Burnings, Butchery & Black Death: A Walking Tour of London's Bloody Past

5.0 (289 reviews) London, England
Duration2h
Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before
Instant confirmationYour booking is confirmed right away
TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted
LanguagesEnglish
Group sizeUp to 15 travelers

Overview

Travel through a thousand years of history, meeting medieval knights, body snatchers, Charles Dickens, an eighteenth century ghost, and William Wallace - aka Braveheart (and learn how he was in no fit state to shout "Freeeedoooommmm!" whilst being executed!)

On our walking tour we'll visit the areas around Smithfield, for centuries London's site of both animal and human slaughter. We'll learn about how the city disposed of the tens of thousands of Black Death corpses in the fourteenth century, the execution methods used in the Middle Ages, and how the area became a notorious slum which Dickens used as the setting for Oliver Twist.

The walking tour begins outside Barbican Station, ends near to Farringdon Station, and will take around two hours. Total distance is about two miles.

Ticket sales will be limited to fifteen attendees, to ensure maximum enjoyment for everybody on the tour.

What's included

  • Tour
  • Gratuities

What to expect

  1. The Charterhouse
    10m
    A fourteenth century monastery and plague pit
  2. Smithfield Market
    10m
    A one thousand year old meat market
  3. St John's Gate
    10m
    The home of the medieval Knights Hospitallers
  4. Cloth Fair
    10m
    A quiet alley with a noisy history
  5. WIlliam Wallace Memorial
    10m
    The memorial to William Wallace, aka Braveheart
  6. Church Of St. Bartholomew The Great
    10m · Admission ticket included
    London's oldest surviving parish church
  7. Golden Boy of Pye Corner
    10m
    The site where the Great Fire of 1666 died out, and of eighteenth century ghost hysteria
  8. Holborn Viaduct
    10m
    The site of the River Fleet, Victorian London's largest open air sewer
  9. Ye Olde Mitre
    10m
    A hidden gem of a pub, hidden down an alleyway
  10. St Bartholomew's Hospital Museum
    10m
    The oldest surviving hospital in the country

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

We meet outside Barbican Station exit. Please aim to arrive five minutes early as the tour will start on time. If you aren't able to make the tour or you will be late, please message me on +44 7783 401 129 so that I know whether to send you our live location on WhatsApp.

End point

On Ely Place, around the corner from Farringdon Station

Additional information

  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

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5.0 (289)
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