London’s Bankside is experiencing a new social media-driven tourism trend which is seeing visitors to the area look not just at its popular Tate Modern and Borough Market landmarks, but take detours to its lesser-known cultural and historical sites. Of the ‘detour-ism’ trend, Better Bankside reports that…
– Social media is making a 320-year-old ‘tiny house’ at 67 Hopton Street an area must-visit. This post on TikTok alone about the historical almshouse has already generated over 100,000 views: https://www.tiktok.com/@lookuplondon/video/6951436306127883525?q=hopton%20street&t=1689938114301
– Interest is growing for the area’s Crossbones Gardens, an ancient burial site containing the remains of over 15,000 paupers, especially amongst TikTok’s users. This post has generated over 85,000 views and has been saved 1,074 times: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecuriouspixie/video/7199362875004161286?q=%23redcrossgarden&t=1690380300858
– Better Bankside says a historical ‘Take Courage’ sign situated on Redcross Way is fast becoming its most Instagrammed site
– The trend ties into hashtag data for the last 6 months, with 22 million TikTok views for #londonhiddengems
The trend has been dubbed by the area as ‘detour-ism,’ as locals and tourists alike are guided to the areas more obscure landmarks and its secret locations thanks to following hashtags on Instagram and TikTok. It is felt the trend has its roots in the pandemic when Londoners, not able to travel abroad, sought escapism in their local areas by digging more closely into the history and buildings of streets and locations they hadn’t been to before.
In response, the area’s summer campaign, ‘This is Bankside,’ has a specific focus on uncovering the locations which are ‘hidden in plain sight,’ with a destination guide for visitors revealing 26 unique places of interest and area attractions such as secret parks and restaurants with incredible views, usually only known to its locals.
Each of the places of interest has had its own unique ‘brick’ icon created, with the ambition that more bricks can be developed as visitors uncover additional stories and hidden gems.
Nicole Gordon, CEO of Better Bankside said; “Bankside is a place where you never stop discovering. The medieval network of streets and spaces encourage exploration. This is a neighbourhood where people have come to be entertained and experience culture for over 1,000 years, there is so much of historic and cultural significance to uncover as well as a diverse mix of food and drink to enjoy. Today, people visiting Bankside love to discover places with stories. The sights which others might not know about, or the locations which are not in the standard tourist guides. In response, this summer we have created ‘This is Bankside’ destination guide which shares our secrets, and we hope will deliver a hearty dose of escapism and wonder for visitors.”
London’s Bankside neighbourhood is a creative and cultural district that covers the area from the Thames riverside in the north, Great Suffolk Street to the south, Blackfriars Road to the west and east to Borough High Street. Visitors to London’s Bankside will likely know of its famous Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe and Borough Market landmarks, but the area is also home to lesser-known but hugely interesting historical sights, cultural gems (Beyonce’s dad runs a scholarship at one) and incredibly unique dining, event and shopping destinations. The area is looked after and promoted by Better Bankside, who, this summer, have peeled back the curtain on hundreds of years of history and local treasures for visitors willing to tread its Victorian, roman and medieval streets, with a brilliant destination guide uncovering ‘hidden’ places of interest, tours and insider tips.
In its ‘This is Bankside’ summer destination guide, 26 places of interest in the Bankside district, previously ‘hidden from plain sight’ will be uncovered. Brought alive with four ‘misguided’ tours (on the back of beer mats!) and a ‘Bucket List’ map, Londoners can escape and ‘travel’ while staying in their own city, and visitors from further afield can discover a unique area of London rich in history, art and culture. Local tips and insider knowledge will allow visitors to find the secret parks, cultural spaces and sun-spots ‘Banksiders’ take for granted and there is a comprehensive list of playgrounds, and even trees, for those entertaining kids during the long summer holidays. The guide also showcases its eclectic and exciting dining, drinking, shopping and event offer, whose aerial acrobats, Low Line locations and international cuisine has been eclipsed for too long by its most well-known residents.
