Southwark Cathedral

Right here is where William Shakespeare's younger brother took his final rest. This massive stone building beside the southern riverbank once knew the footsteps of actors, playwrights and theatre folk who worked at the nearby Globe. Southwark Cathedral has stood at this river crossing for over 900 years, though locals called it St Mary Overie for most of that time, meaning "over the river." Two Norman knights founded an Augustinian priory here in 1106. Monks lived and prayed within these walls until King Henry VIII shut down all monasteries in 1539.

The building then became St Saviour's parish church, serving the bustling community of theatres, markets and riverside inns. In December 1607, Edmund Shakespeare was buried here. He had followed his famous brother William to become an actor. Someone paid 20 shillings for the funeral, a considerable sum that included ringing the great bell. Most historians believe William paid this tribute himself.

The church became a cathedral only in 1905 when the Diocese of Southwark was created. German bombs struck it on 20 February 1941 during the Second World War. Walk around the exterior walls and you can still see shrapnel damage scarring the ancient stone.