Hay's Galleria and HMS Belfast
A few minutes east of London Bridge along the river, an old tea wharf under a glass roof and a Second World War cruiser sit side by side.
By George Morina. Last checked 24 Oct 2026 against the sources listed at the bottom of this page.
Hay's Galleria
It was known as Hay's Wharf in the 1600s and as the “Larder of London” in the 1800s, when it was at the centre of the port's trade and best known for tea. It was damaged in the Second World War.[1]
It was redeveloped in the 1980s, modelled on the famous galleria in Milan, with a Victorian-style glass roof over the old dock. To mark its reopening in 1987, David Kemp's 60-foot moving bronze sculpture The Navigators was installed. The building is Grade II listed.[1]
HMS Belfast
- Built by Harland & Wolff, she was launched on St Patrick's Day, 17 March 1938, and commissioned on 5 August 1939.[2]
- Two months into the war she hit a magnetic mine and was out of action for three years.[2]
- She protected the Arctic convoys to the Soviet Union, took part in the Battle of North Cape in 1943, and spent five weeks supporting the D-Day landings in 1944.[2]
- She served in the Korean War from 1950 to 1952 and retired in 1963.[2]
- She opened to the public in London on Trafalgar Day, 21 October 1971, and is run by Imperial War Museums.[2]
Access on board
IWM says the entrance pavilion is reached by six steps or a ramp. The main deck, quarterdeck, boat deck and café are accessible, but the other decks are reached by ladders.[4] Tickets and times are on the IWM site.[3]
Tower Bridge is a short walk further east: see London Bridge vs Tower Bridge.