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Killing time between Evensong and Ceremony of the Keys

Out itinerary for first full day in London is as follows...
Taking advantage of 2-4-1 deal
9:00-12:00 Tower of London
12-1 Lunch
1-2 admire tower bridge from outside, take pics
2-5 tour saint Paul's (too long??)
5-6 evensong saint Paul's
6-9 dinner and ????
9-10:30 Ceremony of the Keys

I feel like we are probably spending too long on some things Tower Bridge just for photo op and maybe trying to catch it opening and Saint Paul's maybe? Definitely would love some advice on how to kill time between tr evensong service and ceremony of keys! Is there something else we could see in that area in the evening?

Thanks!

Posted by
33148 posts

Hanging about Tower Bridge on the off chance that it will open is usually non-productive.

It doesn't just open when a boat rocks up and toots it's horn.

These things are planned months in advance, with occasional special lifts.

Very handily the lifts are published, also well in advance, and they even tell you what will be going through the bridge and in what direction.

Look at http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/lift-times/

For anybody not willing to follow a link, here is the data through the first Saturday in October:-

part the first

DAY DATE TIME VESSEL DIRECTION
Sat 25 Jul 09:15 Sailing Barge Lady Daphne Down river
Sat 25 Jul 15:15 Sailing Barge Lady Daphne Up river
Sat 25 Jul 18:30 Sailing Barge Lady Daphne Down river
Sat 25 Jul 19:30 Motor Vessel Dixie Queen Up river
Sat 25 Jul 20:30 Motor Vessel Dixie Queen Down river
Sun 26 Jul 17:00 Sailing Barge Will Up river
Sun 26 Jul 17:45 Sailing Barge Will Down river
Tue 28 Jul 11:25 Motor Yacht Grace E Up river
Tue 28 Jul 11:55 Motor Yacht Grace E Down river
Tue 28 Jul 13:30 Sailing Barge Gladys Up river
Tue 28 Jul 18:45 Sailing Barge Gladys Down river
Tue 28 Jul 22:00 Sailing Barge Gladys Up river
Wed 29 Jul 10:30 Sailing Barge Gladys Down river
Wed 29 Jul 15:30 Sailing Barge Gladys Up river
Wed 29 Jul 19:00 Sailing Barge Gladys Down river
Wed 29 Jul 22:05 Sailing Barge Gladys Up river
Thu 30 Jul 15:00 Sailing Barge Lady Daphne Up river
Thu 30 Jul 17:00 Sailing Barge Will Up river
Thu 30 Jul 17:45 Sailing Barge Will Down river
Thu 30 Jul 18:45 Sailing Barge Lady Daphne Down river
Thu 30 Jul 20:45 Sailing Barge Lady Daphne Up river
Thu 30 Jul 21:45 Sailing Barge Lady Daphne Down river
Fri 31 Jul 11:30 Sailing Barge Gladys Down river
Fri 31 Jul 15:15 Sailing Barge Gladys Up river
Fri 31 Jul 16:00 Sailing Barge Gladys Down river
Sun 02 Aug 12:45 Paddle Steamer Dixie Queen Up river
Sun 02 Aug 13:45 Paddle Steamer Dixie Queen Down river
Sun 02 Aug 16:45 Motor Vessel Silver Cloud Up river
Tue 04 Aug 03:15 Motor Vessel Silver Cloud Down river
Tue 04 Aug 07:30 Sailing Barge Ardwina Up river
Tue 04 Aug 14:30 Sailing Barge Ardwina Down river
Wed 05 Aug 08:30 Sailing Barge Ardwina Up river
Wed 05 Aug 15:30 Sailing Barge Ardwina Down river
Wed 05 Aug 18:30 Sailing Barge Ardwina Up river
Thu 06 Aug 15:30 Motor Yacht Haven Up river
Thu 06 Aug 15:30 Sailing Barge Ardwina Down river
Thu 06 Aug 16:15 Motor Yacht Haven Down river
Thu 06 Aug 20:00 Sailing Barge Hydrogen Up river
Fri 07 Aug 10:45 Sailing Barge Hydrogen Down river
Fri 07 Aug 16:15 Sailing Barge Hydrogen Up river
Fri 07 Aug 18:00 Sailing Barge Kitty Up river
Sat 08 Aug 10:45 Sailing Barge Hydrogen Down river
Sat 08 Aug 11:15 Sailing Barge Kitty Down river
Sat 08 Aug 16:15 Sailing Barge Hydrogen Up river
Sat 08 Aug 16:15 Sailing Barge Kitty Up river
Sun 09 Aug 11:00 Sailing Barge Hydrogen Down river
Sun 09 Aug 11:00 Sailing Barge Kitty Down river
Sun 09 Aug 16:15 Sailing Barge Hydrogen Up river
Sun 09 Aug 17:00 Sailing Barge Kitty Up river
Sun 09 Aug 20:00 Motor Vessel Ocean Majesty Up river
Mon 10 Aug 21:15 Sailing Barge Hydrogen Down river
Mon 10 Aug 21:40 Motor Vessel Ocean Majesty Down river

part the second follows

Posted by
33148 posts

part the second

Mon 17 Aug 17:00 Motor Vessel Silver Cloud Up river
Tue 18 Aug 07:30 Sailing Barge Ardwina Up river
Tue 18 Aug 15:30 Sailing Barge Ardwina Down river
Tue 18 Aug 18:30 Sailing Barge Ardwina Up river
Wed 19 Aug 04:45 Motor Vessel Silver Cloud Down river
Wed 19 Aug 15:00 Sailing Barge Ardwina Down river
Thu 20 Aug 08:00 Sailing Barge Ardwina Up river
Thu 20 Aug 15:00 Sailing Barge Ardwina Down river
Sat 22 Aug 09:00 Sailing Barge Ardwina Up river
Sat 22 Aug 11:30 Sailing Barge Ardwina Down river
Sun 30 Aug 15:30 CV20 Up river
Sun 30 Aug 15:30 CV21 Up river
Sun 30 Aug 15:30 CV22 Up river
Sun 30 Aug 15:30 CV23 Up river
Sun 30 Aug 15:30 CV24 Up river
Sun 30 Aug 15:30 CV25 Up river
Sun 30 Aug 15:30 CV26 Up river
Sun 30 Aug 15:30 CV27 Up river
Sun 30 Aug 15:30 CV28 Up river
Sun 30 Aug 15:30 CV29 Up river
Sun 30 Aug 15:30 CV30 Up river
Sun 30 Aug 15:30 CV31 Up river
Sun 30 Aug 16:00 CV31 Down river
Sun 30 Aug 16:00 CV30 Down river
Sun 30 Aug 16:00 CV20 Down river
Sun 30 Aug 16:00 CV21 Down river
Sun 30 Aug 16:00 CV22 Down river
Sun 30 Aug 16:00 CV23 Down river
Sun 30 Aug 16:00 CV24 Down river
Sun 30 Aug 16:00 CV25 Down river
Sun 30 Aug 16:00 CV26 Down river
Sun 30 Aug 16:00 CV27 Down river
Sun 30 Aug 16:00 CV28 Down river
Sun 30 Aug 16:00 CV29 Down river
Thu 03 Sep 09:45 Sailing Barge Will Up river
Thu 03 Sep 10:30 Sailing Barge Will Down river
Sat 05 Sep 13:55 Sailing Barge Lady Daphne Up river
Sat 05 Sep 14:25 Sailing Barge Lady Daphne Down river
Sat 05 Sep 16:25 Sailing Barge Lady Daphne Up river
Sat 05 Sep 16:55 Sailing Barge Lady Daphne Down river
Wed 09 Sep 12:00 Havengore Up river
Wed 09 Sep 18:30 Sailing Vessel Tenacious Up river
Wed 09 Sep 19:00 Sailing Vessel Tenacious Down river
Fri 18 Sep 06:30 Sailing Barge Ardwina Up river
Fri 18 Sep 11:00 Sailing Barge Ardwina Down river
Sat 03 Oct 12:00 Sailing Barge Will Up river
Sat 03 Oct 12:45 Sailing Barge Will Down river
Sat 03 Oct 16:00 Sailing Barge Will Up river
Sat 03 Oct 16:45 Sailing Barge Will Down river

Posted by
10 posts

Oh wow great info! I will definitely check the schedule as we get closer.

This will be june 20 so any summer suggestions. Thanks!

Posted by
6638 posts

The good news is that you'll have plenty of daylight for your ambitious evening. But if this is the day you actually arrive from the US, the bad news is that you might be too tired to appreciate being up that late.

If jet lag isn't a problem, I'd suggest saving Tower Bridge until the evening. When you've seen the Tower in the morning, work your way west to St. Paul's through the City and stop for lunch somewhere (I recall a pub called "Hung, Drawn and Quartered," which is certainly inspiring but I can't vouch for the food). You should have time for a look at the Roman Temple of Mithras (on Queen Victoria St.) and/or the Museum of London (a few blocks north of St. Paul's). Three hours should be more than enough for St. Paul's before evensong, keeping in mind that the service itself is part of your experiencing that magnificent place.

To "kill" your three evening hours, I'd recommend walking south from St. Paul's across the Millenium (pedestrian) bridge to the south bank, then east past the reconstructed Globe Theatre, the replica of Drake's ship "Golden Hinde," and other sights, down to Tower Bridge. Admire it and take pics in the evening light. Cross the bridge to return to the Tower in time for the Keys. Somewhere along the way stop for dinner, maybe just a quick bite on a bench overlooking the river.

That's a long busy day but an efficient way to see a lot if you have the energy!

Posted by
8825 posts

Visit Leadenhall Market, have a meal and a pint at the stellar art deco designed Blackfriar pub, if open, visit the Museum of London, check what is on a the Barbican Center http://www.barbican.org.uk, see if Spittafields market has their tea dances scheduled. All of these are basically in and around St Paul's and The Tower.

Posted by
10 posts

I absolutely love these suggestions. This will actually be our first full day after arrival, so we will have one night's sleep in a bed behind us. We will likely be tired but we only have 5 1/2 days in London so I am determined to make the most out of it. I'll sleep when I get home :).