Hidden London Tour

Tour Details

About the Tour

Category: Architecture, History
Duration: 3 hours
Location: London

Photos & Highlights

Get an insider's guide to London's hidden architecture, from ancient Rome to the Normans
Led by an historian or archaeologist
St. Bartholomew the Great, St Andrew Holborn, and Lincoln's Inn

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 London City Tour, this Hidden London Tour focuses on the hidden physical remains of London’s past rather than the more obvious sites and the spaces between. While London 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.

We begin our walk at the Museum of London, 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 visit the church and find ourselves surrounded by the perfect twelfth-century Norman architecture that survived both the 1666 fire and the Blitz.

Onto Newgate

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 was built as a Victorian safe deposit but is now a set of underground silversmiths and shops, and is little known outside the silver-dealing world.

Looking to explore more of the city's buildings? Try our London Architecture Tour, or learn about London's most important architect on our Christopher Wren Churches Tour.

Lincoln's Inn and Friaries

Across the road lies the medieval Lincoln’s Inn, one of the four remaining ‘Inns of Court’ in London, where aspiring lawyers lived and learnt 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.

Take aways

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.

FAQ

Where does the tour begin? Where does it end?

It begins near the Museum of London, and ends at the Olde Cheshire Cheese pub. Your confirmation email will have the exact meeting point, and our 24 hour number.

Is this walk suitable for me if I am claustrophobic?

Yes, we don't visit any site that is in a 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?

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

Tour Experts

Dan

Dan Hayes is a journalist, editor and travel writer. A Cambridge history graduate, he later completed an MSc at Birkbeck College, London. Having lived in the British capital for more than 25 years, he is fascinated by its past and the hidden stories that can be found around almost every corner if you know where to look. He regularly writes about aspects of London’s history and culture for magazines and websites. A former travel editor, he has also visited more than 40 countries, with recent assignments taking him to Iceland, Japan and Kazakhstan.

Pepe

Pepe was born and bred in London and has lived here all his life, apart from a year travelling the world in his 20s. His professional life began working as a stage manager, followed by 15 years as a Tour Manager leading tours of the UK, Ireland and Europe, the USA, Canada, New Zealand and The Middle and Far East. He qualified as a London Blue Badge Guide in 2011 and was honored to receive the award for Best Overall Practical Exam Guide. A keen cyclist, Pepe loves the outdoors and walking and he believes the best way to see a city is on foot. He loves the theatre and tries to attend as often as possible and is usually ahead of the game when it comes to recommendations. Pepe is particularly good at working with children and keeping them engaged and entertained. For those wanting to experience London with a local and find out its true secrets, Pepe is the man for the job.

Chris

Chris studied architecture at the University of Sheffield and became an RIBA qualified architect in the mid-nineties. He has lived in London for over 20 years and, as well as working for a number of high-profile architectural practices in the city, he has spent the last 14 years teaching the History of Architecture in London for Boston University (USA). Chris particularly enjoys giving guided tours and exploring the many layers of London's architectural history from its Roman origins to present day hi-tech architecture. He has a special interest in developments in the city either side of the 1666 Great Fire of London, and the Battle of the Styles between Gothic and Classical architecture. He has worked and travelled extensively in Latin America and Europe and is a fluent Spanish speaker.

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63 Reviews – (4.85)

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We enjoyed Sarah Jane and her knowledge of the history of London. Very enlightening. Much appreciated.

Charles

May. 13, 2022

Very eclectic and knowledgeable view of hidden London- not just the buildings but the people. We all thoroughly enjoyed the tour

Anne

Apr. 26, 2022

We love Peter. We were lucky to have him a second time. I liked this tour although I often found it confusing. I think what might have been useful is to provide a bit of a road map of things we were going to see when we first met and then when we arrived to them to recap the history of the era. It became a little difficult to move thru medevil Times to the Victorian era and then back again. I think this tour was probably meant for those with more historical knowledge than we have!

Siddhartha

Apr. 1, 2022

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