St Katharine Docks

The lowdown

Hidden just past the Tower of London, almost in the shadow of Tower Bridge, is a tranquil marina most visitors walk straight past. St Katharine Docks was once a busy cargo dock, and after the trade left it was reborn as a yacht haven, its basins now full of gleaming boats and the odd majestic old Thames sailing barge.

It is free to wander, a surprisingly peaceful world of cobbled quays, footbridges and waterside cafes that feels a long way from the crowds around the Tower next door. The Dickens Inn, a converted old warehouse draped in flowers, has been pouring pints here for decades.

It is the kind of place you stumble on and feel pleased with yourself for finding. A free, calm, watery pause built right into one of the busiest tourist corners in London, and a lovely spot to sit by the boats with the towers of the City rising behind.