View from my building's roof. The Tower of London is in the foreground, and Tower Bridge in the background.
My building, 12 Trinity Square, viewed from Trinity Square Gardens. 12 Trinity Square is on the left, and Ten Trinity Square, with the sculpted momument on top, is on the right.
Aerial view of my neighborhood. Tower Bridge is on the upper right, the Tower of London is in the center, and my building is in the foreground, on the lower right corner of the photo.
Front of my building.
Side and rear of my building, looking from Trinity Square down Muscovy Street. The entrance to the building is in the middle.
Front door of 12 Trinity Square.
Entryway/common area of 12 Trinity Square. This is the view immediately after entering the building. A huge mirror is to your left (and behind the photograph) and the elevator/lift is to your front (to the left of the photograph).
Downstairs living room/lounge. The downstairs living space is "open plan", which means that the kitchen is a part of the same space, and is behind the photographer. The spiral stairs lead to the sleeping and sitting area and bathroom upstairs. The video/entryphone is visible on the wall over the sofa.
The kitchen. The living room is behind and to the left of the photographer. You can just see the full sized refrigerator and freezer on the extreme left of this frame. You can also see the space-saver microwave, the knife block, toaster and coffee/tea pot, as well as the clothing washer /dryer (immediately to the right of the kitchen sink), and the full sized oven and hob/stove top. The kitchen has everything except a dishwasher, and I imagine that you can handle doing your own dishes for a few days!
Upstairs sleeping area and sitting area. The bathroom is behind the photographer.
Looking from the bed across the upstairs sitting area to the bathroom entryway. The top of the spiral staircase is on the left.
View of Ten Trinity Square, my next door neighbor, from one of the upstairs windows of Trinity Square Flat.
Entryway to the bathroom.
Inside the bathroom, looking at the basin, heated towel warmer and shelves. The toilet and shower are behind the photographer.
The shower. Due to space limitations, the bathroom does not have a bath tub, but the shower is nice and big!
Looking down the spiral staircase.
View of Tower Bridge from the roof of my building. This photo was taken by Marie Bush, a recent guest, whose other family members have also stayed at the flat in recent months.
Another photo taken by Marie Bush from my roof, this time focusing on the Tower of London, which is in the foreground. Tower Bridge can be seen in the background on the left. St Katherine's Docks Marina is not visible, but is located on the other side of the Tower of London.
Another photo by Marie Bush. Tower Bridge and the southwestern edge of the Tower of London are visible on the left. In the middle is the River Thames, and on the opposite (south) bank are the offices of the Lord Mayor of London (housed in the round, glass buildling).
My building viewed from the edge of Trinity Square Gardens. Chez Gerard French restaurant is visible on the right, with the blue awnings. Liberty Bounds/Wetherspoons pub is on the left.
Inside Chez Gerard French restaurant, on the ground floor of my building.
Liberty Bounds/Wetherspoons pub, on the ground floor of my building. I recommend their rack of lamb!
30 feet from my building, on the western edge of Trinity Square Gardens, this square marks the location at which many of the execution of prisoners held at the Tower of London took place, possibly including William Wallace, of Braveheart fame!
World War II merchant marine memorial in Trinity Square Gardens.
The Tower of London viewed from Trinity Square Gardens on a stereo-typically foggy London day.
Entrance to the Tower of London, as viewed from my building's roof. To view the official website for the Tower of London right click and choose to open in a new tab or window: www.hrp.org.uk/toweroflondon/
To experience a part of the Tower of London tour virtually, right click on the following link, which puts you in the middle of the "Gundpowder Treason" exhibition in the Tower, which has to do with the nearly-successful plot to blow up Parliament early in the reign of James I. The annual celebration of the foiling of this plot takes place in early November each year and is known as "Guy Fawkes day" - after the name of the chief plotter. http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/panoramas/gunpowder_exhibition_360.shtml
Ice skating in the winter-time on the grounds of the Tower of London.
Ten Trinity Square, my next door neighbor. The British Royal Crown own the land in front of 10 Trinity Square - it was acquired hundreds of years ago to form part of a defensive strip around the Tower of London. The Port of London Authority, which regulated all of the trade that entered the Port of London, leased this land from the Crown and built its headquarters, Ten Trinity Square, here in beginning 1912. The building was dedicated by Prime Minister David Lloyd George on 27 October 1922. The sculptings at the top of the building face in four directions and represent Commerce, Navigation, Exportation, and Produce, plus the symbol of the river, Father Thames.
The lease has now been purchased by Thomas Enterprises, a US developer, for £105 million, and is currently being converted into a 5 star hotel. The developer is expected to spend a reported £150m to convert the property into a hotel with 121 hotel rooms and 30 apartments. The most expensive accommodation this hotel will offer is reported to be in the region of £23,000 per night.
One of the many sculpted figures outside of Ten Trinity Square. The seafaring theme of these figures proclaims the original purpose of the building as the London Port Authority.
All Hallows by the Tower, across the street, viewed from the building's roof at night. This photo was taken by the owner. Tours of this historic church are offered free of charge during the week and the Sunday services are wonderful. See below for a fuller description.
Steeple of All Hallows by the Tower. In the background you can see the London Eye on the right and Parliament on the left in the distance.
Grounds of All Hallows by the Tower, a church across the street that dates from the 6th century AD, being founded by the Saxon Abbey of Barking. It has seen the reigns of the great Saxon kings, the Normal conquest of William the Conqueror, the reigns of the Tudors, the Stuarts, the Hanoverians, etc, and has survived the Nazi Blitz of 1940. All Hallows is one of the most over-looked places to visit in London, despite the fact that it ranks behind only St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster in terms of historical importance. The church's proximity to the Tower of London has had positive and negative implications. Positively, it has given the chuch a relationship with English royals for nearly 1,000 years. It was also, however, the place where the headless bodies of executed Tower prisoners were taken after execution. There is also a link to the history of the Crusades - the stone alter inside is said to have been brought back to London by 12th century Crusaders who took it from Castle Athlit in Palestine. Underneath the church lies floor tiles from a Roman home that was built on this site 1,800 years ago.
The church has also been the scene of events with import for American history. William Penn, founder of the American state of Pennsylvania, was baptized here as an infant in 1644 - his father, also William Penn, was an Admiral in the Royal Navy and a member of the parish. The church iis reputed to have been saved from the Great London Fire of 1666, 22 years later, by Admiral Penn, who demolished adjacent buildings to create a fire break.
A little over 130 years later, John Quincy Adams, the dashing son of America's second president and a man who would become America's sixth president, was married here in 1797, just after his father succeeded George Washington to the presidency.
Nave of All Hallows, looking east toward the Tower of London.
Nave of All Hallows, looking toward the north aisle, which has the 14th century wall that survived the Nazi bombing in 1940.
Pulpit of All Hallows. The giant shell over the pulpit bespeaks the seafaring character of the parish, which took in the Port of London Authority, the docks that took in much of the trade of the British Empire, and counted among its membership seafaring merchants and officers of the Royal Navy, including Admiral William Penn.
To go the All Hallows' official website, right click and choose to open a new tab or window: www.allhallowsbythetower.org.uk
Seething Lane Gardens in April. These gardens are just outside the door to my building, across Muscovy Street and west about 100 feet. This garden is the site of the former Royal Navy office at which the famous 17th century diarist, Member of Parliament and Chief Secretary of the Royal Navy, Samuel Pepys, worked, undertaking his reforms that were to professionalize the Royal Navy.
Inside Seething Lane Gardens. Pepys, who is memorialized in this garden, is perhaps best known today for his diaries, which chronicled the Plague of 1665, the Great London Fire of 1666, which he watched from the steeple of All Hallows by the Tower, and many other important historical events.
Just 100 feet or so further up Seething Lane from the Gardens is St Olave's church, which was built by Sir Christopher Wren, the designer of the current incarnation of St. Paul's Cathedral, as well as around 50 other London churches due to the fact that so much of London needed to be rebuilt following the Great London Fire of 1666.
Entrance to St Olave's church. This design is from prior to the Great London Fire - the inscription reads 1658.
Tower Hill tube station with the Tower of London in the background. Trinity Square Gardens in to the right of the photographer, which is west, and my building 100 yards away on the other side of the park. The best way to get to Tower Bridge and St Katherine's Docks Marina is to continue past the entryway to the underground station and walk down the steps that you can see beyond the entryway underneath the roadway (which is Great Tower Street) to the edge of the Tower of London grounds, then turn left (east) onto a walkway that leads you along the north edge of the Tower's grounds.
Walkway leading along the north edge of the grounds of the Tower of London. This is the best route to take from my flat (which is straight ahead of you in this photo) to Tower Bridge and St Katherine's Docks Marina. This photo looks towards the Tower Hill Tube station and my flat. Behind the photographer is Tower Bridge and the marina. It will take you about 3 minutes from my flat to the bridge and 5 minutes to the marina.
Tower Bridge: A three minute walk east of the flat.
To view Tower Bridge's official website, right click and choose to open in a new tab or window: www.towerbridge.org.uk
St Katherine's Docks Marina, about a 5-6 minute walk east of the flat, just east of Tower Bridge. Tower Bridge can be seen in the background of this photo, in the middle in the gap between the buildings.
The Dickens Inn in the middle of the marina - great food at reasonable prices and incredible views! Legend has it that pirates were hung from the rafters of this Inn in times past.
The Dickens Inn, phone booth and Royal Mail drop box, in St Katherine's Docks Marina.
One of the most unique Starbucks in the world - right in the middle of the marina and 1/4 mile from Tower Bridge. The 2nd floor lounge, in particular, has great views.
Drawbridge leading into and out of the marina and the River Thames. The south end of Tower Bridge can be seen in the right background. Immediately across the river is "Shad Thames", a very nice area with lots of restaurants, coffee houses and shops.
This is about 80 yards west of the opening from the marina to the Thames that you see in the photo above. You're looking at the northeast corner of Tower Bridge. The cobblestone street leads to your left, under the Bridge, to the Tower of London - this is where the few vehicles that are allowed into the Tower enter the property. Directly behind you is the River Thames. To get across the river, to the south bank, walk up the stairs that you see in front of you, turn left (south) and cross the bridge.
The first area you'll get to after you cross the bridge will be Shad Thames, to your left. (See below.)
A view of Shad Thames, which is the name of both the street pictured here and a large area of streets and interconnect a network of former wharves that used to house much of the trade that came into the Port of London during the days of the British Empire (all of which was governed from Ten Trinity Square, the former Port of London Authority building next to Trinity Square Flat). Today, it has become the scene of a bustling series of wonderful shops, restaurants, pubs, etc., including some right on the south bank of the Thames River (which is a block or so to the left of the photographer in this photo) that provide great views the river, and Tower Bridge and the Tower of London on the opposite bank. To get here from the flat, just walk three minutes east to Tower Bridge, cross the bridge to the south bank of the Thames, and turn left just past the south end of the bridge into the Shad Thames neighborhood.
The name "Shad Thames" may be a corruption of "St Johns at Thames", which was a reference to St John's Church, which once stood in the area. The streets are partially cobbled, as you can see in this photo, complimenting the characterful brickwork of its buildings - mostly former warehouses. Completed in 1873, the warehouses housed huge quantities of tea, coffee, spices, and other commodities, which were loaded and unloaded onto and off of riverboats and ships. The converted warehouses retain their original characteristic features of brickwork, winches, large sign-writing and so on, and most are named after the commodities which were originally stored in them — Vanilla & Sesame Court, Cayenne Court, Wheat Wharf, Tea Trade Wharf, with further buildings named after cinnamon, cardamom, fennel, caraway, ginger, cumin, tamarind, clove, anise and coriander. It is said that a century of spices had infused into the brickwork, so after they were converted into flats the first residents of each building could still detect the scent after which it was named.
The street Shad Thames was first seen on John Rocque's 1747 map of London. In the early 19th century, Charles Dickens set portions of his novel Oliver Twist in an area at the east of Shad Thames which was then called Jacob's Island. Long after the days of empire had ended and most shipping was brought into the UK from coastal ports rather than on the Thames River in London, during the 1980s and 1990s the former warehouses were converted into expensive flats with many restaurants, shops and bars on the ground floors of the various buildings, giving the area its current character. Perhaps the most striking feature of Shad Thames are the walkways which criss-cross high above your head as you walk along the street. These cross between the Butlers Wharf building and the Cardamom Building, and were originally used to roll barrels and the like between warehouses. Nowadays these belong to the flats to which they are attached, and are used as balconies, the flat at each end of a walkway owning half of it.
Shad Thames today is also known for its artistic character, as the area also houses architectural firms, small art galleries, and wineries. Due to its characterful buildings, cobbled streets, riverside views and proximity to landmarks such as Tower Bridge, Shad Thames has also been used as a location for many other films, including: The Elephant Man (1980); The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981); A Fish Called Wanda (1988); The World is Not Enough (1999) – in whose opening scenes, James Bond's speedboat passes New Concordia Wharf and traverses the length of St Saviour's Dock; Bridgete Jones Diary (2001); and many others.
To get a feel of what standing on the cobblestone streets of Shad Thames is like, right click on the following link and choose to open a new tab or a new window. Java must be enabled.
The Lord Mayor of London's offices, just across the River Thames from the flat. This is the view just west of the south end of Tower Bridge, on the south bank of the Thames facing west. The riverwalk that you see here extends east past a large number of restaurants, shops and pubs in Shad Thames, and west all the way to Westminster Bridge, which leads back across the river to Parliament and Big Ben.
The HMS Belfast, with Tower Bridge in the background, and Hay's Galleria (shown in the next photos) on the extreme right. The HMS Belfast is an ex-Royal Navy Town Class Cruiser, now operated as a museum ship by the Imperial War Museum. She was commissioned in 1938 by Anne Chamberlain, the wife of then British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, and saw extensive action during the Second World War. In order to get here from Shad Thames, just walk west along the south bank of the Thames River approximately 3-5 minutes. To see the HMS Belfast's official website, right click and choose to open in a new tab or window: http://hmsbelfast.iwm.org.uk/
Just west of the Belfast, is Hay's Galleria (the brick building), which you see here together with the London Bridge City Pier, viewed from London Bridge. These buildings are directly across the Thames River from the flat, located on the south bank of the Thames about halfway between Tower Bridge and London Bridge. See more of Hay's Galleria below.
Interior of Haye's Galleria. Hay’s Galleria is a conversion of one of London’s most famous wharfs, built in the 1850s to take in trade from the British Empire. Located halfway between Tower Bridge and London Bridge, and near the HMS Belfast and the Design Museum, the Galleria is an ideal setting to take in London whatever the weather, thanks to the covered atrium.
This street, just a 3 minute walk from the flat, is famous for many reasons, including the fact that it was the place where glass windows were first manufactured in England in 1557. Crutched Friars was a recognized place in London as early as 1039 – nearly 30 years before William the Conqueror. Uncertainty surrounds its name, but it is likely named for an Order of friars from the 13th century were called Crossed Friars due to their carrying of iron crosses, or Crucis, which became corrupted to be “Crutched” friars. These friars had a monastary in the area. Today, it is home to a pub of the same name, well known for its wonderful ale. Spices brought into the British Empire were stored in this area in the 18th century whoth and 19thcenturies and the smell is said to still permeate the brick.
Minster Court, 100 yards or so west of the flat. This is one of the many examples of modern architecture that mix with the older buildings in the area, making an interesting blend of old and new.
Fenchurch Street railway station, a 5 minute walk north of the flat. From this station, trains can be taken almost anywhere in southern England.
The last remaining exchange in London where traders shout it out! The
origins of the London Metal Exchange can be traced as far back as the
opening of the Royal Exchange in 1571. Established for over 130 years, the London Metal
Exchange is the world's premier non-ferrous metals market. Traders
exchange futures and options contracts for aluminium, copper, tin,
nickel, zinc and lead plus two regional aluminium alloy contracts. It is located another 2 minute walk north of the Fenchurch Street railway station, or 7 minutes north of the flat.
Leadenhall Market is a restored Victorian covered market that sells traditional game, poultry, fish & meat. Although there has been a forum (market place) since the first century, AD, on the site on which Leadenhall Market now stands, the current wrought iron & glass building was designed in 1881. It is close to the Lloyds of London building & the Bank of England. Its open M-F 7am to 4pm, & is found on Whittington Avenue, off of Gracechurch Street. It is a 6 minute walk northwest of the flat.
The Bank of England, a 10-12 minute walk northwest of the flat.
Inside The Royal Exchange. At the centre of its elegant covered courtyard is the stylish Grand Café and Bar.
The Royal Exchange, a high-end shopping arcade in the City since 1565 & reopened in 2001, runs between Threadneedle & Cornhill streets, near the Bank of England. Today this elegant building is home to some of the most well known luxury brand names in the world: Tiffany & Co., Hermes, Theo Fennell, Montblanc, Paul Smith, De Beers and many more. A 10-12 minute walk northwest of the flat.
The street sign for the famous Pudding Lane, a 6 minute walk west of the flat, near the Monument (see below) and the north end of London Bridge. Pudding Lane is known for being the site at which the Great London Fire of 1666 began on the night of 2 September in the bakery of Thomas Farynor. Over the next three days the fire destroyed over 13,000 homes, leaving more than 80% of London's people homeless. It also destroyed 87 parish churches, St Paul's Cathedral and most of the City of London's government buildings. The destruction of churches caused by the fire is the biggest reason why the famous architect, Sir Christopher Wren, who was tasked by Charles II with helping to oversee the rebuilding of London, is responsible for the design of 50-some churches in London that can be visited today. A parishioner of All Hallows by the Tower, William Penn's father, Admiral Penn, helped to end the fire by creating firebreaks by destroying buildings around All Hallows. The Tower of London also played a significant role as the beefeaters used the gunpowder stored at the Tower to create firebreaks, as well.
The Monument to the Great London Fire of 1666, a 6 minute walk west of the flat at the intersection of Monument Street and Fish Street Hill, and near Pudding Lane and the northern end of London Bridge (which is where the photographer is standing to get this shot). The Monument, designed by Sir Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke, is a Roman Doric column, 202 feet high, built between 1671 and 1677, and is the tallest isolated stone column in the world. The height of the column was chosen to match the distance from its base to the location of Thomas Farynor's bakery, within which the fire started on Pudding Lane. Tours of the Monument can be taken, and the view of central London from the top is magnificent (see below). The Monument was built not just for historical purposes, but also for scientific ones. It has a central shaft meant for use as a zenith telescope and for use in gravity and pendulum experiments that connects to an underground laboratory for observers to work (accessible from the present-day ticket booth). A hinged lid in the urn covers the opening to the shaft. The steps in the shaft of the tower are all six inches high, allowing them to be used for barometric pressure studies.
The 311 steps that take you 202 feet to the top of The Monument.
The observation platform (which is caged to prevent accidents) on top of the Monument.
Panaramic view of London from the top of the Monument.
Fishmonger Hall, at the north end of London Bridge, 150 yards west of The Monument and a 7 minute walk west of the flat. The opulence of the Hall reflects the political power held by "fishmongers", those who sold fish and seafood, in London for hundreds of years. The current Hall is the third to sit on this site, and was built in early 1830s.
London Bridge, looking from the north bank of the River Thames, to the south bank. Southwark Cathedral can be seen in the background. The current bridge is not nearly as beautiful a structure as the London Bridge of Victorian times.
Southwark Cathedral, at the south end of London Bridge. This is probably a 10-12 minute walk from the flat - 6 or 7 minutes west to London Bridge, then across the bridge to the south bank of the Thames River. The earliest reference to the site was in the Domesday Book survey of 1086, wherein the "minster" of Southwark seems to be under the control of Bishop Odo of Bayeux, William the Conqueror'shalf-brother. Cathedral authorities assert that a convent was founded on the site in 606, but there is no hard historical proof of this. In 1106, the reign of Henry I, the church became an Augustinian Priory: Norman stonework can still be seen in the church. In 1170, Thomas Becket preached here before departing to Canterbury, days before his murder.
The main structure of the present church was built between 1220 and 1420, making it the first Gothic church in London.
Southwark Cathedral has a rich history of famous events and associations: During the reign of Mary Tudor, several Protestants were condemned to death here. William Shakespeare buried his brother, Edmund, in the church in 1607. The English dramatists John Fletcher and Philip Massinger are buried here, as well, as is Lancelot Andrews, one of the keys translators/authors of the King James Authorized Version of the Judeo-Christian scriptures. John Harvard, from whom Harvard University takes its name, was baptized here as an infant.
Geoffrey Chaucer worshiped here in the 14th century. The north aisle, to the left in this photo, contains the burial memorial of John Gower (d. 1408). Gower was the first English poet, court poet to Richard II and Henry IV and a close friend of Geoffrey Chaucer. In 1614, the church parishioners, tired of paying rent for the church to King James I, banded together and bought the church from him.
A cheesemonger (seller of cheese) at the Borough Market, which is open on Saturday mornings. The Borough Market is just 100 feet or so south of Southwark Cathedral, just past the south end of London Bridge, and is definitely worth visiting if you're in town on a Saturday morning. The Market is about a 15 minute walk from the flat. It is 2,000 years old, probably the longest continuously running market in the UK (although Leadenhall Market may dispute this claim), as it stood in previous centuries at the only entrance to London from south of the Thames, London Bridge, therefore being the perfect place to sell wares to travelers to London. It has been on its current sites since the 1750s. You can find everything in the market from wonderful, organic cheeses, like those above, to ostrich steaks, to wild, hanging boar and wild venison, to microbrews from around the world, to rare wines, fresh flowers, etc.
The schedule for the Borough Market is:
Wholesale Fruit Market: Mon-Fri, 4am-8am; Farmer's Market: noon to 5pm Fridays; Full Market: 8am to 4pm Saturdays.
Fresh seafood at the Borough Market.
Fish heads at the Borough Market.
Fresh, organic fruit and veggies at the Borough Market.
A three minute walk west of the Borough Market will bring you to an exact replica of the Golden Hinde, the ship with which Sir Frances Drake, the privateer for Queen Elizabeth I, cirumnavigated the globe from 1577-1580. This ship, too, circumnavigated the globe, and was used in Japan in the late 1970s to film the television miniseries "Shogun" with Richard Chamberlain, which was based on James Michener's novel of the same name.
Tours of the ship are definitely worthwhile. Adults are £3.50, children are £2.50, and a family pass is £10.
The Golden Hinde from the stern.
Sailor re-enactors on the Golden Hinde. Re-enactments take place at fairly regular intervals.
A very genuine looking re-enactor on the Golden Hinde.
A tour of the Golden Hinde in progress. Kids will love the tours, but they are interesting to adults, as well.
Moving back across London Bridge to the north bank of the Thames, and continuing west from the north end of London Bridge, another 8 minutes or so walking will bring you to St Paul's Cathedral. As mentioned, this incarnation of St. Paul's was designed by Sir Christopher Wren to replace the structre that was destroyed by the Great London Fire of 1666, and is the fifth structure to stand on this site. St Paul's is, along with Westminster, the most historically significant house of worship in London.
Millenium Bridge, a pedestriann bridge that leads across the River Thames from St Paul's Cathedral, on the north bank, to the Tate Modern Museum and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre on the south bank. The bridge is so named because it was built for the year 2000 Millenium celebrations.
Millenium Bridge can be seen in the foreground on the left leading across the Thames to the Tate Modern Museum, Britain's museum of international modern art. The gallery was opened in 2000 in the site of the former Bankside Power Station, which explains its outward appearance - not very artistic. The power station closed in 1981. The museum is in the midst of building an extension to be completed in time for the 2012 London Olympics.
Aerial view of my neighborhood. Tower Bridge is on the upper right, the Tower of London is in the center, and my building is in the foreground, on the lower right corner of the photo.
Downstairs living room/lounge. The downstairs living space is "open plan", which means that the kitchen is a part of the same space, and is behind the photographer. The spiral stairs lead to the sleeping and sitting area and bathroom upstairs. The video/entryphone is visible on the wall over the sofa. 
The kitchen. The living room is behind and to the left of the photographer. You can just see the full sized refrigerator and freezer on the extreme left of this frame. You can also see the space-saver microwave, the knife block, toaster and coffee/tea pot, as well as the clothing washer /dryer (immediately to the right of the kitchen sink), and the full sized oven and hob/stove top. The kitchen has everything except a dishwasher, and I imagine that you can handle doing your own dishes for a few days!
The shower. Due to space limitations, the bathroom does not have a bath tub, but the shower is nice and big!
Looking down the spiral staircase. 
View of Tower Bridge from the roof of my building. This photo was taken by Marie Bush, a recent guest, whose other family members have also stayed at the flat in recent months. 
Another photo taken by Marie Bush from my roof, this time focusing on the Tower of London, which is in the foreground. Tower Bridge can be seen in the background on the left. St Katherine's Docks Marina is not visible, but is located on the other side of the Tower of London.
Another photo by Marie Bush. Tower Bridge and the southwestern edge of the Tower of London are visible on the left. In the middle is the River Thames, and on the opposite (south) bank are the offices of the Lord Mayor of London (housed in the round, glass buildling). 
30 feet from my building, on the western edge of Trinity Square Gardens, this square marks the location at which many of the execution of prisoners held at the Tower of London took place, possibly including William Wallace, of Braveheart fame!
World War II merchant marine memorial in Trinity Square Gardens. 
Ice skating in the winter-time on the grounds of the Tower of London. 
One of the many sculpted figures outside of Ten Trinity Square. The seafaring theme of these figures proclaims the original purpose of the building as the London Port Authority. 
All Hallows by the Tower, across the street, viewed from the building's roof at night. This photo was taken by the owner. Tours of this historic church are offered free of charge during the week and the Sunday services are wonderful. See below for a fuller description.
Steeple of All Hallows by the Tower. In the background you can see the London Eye on the right and Parliament on the left in the distance.
Grounds of All Hallows by the Tower, a church across the street that dates from the 6th century AD, being founded by the Saxon Abbey of Barking. It has seen the reigns of the great Saxon kings, the Normal conquest of William the Conqueror, the reigns of the Tudors, the Stuarts, the Hanoverians, etc, and has survived the Nazi Blitz of 1940. All Hallows is one of the most over-looked places to visit in London, despite the fact that it ranks behind only St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster in terms of historical importance. The church's proximity to the Tower of London has had positive and negative implications. Positively, it has given the chuch a relationship with English royals for nearly 1,000 years. It was also, however, the place where the headless bodies of executed Tower prisoners were taken after execution. There is also a link to the history of the Crusades - the stone alter inside is said to have been brought back to London by 12th century Crusaders who took it from Castle Athlit in Palestine. Underneath the church lies floor tiles from a Roman home that was built on this site 1,800 years ago. 
Nave of All Hallows, looking toward the north aisle, which has the 14th century wall that survived the Nazi bombing in 1940.
Inside Seething Lane Gardens. Pepys, who is memorialized in this garden, is perhaps best known today for his diaries, which chronicled the Plague of 1665, the Great London Fire of 1666, which he watched from the steeple of All Hallows by the Tower, and many other important historical events. 
Entrance to St Olave's church. This design is from prior to the Great London Fire - the inscription reads 1658. 
Tower Hill tube station with the Tower of London in the background. Trinity Square Gardens in to the right of the photographer, which is west, and my building 100 yards away on the other side of the park. The best way to get to Tower Bridge and St Katherine's Docks Marina is to continue past the entryway to the underground station and walk down the steps that you can see beyond the entryway underneath the roadway (which is Great Tower Street) to the edge of the Tower of London grounds, then turn left (east) onto a walkway that leads you along the north edge of the Tower's grounds. 
Walkway leading along the north edge of the grounds of the Tower of London. This is the best route to take from my flat (which is straight ahead of you in this photo) to Tower Bridge and St Katherine's Docks Marina. This photo looks towards the Tower Hill Tube station and my flat. Behind the photographer is Tower Bridge and the marina. It will take you about 3 minutes from my flat to the bridge and 5 minutes to the marina. 
Tower Bridge: A three minute walk east of the flat. 
St Katherine's Docks Marina, about a 5-6 minute walk east of the flat, just east of Tower Bridge. Tower Bridge can be seen in the background of this photo, in the middle in the gap between the buildings. 
This is about 80 yards west of the opening from the marina to the Thames that you see in the photo above. You're looking at the northeast corner of Tower Bridge. The cobblestone street leads to your left, under the Bridge, to the Tower of London - this is where the few vehicles that are allowed into the Tower enter the property. Directly behind you is the River Thames. To get across the river, to the south bank, walk up the stairs that you see in front of you, turn left (south) and cross the bridge. 
A view of Shad Thames, which is the name of both the street pictured here and a large area of streets and interconnect a network of former wharves that used to house much of the trade that came into the Port of London during the days of the British Empire (all of which was governed from Ten Trinity Square, the former Port of London Authority building next to Trinity Square Flat). Today, it has become the scene of a bustling series of wonderful shops, restaurants, pubs, etc., including some right on the south bank of the Thames River (which is a block or so to the left of the photographer in this photo) that provide great views the river, and Tower Bridge and the Tower of London on the opposite bank. To get here from the flat, just walk three minutes east to Tower Bridge, cross the bridge to the south bank of the Thames, and turn left just past the south end of the bridge into the Shad Thames neighborhood.
The Lord Mayor of London's offices, just across the River Thames from the flat. This is the view just west of the south end of Tower Bridge, on the south bank of the Thames facing west. The riverwalk that you see here extends east past a large number of restaurants, shops and pubs in Shad Thames, and west all the way to Westminster Bridge, which leads back across the river to Parliament and Big Ben.
The HMS Belfast, with Tower Bridge in the background, and Hay's Galleria (shown in the next photos) on the extreme right. The HMS Belfast is an ex-Royal Navy Town Class Cruiser, now operated as a museum ship by the Imperial War Museum. She was commissioned in 1938 by Anne Chamberlain, the wife of then British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, and saw extensive action during the Second World War. In order to get here from Shad Thames, just walk west along the south bank of the Thames River approximately 3-5 minutes. To see the HMS Belfast's official website, right click and choose to open in a new tab or window: 
Just west of the Belfast, is Hay's Galleria (the brick building), which you see here together with the London Bridge City Pier, viewed from London Bridge. These buildings are directly across the Thames River from the flat, located on the south bank of the Thames about halfway between Tower Bridge and London Bridge. See more of Hay's Galleria below. 
Interior of Haye's Galleria. Hay’s Galleria is a conversion of one of London’s most famous wharfs, built in the 1850s to take in trade from the British Empire. Located halfway between Tower Bridge and London Bridge, and near the HMS Belfast and the Design Museum, the Galleria is an ideal setting to take in London whatever the weather, thanks to the covered atrium.
Minster Court, 100 yards or so west of the flat. This is one of the many examples of modern architecture that mix with the older buildings in the area, making an interesting blend of old and new. 
Fenchurch Street railway station, a 5 minute walk north of the flat. From this station, trains can be taken almost anywhere in southern England.
The last remaining exchange in London where traders shout it out! The
origins of the London Metal Exchange can be traced as far back as the
opening of the Royal Exchange in 1571. Established for over 130 years, the London Metal
Exchange is the world's premier non-ferrous metals market. Traders
exchange futures and options contracts for aluminium, copper, tin,
nickel, zinc and lead plus two regional aluminium alloy contracts. It is located another 2 minute walk north of the Fenchurch Street railway station, or 7 minutes north of the flat. 
Leadenhall Market is a restored Victorian covered market that sells traditional game, poultry, fish & meat. Although there has been a forum (market place) since the first century, AD, on the site on which Leadenhall Market now stands, the current wrought iron & glass building was designed in 1881. It is close to the Lloyds of London building & the Bank of England. Its open M-F 7am to 4pm, & is found on Whittington Avenue, off of Gracechurch Street. It is a 6 minute walk northwest of the flat.
The Bank of England, a 10-12 minute walk northwest of the flat. 
Inside The Royal Exchange. At the centre of its elegant covered courtyard is the stylish Grand Café and Bar. 
The Royal Exchange, a high-end shopping arcade in the City since 1565 & reopened in 2001, runs between Threadneedle & Cornhill streets, near the Bank of England. Today this elegant building is home to some of the most well known luxury brand names in the world: Tiffany & Co., Hermes, Theo Fennell, Montblanc, Paul Smith, De Beers and many more. A 10-12 minute walk northwest of the flat. 
The street sign for the famous Pudding Lane, a 6 minute walk west of the flat, near the Monument (see below) and the north end of London Bridge. Pudding Lane is known for being the site at which the Great London Fire of 1666 began on the night of 2 September in the bakery of Thomas Farynor. Over the next three days the fire destroyed over 13,000 homes, leaving more than 80% of London's people homeless. It also destroyed 87 parish churches, St Paul's Cathedral and most of the City of London's government buildings. The destruction of churches caused by the fire is the biggest reason why the famous architect, Sir Christopher Wren, who was tasked by Charles II with helping to oversee the rebuilding of London, is responsible for the design of 50-some churches in London that can be visited today. A parishioner of All Hallows by the Tower, William Penn's father, Admiral Penn, helped to end the fire by creating firebreaks by destroying buildings around All Hallows. The Tower of London also played a significant role as the beefeaters used the gunpowder stored at the Tower to create firebreaks, as well. 
The Monument to the Great London Fire of 1666, a 6 minute walk west of the flat at the intersection of Monument Street and Fish Street Hill, and near Pudding Lane and the northern end of London Bridge (which is where the photographer is standing to get this shot). The Monument, designed by Sir Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke, is a Roman Doric column, 202 feet high, built between 1671 and 1677, and is the tallest isolated stone column in the world. The height of the column was chosen to match the distance from its base to the location of Thomas Farynor's bakery, within which the fire started on Pudding Lane. Tours of the Monument can be taken, and the view of central London from the top is magnificent (see below). The Monument was built not just for historical purposes, but also for scientific ones. It has a central shaft meant for use as a zenith telescope 
The 311 steps that take you 202 feet to the top of The Monument.
The observation platform (which is caged to prevent accidents) on top of the Monument. 
Panaramic view of London from the top of the Monument. 
Fishmonger Hall, at the north end of London Bridge, 150 yards west of The Monument and a 7 minute walk west of the flat. The opulence of the Hall reflects the political power held by "fishmongers", those who sold fish and seafood, in London for hundreds of years. The current Hall is the third to sit on this site, and was built in early 1830s. 
London Bridge, looking from the north bank of the River Thames, to the south bank. Southwark Cathedral can be seen in the background. The current bridge is not nearly as beautiful a structure as the London Bridge of Victorian times.
Southwark Cathedral, at the south end of London Bridge. This is probably a 10-12 minute walk from the flat - 6 or 7 minutes west to London Bridge, then across the bridge to the south bank of the Thames River. The earliest reference to the site was in the Domesday Book 
Southwark Cathedral has a rich history of famous events and associations: During the reign of Mary Tudor, several Protestants were condemned to death here. William Shakespeare buried his brother, Edmund, in the church in 1607. The English dramatists John Fletcher and Philip Massinger are buried here, as well, as is Lancelot Andrews, one of the keys translators/authors of the King James Authorized Version of the Judeo-Christian scriptures. John Harvard, from whom Harvard University takes its name, was baptized here as an infant. 
A cheesemonger (seller of cheese) at the Borough Market, which is open on Saturday mornings. The Borough Market is just 100 feet or so south of Southwark Cathedral, just past the south end of London Bridge, and is definitely worth visiting if you're in town on a Saturday morning. The Market is about a 15 minute walk from the flat. It is 2,000 years old, probably the longest continuously running market in the UK (although Leadenhall Market may dispute this claim), as it stood in previous centuries at the only entrance to London from south of the Thames, London Bridge, therefore being the perfect place to sell wares to travelers to London. It has been on its current sites since the 1750s. You can find everything in the market from wonderful, organic cheeses, like those above, to ostrich steaks, to wild, hanging boar and wild venison, to microbrews from around the world, to rare wines, fresh flowers, etc. 
Fresh seafood at the Borough Market. 
Fish heads at the Borough Market. 
Fresh, organic fruit and veggies at the Borough Market. 
The Golden Hinde from the stern. 
Sailor re-enactors on the Golden Hinde. Re-enactments take place at fairly regular intervals. 
A very genuine looking re-enactor on the Golden Hinde. 
A tour of the Golden Hinde in progress. Kids will love the tours, but they are interesting to adults, as well. 
Moving back across London Bridge to the north bank of the Thames, and continuing west from the north end of London Bridge, another 8 minutes or so walking will bring you to St Paul's Cathedral. As mentioned, this incarnation of St. Paul's was designed by Sir Christopher Wren to replace the structre that was destroyed by the Great London Fire of 1666, and is the fifth structure to stand on this site. St Paul's is, along with Westminster, the most historically significant house of worship in London. 
Millenium Bridge can be seen in the foreground on the left leading across the Thames to the Tate Modern Museum, Britain's museum of international modern art. The gallery was opened in 2000 in the site of the former Bankside Power Station, which explains its outward appearance - not very artistic. The power station closed in 1981. The museum is in the midst of building an extension to be completed in time for the 2012 London Olympics. 
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, on the south bank of the River Thames, just east of Millenium Bridge. 
Millenium Bridge and St Paul's Cathedral, viewed from in front of the Tate Modern Museum near the Globe Theatre on the south bank of the Thames.