The genius courtier – Sir Christopher Wren and his churches
After the Great Fire in 1666, Sir Christopher Wren rebuilt 51 churches in the City of London. Many still stand, some were rebuilt after the destruction of WWII and one has even been transported 4,000 miles away! Discover Wren’s magnificent churches and the stories that lie behind them.
Read all about it! A walk down Fleet Street
Discover the characters and stories that once made Fleet Street the centre of the press industry. We’ll encounter influential writers and visit historic churches and classic English watering holes (pubs!) – and along the way we’ll see the buildings that were once central to the newspaper industry.
The Write Stuff
The journalists of Fleet Street were not the only wordsmiths in the City. For centuries, the ancient streets of London inspired plays, prose and poetry. From Bank to Blackfriars and beyond, seek out the haunts of the city’s writers – from Shakespeare to Grahame, Eliot to Dickens, with Chris WM.
Financial institutions in the City
The City is a leading financial centre and has the architecture to prove it. We start next to Cannon Street, where the Romans established London’s first centre of business, we take in Bank Junction and we explore the Liverpool Street area where the most exciting developments are taking place.
From Tiber to Thames – Italian influences on the City of London
We visit a haunting corner of the Roman fort, the site of London’s amphitheatre and the elegant Tivoli corner of the Bank of England. We take in the grand home of the Lord Mayor, inspired by Palladio; the Royal Exchange, influenced by the Pantheon and we finish at One New Change with fabulous rooftop views of St Paul’s Cathedral.
What was education for? City of London (East)
Focusing on education in the eastern half of the City, this walk starts at the ruins of Christchurch Newgate Street and takes in many stunning locations from the Barbican to the Victorian Bishopsgate Institute, with its wooden panelled library open to the public. With Sylvia M.
Spooky London Tour
Listen for the footsteps of the monk who haunts the “Four Weddings and a Funeral” church and stand where the trap door was sprung for England’s last public execution, on this tour of the spookiest locations in the City, with Ian M. Includes trip to a haunted pub!
Das berühmteste Quadrat der Welt
Das historische Zentrum von London ist auch bekannt als “Square Mile” oder einfach nur City of London. Auf diesem Rundgang entdecken Sie nicht nur einige der wichtigsten Sehenswürdigkeiten der City, sondern auch versteckte Orte und Geheimtipps.
Walk the Walbrook, with Richard C.
Discover the shortest and most mysterious of London’s hidden rivers, from its source in Shoreditch down to the Thames, via the Broadgate Centre, London Wall, the Bank of England and a wonderful array of the architecture of many different eras.
Royal Academicians and their monuments in the City of London
Discover hidden gems of architecture and sculpture by the Royal Academicians ranging from the architect Richard Rogers and his Lloyd’s Building to the American sculptor Richard Serra with his gargantuan work Fulcrum in the City of London. Walk through 250 years of history – with Irina Z.
Markets, martyrs and monuments – a walk through Smithfield
During this 90-minute walk through Smithfield, one of the most historic areas in the City, we discover markets that have existed since the middle ages, one of the oldest churches in the City and the oldest house. See the famous St Bartholomew Hospital and view the ‘palace of justice’ known as the Old Bailey where many famous trials have taken place.
Visible and invisible women of the City
Beyond men in pinstripes, fearless women from Queen Anne to Emmeline Pankhurst to Elizabeth Fry have changed the face of the City and of the nation. Heroines and role models – both real and fictional, visible and invisible – populate the City of London. Discover them all with Laure T.
A time traveller’s journey through London
Designed specifically for European visitors, this walk begins at the Tower of London then takes you to some of the City’s most iconic sites, among them the oldest churches, a secret garden nestled in ancient ruins, Leadenhall Market (a Harry Potter film location) and the provocative Lloyd’s building. Available in English, German or Italian.
What was Education for – City of London (west)
Focusing on schools and education, this walk introduces you to some beautiful lesser known buildings in the City of London. Did the benefactors of the schools, universities and libraries that we will visit seek to educate young minds – or were they motivated by greed, guilt, power or religion?
London’s Riotous Royals
Former kings were a bit like human Velociraptors. They ate, killed, or had sex with, everything that moved. London is a stage and all the kings and queens merely players upon it. We’ll be visiting the places, hearing the stories, and thanking Christmas that Britain’s current Royals are so, well, normal. Every tour includes a visit to a probably haunted pub for further intrigue.
Licence to print …or The City and the written word
From Paternoster Square where stationery has its beginnings, to the newspaper offices of Fleet Street, the City of London is the home of the printed word. From the greatest playwright of all time to the most famous diarist, this walk focuses on the written word and the origins of the print industry – with Veronika K. (This walk is available in English or German)
Born in Stratford – Made in London
Rising from Stratford obscurity to London superstar, William Shakespeare cut a swath through society, attracting admirers, copycats and critics. We visit the places he lived and worked, taking in some of the most beautiful sites in the City of London, including a magnificent 16th Century hall in which his company performed.
Gardens and Churchyards
Hidden amid the hustle and bustle which is the City of London there are quiet places where one can pause for a moment and discover things you might never have realised were there. Join Richard E. on a tour that explores the stories tucked away in the City’s quieter corners.
Walk the Thames through the City of London
We start by looking at the scene of some of the bloodiest executions in English history on Tower Hill. We touch on London’s great maritime heritage as we pass the Customs House, Billingsgate and Queenhithe, London’s Saxon era harbour.
Criminals, traitors and heads on spikes
For traitors and criminals, life was nasty, brutish and short. Documentaries producer and author Dan P. will show you chilling execution sites, the secret spot where heretics were burned, the haunting shadow of Newgate and the last remaining place where severed heads were stuck on spikes.
What’s up in the City
They say always look up, yet most walks have an altitude problem. Not this one! Clocks and sundials, statues, weather-vanes and a hundred unique stories lurk high above pavement-level. Let your eyes do the walking on a safe, street-level tour offering a glimpse of the City as you’ve never seen it before.
Murder, Mayhem and Destruction in the City
Witness the darker side of the City’s history, from unsolved murders to riots and violent attempts to influence government. This walk is not for the faint-hearted. As it peels back the modern façade of the City, the trick is to keep your head whilst those around you are losing theirs!
A walk on the tiled side
Wandering through hidden gardens and open spaces, this walk discovers an array of evocative stories preserved on ceramic tiles, passes an ancient hospital still in use, takes in the cemetery raided by body-snatchers then slips into the back alleys of Blackfriars – once home to Shakespeare.
What the Romans did for us!
The City of London is where it all began. This walk starts at the beginning of London’s history, covering the arrival of the Romans 2,000 years ago. From Wren’s Monument commemorating the Fire to the monumental Guildhall, we visit London through the ages.
Landmark moments in architecture
From the famous ‘Gherkin’ and ‘Cheesegrater’ towers through to the newspaper offices in the ‘street of shame’, the City’s architectural landmarks are not to be missed. In recent decades, London’s ‘starchitects’ have been locked in competition, each trying to outdo their rivals in constructing epic palaces of steel, glass and sparkle.