Westminster Millennium Pier facts for kids
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Type | River tourist/leisure services |
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Locale | River Thames, London, UK |
Owner | London River Services |
Operator | London River Services |
Coordinates | 51°30′07″N 0°07′24″W / 51.501901°N 0.123223°W |
The Westminster Millennium Pier is a special platform built over the River Thames in London, UK. It's like a bus stop for boats! This pier is in the heart of London, right next to the famous Westminster Bridge. It's also very close to one of London's most well-known sights, Big Ben. Many different boat companies use this pier for river trips and cruises. It's a busy spot for tourists and locals alike.
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Building the Pier
The Westminster Millennium Pier was built as part of a big project called "Thames 2000." This project helped improve the River Thames for the year 2000. Money for the pier came from the Millennium Commission. This group helped fund many projects across the UK to celebrate the new millennium.
Westminster Millennium Pier was one of five new piers opened in 2000. The other new piers were Blackfriars Millennium Pier, London Eye Pier, Tower Millennium Pier, and Millbank Millennium Pier. Building these piers helped make it easier for people to travel by boat on the Thames.
Boat Trips from the Pier
You can catch many different boat services from Westminster Millennium Pier. It's a great way to see London from the water!
- Thames River Services: These boats travel between Westminster, St. Katharine's Pier, Greenwich Pier, and even the Thames Flood Barrier.
- City Cruises: You can take fun leisure cruises from Westminster all the way to Greenwich Pier.
- Circular Cruise Westminster: This boat trip takes you on a loop from Westminster to St Katharine's and back.
- Thames River Boats: If you want to go on a longer adventure, these boats can take you to Hampton Court Palace.
Getting There
The pier is easy to reach by public transport.
- Underground: The closest tube station is Westminster Underground station. It's just a short walk from the pier.
Cool Places Nearby
Westminster Millennium Pier is in a fantastic location, surrounded by many famous London landmarks.
On the North Bank
- Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster: These are the iconic clock tower and the home of the UK Parliament.
- Westminster Abbey: A beautiful historic church where kings and queens are crowned and buried.
- Churchill War Rooms: An underground museum where Winston Churchill and his team worked during World War II.
- The Boudica statue: A statue of a famous ancient British warrior queen.
On the South Bank
- London Eye: A giant Ferris wheel offering amazing views of the city.
- Sea Life London Aquarium: Explore the underwater world with sharks, turtles, and many other sea creatures.
- Florence Nightingale Museum: Learn about the famous nurse, Florence Nightingale.