What exactly is the Beer Mile?

The nickname for the string of craft breweries and taprooms in the brick arches under the railway through Bermondsey. It actually runs longer than a mile.

Most taprooms open at weekends, with Saturday midday to afternoon the liveliest. Many close on weekdays — check each brewery’s hours before visiting.

Worth it if I don’t drink beer?

Yes. The same arches hold cheese maturers, bakeries and wine stores, and Maltby Street Market (Ep. 7) adjoins — it works as a food walk.

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Bermondsey: London’s Larder · 6

Breweries under the arches: walking the Beer Mile

Ep. 6 · What ferments beneath the railway

FitTrip Editor · 2026.07.16

From the 2010s, craft breweries and taprooms filled the brick arches beneath the raised railway running southeast from London Bridge, creating the Bermondsey Beer Mile. Most taprooms open at weekends, Saturday above all. Each arch is both brewery and bar, so the grammar of the route is pilgrimage: walk, stop, taste, walk on. Cheese maturers and wine stores — other “making shops” — share the same line of arches.

Bermondsey’s new production line sits under the railway. Beer ferments inside brick arches as trains pass overhead, and when an arch door opens, that space is the taproom.

The arches rediscovered

The arches of the raised railway running southeast from London Bridge were originally warehouses and workshops Fact. From the 2010s, craft breweries moved in arch by arch, and the nickname “Bermondsey Beer Mile” stuck Fact. Brewing kit and bar in one arch — drinking where it is made, the newest edition of this district’s three-hundred-year tradition.

How to walk it

The Beer Mile’s grammar is pilgrimage. Do not settle in one place: walk arch to arch, tasting one pour at each — the route runs over a mile Fact, and three or four stops fill a half day Estimate. Most taprooms are weekend-centred, Saturday the peak Fact. Cheese maturers and wine stores share the arch line, so there is reason to walk even without the beer.

FAQ

What exactly is the Beer Mile?: The nickname for the string of craft breweries and taprooms in the brick arches under the railway through Bermondsey. It actually runs longer than a mile.
When should I go?: Most taprooms open at weekends, with Saturday midday to afternoon the liveliest. Many close on weekdays — check each brewery’s hours before visiting.
Worth it if I don’t drink beer?: Yes. The same arches hold cheese maturers, bakeries and wine stores, and Maltby Street Market (Ep. 7) adjoins — it works as a food walk.

Checklist

Go Saturday midday–afternoon (many close weekdays)
Do not settle — walk arch to arch
Three or four stops is plenty; pace yourself
Water and snacks at Maltby Street (Ep. 7)

See the full course on FitTrip →

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