Our journey through history begins at Westminster Pier, in the shadow of Big Ben's tower and just a few steps away from Westminster Abbey, where kings and queens have been crowned for almost 1,000 years. This is also the pier closest to the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms off Whitehall, the centre of national government, and the Banqueting House, the last remaining building from the old Palace of Whitehall.

The Houses of Parliament

County Hall

Across the river, County Hall, once the headquarters of the London County Council and then the Greater London Council, no longer echoes to the cries of councillors. Down below, the London Aquarium reveals the secrets of the deep while, above, visitors and business people relax in the comfort of the Marriott Hotel.

A few yards downstream we see the Millennium Wheel, better known as the London Eye. In a 25-minute ride it offers spectacular views across London and far beyond.

The London Eye

The Royal Festival Hall

Through the Jubilee and Hungerford foot bridges and Charing Cross railway bridge, the Royal Festival Hall recalls the post-war days when the river carried some 6million people to celebrate the Festival of Britain at this very site.

To the north, the stunning office development above Charing Cross station echoes the arched roof of the original Victorian terminus - and testifies to the property value of "air rights" above the platforms, making a significant contribution to the railways' income.

Beyond Waterloo Bridge comes Somerset House, the grand building on the north bank that was once the home of various government departments and is now a vibrant arts, heritage and entertainments centre.

Just beyond, on the opposite (south) bank, the OXO tower has recently gained a new lease of life with studios, restaurants and flats. The design was a clever - and successful - attempt to circumvent the ban on advertising along the riverside. Continuing the domestic theme, on the north side of Blackfriars Bridge, in the square mile of the "real" City of London, lies the home of Persil and many other household products, the head offices of the Anglo-Dutch commercial giant Unilever, next to the old City of London school for boys.

St.Pauls Cathedral

and the

Millennium Footbridge

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

Beyond Blackfriars, look up the steps on the north bank for a view of St. Paul's Cathedral as we pass beneath the new Millennium Footbidge, which provides a pedestrian link with Bankside, part of the South Bank regeneration development. Among the attractions in this area are the Tate Modern art gallery and Sam Wannamaker's re-creation of Shakespeare's Globe theatre, the first building with a thatched roof to have been built in London since the great fire of 1666.

The South Bank here is the heart of historic Southwark, once notorious for its seedy entertainment and still owned largely by the Bishop of Winchester whose seat, Southwark Cathedral, the smallest of London's three cathedrals, can be seen just after the reconstruction of the Golden Hind sailing ship. The Anchor public house is another link surviving from those times.

Through London Bridge a thrilling vista unfolds: the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and the retired battle-cruiser HMS Belfast.

HMS Belfast

Tower Bridge is one of London's newer bridges, opened in 1894 by Prince Albert after more than half a century of clamour by the City. All proposals for a bridge were resisted vigorously by the shipowners and merchants who needed free passage through the Pool of London. The resulting design is a typically British compromise, the upper level providing uninterrupted foot passage when the lower bascules, carrying the roadway, are lifted to allow tall ships to pass.

Tower Bridge

On into Docklands: historic Wapping and Limehouse to the north, Bermondsey and Rotherhithe to the south. Many of the old docks have disappeared while those that remain now play host to yachtsmen, weekend sailors and narrowboats.

The riverside pubs, once the haunts of seafarers, lightermen and dockers, now play host to local families, tourists and City workers escaping from the Square Mile. Among the pubs which retain their traditional charm are the Mayflower, where the Pilgrim Fathers moored their ship of the same name before setting off for the New World, the Angel, well known to Samuel Pepys in his days as head of the Admiralty, and the Grapes, one of Charles Dickens's favourite watering holes.

As we approach Canary Wharf the new commercial face of Docklands is revealed. Canary Wharf and its neighbouring developments are bringing thousands of new jobs to the area. Along the river banks new residential, commercial and leisure developments continue apace.

Canary Wharf

The Old Royal Naval College

And so to historic Greenwich, the home of time itself. The Naval College and Seamen's Hospital have taken on a new role as the main campus of Greenwich University and Trinity College of Music.

The National Maritime Museum, with its new Neptune Court and galleries, offers a fascinating and entertaining visit for all the family. These, together with the historic clipper ship Cutty Sark (currently undergoing major restoration), the Old Royal Observatory, Queen's House, Fan Museum, traditional covered market and many more attractions form the World Heritage Site of Greenwich.