Waterloo Area Guide

Named after The Battle of Waterloo and home to Britain’s busiest railway station, Waterloo is a hub of entertainment and commerce on the south banks of The River Thames.  The area was formerly marshland and known as Lambeth Marshe, but was drained in the 18th century and is remembered in the Lower Marsh street name.
 
The architecture is a mixture of old and new, with roads such as Roupell Street Conservation area and its quaint Victorian cottages; contrasted with luxury refurbished and new build apartments.
Waterloo is an obvious choice for professionals with easy access to The City and The West End, but often an overlooked part of our capital.
 
There is never a shortage of things to do in the SE1 area; as well as being a tourist hot spot with attractions such as the London Eye, the Royal Festival Hall and the OXO Tower, there’s a lot more to Waterloo than meets the eye.

The Cut and Lower Marsh are the commercial heart of Waterloo, with an array of independent shops, restaurants and bars such as Coleman Coffee Roasters, Green Smiths and Cubana.
If you’re in to the arts along infamous road The Cut you will find Grade II listed theatre, The Old Vic and the less formal Young Vic. Running underneath the platforms and tracks of Waterloo station, is Leake Street, also known as “Graffiti Tunnel” or “Banksy Tunnel”, with ever changing graffiti art all over the walls, there is always something new to see. Within the tunnel there is also The Vaults, a maze of underground tunnels used as a platform to showcase bold new art in the form of films, paintings and performances.  
  
Throw some parkland to the mix and Waterloo has plenty to offer the local community. If you fancy forgetting you are in central London for a moment, you can pay a visit to Green Flag Award-winning Archbishop’s park, which was originally grounds of Lambeth Palace. It has a lovely playground designed by children at Evelina Children’s Hospital.
 
There are lawns, gardens, tennis courts and a football pitch. You also have the option of taking in the sights of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament on a walk along the embankment and will find more greenery at Jubilee Gardens, next to The London Eye.