the symmetry of the building’s façade, would prevent
vehicular use of the area. The extension of the terrace steps and
ramps towards the river would allow the garden to be raised up to
provide better views of the river.
If you require any further information on these proposals please
contact either Melanie Charalambous on 020 7332 3155 or Joost
Bergers on 020 7332 3634.