Tour Details
Duration
3 hours
Product Type
Tour
Venues
- St. Bartholomew the Great
- St Andrew Holborn
- Lincoln's Inn
Photos & Highlights
- Join us on a walk led by a historian or archaeologist and discover the hidden, fascinating buildings and architectural remains of London.
- By the end of the tour, you'll have a deeper understanding of the city's rich history – from Ancient Rome to today.
Select a date
Tour Description
From ancient Roman ruins to Norman architecture, London is littered with reminders of its past. However, in order to see the full historical breadth of London's buildings, one must look closely. As a complement to our London History Tour, this Hidden London Walking Tour focuses on the hidden physical remains of London’s past rather than the more obvious sites and the spaces between. While London has been on the brink of destruction time and again—be it from the Great Fire or the Blitz—remnants of London's past persist in the least likely of places.
Experts
- Explore the hidden remains of the Roman fort and city wall at St. Paul's tube station
- Visit the church of St. Bartholomew the Great, an example of Norman architecture
- See the western gate of the Roman and medieval city, Newgate, and the medieval survival of St. Etheldreda's crypt and chapel
- An optional visit to the underground Silver Vaults, a set of silversmiths and shops.
We begin our walk at St. Paul's tube station, a few minutes away from one of London's most impressive hidden sites. The remains of the western gate of the Roman fort that once stood here, something not normally accessible to the public, now incongruously sit within a parking garage. While here, we will look at the remains of the Roman city wall and the signs of its continued use up to the eighteenth century. We will then walk to the area near the church of St. Bartholomew the Great, an important part of medieval London. Here, we will view the church itself, a perfect example of twelfth-century Norman architecture that survived both the 1666 fire and the Blitz.
Next, we will walk to the western gate of the Roman and medieval city, Newgate, an area once infamous for its prison. From here we may take a short stroll to St. Etheldreda’s, another remarkable medieval survival where the crypt and chapel still stand. Depending on time, we may move to the Silver Vaults, which were built as a Victorian safe deposit but are now a set of underground silversmiths and shops, and are little known outside the silver-dealing world.
Across the road lies the medieval Lincoln’s Inn, one of the four remaining ‘Inns of Court’ in London, where aspiring lawyers lived and learned their trade. This particular inn, which extends over a sprawling 11 acres, was constructed in stages between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries, providing an overview of the many architectural styles that were popular during this period. Further along Fleet Street lay the large Carmelite and Dominican Friaries, now recalled in the street names Whitefriars and Blackfriars, respectively. We will see the remains of the former under a modern office building and again, a short walk away in a seventeenth-century pub. This pub, the Olde Cheshire Cheese, is notable for its age and its former regulars: Samuel Johnson, G. K. Chesterton, and Charles Dickens, to name but a few. You can have a drink or eat here, which will provide a suitably energetic end to the walk.
At the end of our walk, we will have explored some of the little-known and fascinating buildings and architectural remains of the city, and will have a deeper understanding of London's history.
Where does the tour begin? Where does it end?
It begins near St. Paul's tube station and ends at the Olde Cheshire Cheese pub. Your confirmation email will have the exact meeting point.
Is this walk suitable for me if I am claustrophobic?
Yes, we don't visit any site that is particularly narrow or small, however, we do go down several flights of stairs and through some uneven pavements.
Can I take pictures during the tour?
Absolutely yes!
What kind of shoes and clothes should I wear for this tour?
The weather can be quite variable in London, so we suggest comfortable shoes and layers, possibly with some kind of waterproof item.
Where You'll Start
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124 Reviews
Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.
Philippa was great. She was engaging, enthusiastic and very knowledgeable about London and its history and people. She was particularly up on WWII and the devasting effect and aftermath of bombings and fire, of churches and archetecture (Wren is a favorite), of pre and post Reformation era changes in people and landscapes. She showed me a bit of the Roman portion of the London Wall hidden away in an underground carpark and a Newgate prison cell tucked away in the basement of a pub. Oh! Nearly forgot the amphitheatre beneath the Corp of London museum! I could go on, but I think you get the point that I really enjoyed this tour and I have Philippa to thank for it.
I'm only sorry it had to come to an end. Nothing about it "didn't" work--it exceeded my expectations. I've been to London several times and I can say that this trip was the most memorable for me.
A last note about Philippa--prior to our walk she scouted out all the places she meant to show me to make sure they were open/available. I don't know if all your guides do this, but that sort of preparation really makes for an excellent experience. I am sorry for Context Travel that I was the only client that day, but I certainly felt privaleged to have my own "personal" guide.
Janice
Reviewed on:
Jan 14, 2013
Phillipa was an excellent docent; very knowledgeable. Very friendly as well. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with her and the other Context staff.
Pamela
Reviewed on:
Nov 17, 2012
Lawrence was extremely knowledgeable. We hit some great spots. He did talk a little too fast for us to understand at some times and we almost covered too much. Overall, was great though and we learned a lot!
Skyler
Reviewed on:
Aug 16, 2012
