The Illuminated River project

The Illuminated River is an unprecedented large-scale art project installing kinetic illuminations on 15 central London bridges across the River Thames. It launched in July with the lighting of the first four bridges – London, Cannon Street, Southwark and Millennium – and will eventually extend from Tower Bridge to Albert Bridge, a total distance of 4.5 miles, in 2022. Each artwork celebrates the role of the Thames’ bridges in connecting communities on the north and south sides of the river and will be in place initially for 10 years.

The Ramblers has been supporting the project as it will bring new life and interest to central London Thames Path walks, particularly for winter evening strolls. I was invited to the launch which included a boat-trip on The Thames when the lights on the first four bridges were turned on. The new lighting comes from low-energy LEDs and is better for wildlife as well as reducing electricity usage compared with the previous lighting.

Meet at 8 pm at the Villiers Street entrance to the Victoria Embankment Gardens and join me for a FREE leisurely 3 mile evening stroll along the north bank of Thames to hear more about the project and the bridges themselves. By the time we cross the river over London Bridge the lights will be on. We will finish around 10 pm at The Founders Arms for those who fancy a drink or you can head straight for Blackfriars station which is 100 yards away.

To book your FREE tickets click here.