The Bankside and SE1 area

>>> Don't miss the links on the right for more practical information >>>

Banksiders are lucky to be living in one of the coolest and most vibrant, up-and-coming areas of London. We are next to the Tate Modern, conveniently situated within easy walking distance of all the attractions of the south bank of the Thames.

Scroll down for a quick guide to the basics on how to get to LSE, or click the links on the right hand sidefor more practical information on local shops, amenities etc. Also, check out the Google map below which plots all the places we've listed on this website so you can figure out what is where. You can even use Google StreetView to see what the areas look like before you even get here!

Tip: A great way to get to know the people you meet in the first few weeks would be to explore the touristy sights of the Southbank! For details of the many fantastic tourist attractions on the South Bank check out the South Bank Wikitravel page.

LSE Campus

The LSE Campus is an aproximately 25 minute walk from Bankside. Follow the map below for the quickest route to get there. This map includes all the locations listed in the sections on the right. Click here to browse the full map or click the links on the right to see simpler maps with just the relevent markers.


View Bankside Area in a larger map

Maughan Library (King’s College London)

While LSE and King’s may be rivals, we have to concede that their library is a way better place to work. Comfortable chairs and large partitioned desks spread sensibly around a massive, quiet library make this the best place for revision. Just sign the guest entry book inside the door and show the security guard your LSE ID card and they’ll buzz you in.

        Tip: To access the Wifi internet at King’s you should configure your computer for Eduroam.

Tate Modern

Situated quite literally across the street from Bankside, the Tate Modern houses the United Kingdom's national collection of modern and contemporary art in the cathedral-like space of a former powerstation, designed by the same architect behind the more famous one at Battersea. With artists from Monet to Matisse and Picasso to Peteers as well as regularly changing exhibits and installations in the cavernous Turbine Hall, the gallery is well worth a visit, even if you go simply to snootily sniff at the nonsense that you may feel that they have there!

The Globe

Just a few meters down from the Tate Modern is the Globe Theatre, a faithful recreation of the very place that was home to Shakespeare's company back in the 17th Century before being destroyed by fire, rebuit, closed during the Commonwealth and finally demolished. Rebuilt during the nineteen-nineties, the new building is almost identical to the old version, right down to the thatched roof, the only one to be allowed in the entire city since the Great Fire of 1666. For those of you who are worried though, the roof is topped by a well maintained sprinkler system! Tickets can be had for less than £15 if you book early and it is well worth going to at least once just to see the Bard's works performed as they would have been when they were first written.

National Theatre

Around fifteen minutes walk away is the Royal National Theatre, part of the South Bank complex. The somewhat Brutalist architecture may not be everyone's cup of tea (Prince Charles once derided it as "a very effective way of building a nuclear power station in the heart of London without anyone objecting". The exterior aside, the National is one of the finest theatres in Europe and has rapidly changing repertoire ranging from traditional plays by Becket and Shaw to newly written contemporary works. The National is well worth a visit at least once, as is the British Film Institute next door.

        Tip: If you look for the Telex offers, you can attend many plays for only ten pounds!