Rolling Bridge, Paddington Basin
the bridge that rolls into a ball
Thomas Heatherwick's ingenious footbridge that curls itself up into an octagon to let boats pass, performing for free each week.
Free to visit · Paddington · Paddington · W2 1HB
Opening: Curls up at set times, usually Fridays · check ahead
At Paddington Basin sits one of Thomas Heatherwick's cleverest early works, the Rolling Bridge. Most of the time it is a simple steel-and-timber footbridge over the canal, but on a regular schedule it performs an extraordinary trick, slowly curling up segment by segment until it forms a neat octagonal ball on the bank, clearing the water for boats.
Watching it roll up and unfurl is mesmerising, a piece of engineering as theatre, and it costs nothing. It is one of several quirky bridges around the redeveloped basin, making the canalside a free and surprisingly fun detour right beside the station.
Getting there: At Paddington Basin on the canal, a couple of minutes from Paddington station.
Best time to go: Time your visit for the weekly curling, usually around midday on a Friday.
Insider tip: Check the curling schedule before you go, it usually performs around midday on Fridays, so you can catch the full roll-up. While there, look for the other moving Merchant Square bridge nearby, the fan-shaped one.
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide