These are the directions to the courts at Waterloo. The courts are nice when you get there, and they aren't too hard to get to either, once you know you're way. That's the only confusing bit.

There is a map below, but if you want to find it on your favourite map, the War Museum is at postcode SE1 6HZ and the courts are just behind it, as described below.

The first thing to know about them is that they are next to the Imperial War Museum (IWM). That helps a lot. One thing I didn't know the first time was that the IWM is in a park, so it really doesn't matter which way you approach it, you can still get to the courts, which are in the same park. It is called Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park. However it is best to enter the park from St George's Road and then the courts are on your left.

There are loads of different ways to get there depending on where you are coming from.

From Waterloo:

You need to walk (or bus) down Waterloo Road. It isn't far. At the end of the road you'll come to a T-junction and you'll see St George's circus to your left. (It's a roundabout with an obelisk in the middle.) From the T-junction you cross over, go left onto the roundabout and hard right past a red masala restaurant onto Lambeth Road. Head down to the intersection ahead where the park is, cross over to it, and walk left down the footpath and then right into the park at the gate by the bus stop.

If you catch a bus it is two stops from the stop over the road from the Jubilee Line exit, or concourse exit 2. Barely worth it if you're coming to Waterloo by train or tube. The second stop is just before the T-junction mentioned in the last paragraph.

From Holborn / Aldwych:

I mention this as it is how I do it. I catch one of these buses from Holborn: 1, 68, 168, 171, or 188. These go through Aldwych and Waterloo and stop at the stop mentioned above. So I stay on for two more stops and walk.

I've just discovered that the 59 also goes through Holborn and Waterloo, but instead of heading down the same way as those buses, it goes to Lambeth North and the IWM, so that looks like being a great bus from Holborn. Door to door!

The stop you get off at is slightly past the park, but only slightly. It is the first one after the one nearest Lambeth North tube, and after getting off the bus you double back a little, head to the right into the park, and then basically follow a path to the right behind the museum. I'm no longer convinced this is a lot better than any of the other buses.

From Lambeth North tube (Bakerloo Line):

It looks best to walk down Kennington Road to the park, and then the courts are on the other side of the museum, so cut past the front of it. It looks roughly like a five minute walk.

From Elephant & Castle tube (Bakerloo Line and Northern Line - City Branch):

(This will need updating as I'm not too sure about it yet.) This is a fairly direct walk down St George's Road. Once on the road, walk til you see the park, and there are entrances to the courts down the side street to the left which is called Geraldine Street.

The tricky bit is leaving the tube station the right way. There are two exits, both on completely opposite sides of a massive roundabout. The Northern Line is to the south, Bakerloo to the north. You want to head roughly west, so use the walkways to navigate there, and there should be signs mentioning St George's Road or the museum.

There is actually a rail station at E&C as well, though I don't know who would use that.

From Southwark tube (Jubilee Line):

The Jubilee goes to Waterloo, but this station is a little closer. Not a lot, and getting out of the JL at Waterloo is fairly easy, so it probably doesn't matter.

However, if you want to use it, come out and head south down Blackfriars Road, which ends at St George's Circus. Here you veer right onto Lambeth Road, which is smaller. Not the main road to the hard right.

Lambeth Road takes you to the park. Head in and stay left.

Buses travelling down Blackfriars Road include the 45, 63, and 100, which all come from the city side of Blackfriars Bridge. So if you work around there that would be the best way. Take any of these buses to St George's Circus, and walk from there.

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I had a quick look at bus routes, and whilst there are a few, the only ones which are likely to stop right at the park are the ones from Elephant & Castle, as the main road by the park is a one way road from there. Buses coming back probably stop near St George's Circus, and so it is still a bit of a walk.

That is other than the 59 from Holborn and Waterloo, as mentioned above.

My Map!

I made this with Google's help. It should show Waterloo and Southwark at the top, Elephant and Castle at the bottom right, and Lambeth North in the central left. The IWM and the courts are at the bottom slightly to the left of center. Click the Map and Satellite buttons if you want to change the view, and click the blue and red tabs for the labels, if they're not obvious. (OK, they might have disappeared. Google Maps isn't that good just yet)


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