Roman Wharf Timber
two-thousand-year-old wood, out in the open
A blackened length of 2,000-year-old Roman quay timber, preserved in the open near the old approach to London Bridge.
Free to visit · City of London · Monument · EC4R 9HA
Opening: Viewable any time
Tucked into a corner near the old approach to London Bridge sits something astonishing and easy to miss, a length of waterlogged oak timber from a Roman quay, around two thousand years old. Preserved by the airless Thames mud and now displayed in the open, it is a genuine piece of the wharf that lined Londinium's bustling river port.
Most of Roman London survives only as foundations under modern buildings, so to see actual Roman wood out in the daylight is rare and free. It is the sort of thing thousands hurry past daily without realising they are passing two millennia of history.
Getting there: Near the northern approach to London Bridge in the City, a short walk from Monument station.
Best time to go: Daytime, on a walk through the City near the river.
Insider tip: It is small and unsignposted, so look carefully near the bridge approach for the dark ancient beam set behind protective glass. Pair it with the nearby Monument and the riverside for a short free City history walk.
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide