Estate & Letting Agents In London Bridge

London Bridge sits on the south bank of the Thames in the London Borough of Southwark, directly opposite the City of London across the river crossing that gives the area its name. The Romans built the first crossing here, and a bridge has stood on roughly this spot for close to two thousand years, which makes London Bridge one of the oldest settled parts of London. Borough High Street, the old coaching route south out of the city, still runs through the middle of the area, and its width and the yards leading off it hint at centuries of markets, inns and traders.

Modern London Bridge grew up around its railway station, opened in 1836 as London’s first railway terminus, and around Borough Market, which has traded on the same site since medieval times. The Shard, completed in 2012, now dominates the skyline above the station and has become a marker for the whole area, along with the older tower of Southwark Cathedral just beside the market. Tower Bridge lies a short walk east along the river, though the plainer crossing at London Bridge itself carried traders and traffic for centuries before its more famous neighbour was built in 1894.

Living in London Bridge means being a short walk from the Square Mile without living inside it. Where the City of London empties out at weekends, London Bridge keeps its Georgian terraces, converted warehouses and newer riverside blocks occupied by people who commute on foot, cycle across the bridge, or take the Jubilee and Northern lines a couple of stops north.

As you’d expect from one of London’s busiest rail interchanges, London Bridge has about as many ways in and out as any part of the city.

• Car and road: Tooley Street and Borough High Street carry most local traffic, with the A100 and A3 running through the area and linking onto Tower Bridge Road towards the A2 for Kent and the A20 for the M25, roughly 40 minutes’ drive south east in normal traffic. Central London’s Congestion Charge and Ultra Low Emission Zone both cover London Bridge, so most local trips are made on foot, by bike or by public transport.
• Bus: London Bridge station forms one of south London’s busiest bus stations, with routes running north across the bridge into the City of London and south towards Peckham, Camberwell and Elephant and Castle, several running through the night for shift workers at Guy’s Hospital.
• Train: London Bridge station is a major National Rail terminus, with fast, frequent services to Gatwick Airport in around 30 minutes, Brighton in under an hour, and towns across Kent and Surrey. Southeastern and Southern both call here, alongside Thameslink services running north through the City to Blackfriars and St Pancras.

Property styles in London Bridge: Housing here splits mainly between converted Victorian warehouses turned into loft-style flats and modern riverside towers built since the 1990s. Bermondsey Street and Snowsfields still carry their original leather-trade and wharf buildings, now converted into open-plan flats with exposed brick and timber beams.

The Shard includes The Residences at The Shard, a small number of the highest-priced apartments in London. Away from the river, Trinity Street and Merrick Square keep a set of early 19th-century terraces, a lower-rise style compared with the towers near the station.

The best-regarded properties: these tend to sit on Bermondsey Street, Weston Street and around Snowsfields, where converted warehouse flats with high ceilings and original features change hands for well above the area average.

Life in London Bridge revolves around the routine of a place that empties towards the City each weekday morning and fills up again with commuters, hospital staff and weekend visitors heading for the market.

• Shopping: Borough High Street carries most of the everyday shops, chemists and small grocery stores serving the area, while the retail units beneath London Bridge station hold a Sainsbury’s Local, a Boots and several coffee chains for the daily commute. Bermondsey Street has built up a small run of independent shops selling homeware, clothing and gifts, distinct from the chain shops nearer the station.
• Eating and drinking: Borough Market has traded on this site for centuries and remains one of London’s most established food markets, with stalls selling fresh produce, cheese and street food six days a week. The Rake and The Market Porter are long-standing pubs close to the market, and Casse-Croute on Bermondsey Street is a long-running French bistro popular with locals rather than passing visitors.

London Bridge packs an unusual amount of history into a small area, from a Roman river crossing to some of London’s oldest surviving medical and religious buildings.

• The Shard – At 310 metres, this glass tower is the tallest building in the UK and has marked the skyline since it opened in 2012, with a public viewing gallery near its top.
• Southwark Cathedral – Beside Borough Market, the cathedral has stood on this site since the 12th century and holds the tomb of Shakespeare’s brother Edmund, alongside a memorial to the playwright.
• London Bridge – The current crossing dates from 1973, but a bridge has stood on this spot since Roman times, once carrying the heads displayed above its southern gatehouse.
• Guy’s Hospital – Founded in 1721 by philanthropist Thomas Guy, its original courtyard and chapel remain open to walk through, and the grounds include a statue of poet John Keats, who trained here as a surgeon.

Amazing Grace – a live music bar and restaurant inside a converted Grade II listed church near London Bridge, serving Asian-inspired dishes and crafted cocktails every night.

Bunch of Grapes – a traditional British pub tucked between the Shard and Borough Market, serving seasonal pub classics, cask ales and a popular Sunday roast.

Redwood – a premium sports pub and kitchen on the upper concourse of London Bridge Station, with UHD screens across two floors and a large sun-trap terrace.

Lantana – an original Aussie brunch, lunch and dinner spot near Borough Market, known for all-day dining, seasonal dishes and cocktails.