Rotherhithe has been described as a “hidden gem”, and it is not difficult to see why. It combines excellent Zone 2 transport connections with a very pleasant environment for families and single professionals alike.
Transport – fast connections to the West End and City
In the rush hour, Jubilee line services run every 2 minutes and provide fast connections to Canary Wharf (2 minutes); London Bridge (4 minutes); Westminster (8 minutes). The Overground (Canada Water or Rotherhithe) provides access to the City at Shoreditch High Street in 8 minutes, from which most City locations are easily accessible by foot, cycle or bus.
Outdoor pursuits: Leisure and Nature
Russia Dock Woodlands and Stave Hill Ecological Park consist of 42 acres of woodland, ponds and streams in central Rotherhithe which bring a feel of the country to the area. Wildlife includes kingfishers, herons, parakeets, spotted woodpeckers, Goldcrest and terrapins.
Outdoor pursuits: Jogging, Walking and Cycling
The Thames Path runs through Rotherhithe, and attracts large numbers of joggers and walkers. Even on dark evenings it is busy, being well lit and with a different river view opening up at every turn, from Tower bridge to Canary Wharf.
Thames Path at night with a view of Canary Wharf
Several cycle routes run through Rotherhithe and paths also run through the woodlands.
Outdoor pursuits: Watersports
The watersports centre at Greenland Dock offers canoeing, sailing, windsurfing, kayaking and power boat tuition – both inland (Greenland Dock) and on the tidal Thames
Food and Drink
Rotherhithe has a wide choice of pubs and restaurants, and too many to mention individually, so we will pick on a few which are worth a special mention.
The famous Mayflower pub, reputed to be one of the oldest on the Thames, is located in Rotherhithe village. It was the departure pont for the Pilgrim Fathers, and is the only pub licensed to sell US & UK postage stamps http://www.mayflowerpub.co.uk/history Recently featured in “Murder in Paradise”
The trendy newly opened Leadbelly’s Bar and Kitchen located at Canada Water Plaza is getting good reviews on TripAdvisor and is already looking to be a great addition to the area
The Old Salt Quay – a modern pub with plenty character and an excellent Thames-side location with ample outdoor seating overlooking the water
Doubletree Hilton Hotel – excellent themed terrace (food and drink, often with a barbecue and music) overlooking the Thames and Canary Wharf
Canada Water Cafe – a well-regarded cafe with a mediterranean feel and outdoor seating located near the tube. The related Plough Way Cafe is also worth a look
Simplicity Restaurant – located in Rotherhithe Village – has a strong following
Cafe East – On the edge of the Leisure Park. Well regarded Vietnamese cuisine.
Moby Dick – On Greenland Dock with outdoor seating and views over the dock and sailing centre. Noted for its fish & chips
The Yellow House – winner of the Time Out Love London Award three years running
Indoor Leisure pursuits
State of the art gym facilities are available at the Surrey Docks Fitness and water sports centre, with further facilities and swimming at Canada Water.
Surrey Quays Leisure centre provides a 9 screen 2D/3D multiplex cinema, bowling and a variety of family restaurants
South Dock Marina
This is London’s largest marina, providing mooring and maintenance facilities.
“As well as providing a highly central and secure London mooring, the marina makes an excellent base for cruising the Thames and the Medway and for exploring further afield, to the east coast of England and the northern European coastline.”
Transport Challenges
Such are the attractions that there is inevitably a strong incentive to develop the area further, and a major aim of this website is to highlight the need to ensure that the infrastructure (especially transport) evolves to match the pace of development.
Massive development already in progress (Sellar, Quebec Quarter and elsewhere) will add some 1500 – 2000 (figures are difficult to pin down) new homes over the next year or two. In addition there are plans for Kings College to add 770 new student rooms. We estimate this growth will add approximately 5000 people to the local population.
Estimates of the capacity of a tube train vary, but a reasonable guess is 1000 people. So in the next year or two the new local population could fill 4 or 5 empty tube trains!
But in the rush hour they are already full and we may have the queue to get on the 4th or 5th tube or worse…