The Nursery Rhyme Tour of London

5.0 (1 reviews) London, England
Duration3h
Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before
TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted
LanguagesEnglish
Private tourOnly your group will participate
Pickup offeredSee the meeting and pickup details below

Overview

Ever wonder why nursery rhymes can be so violent? This unique tour of London one like no other. Join us on this special tour and get a unique look at London as well as learning the true meanings of those nursery rhymes and places and events that inspired them.

We will see some of the most famous buildings in the world as well as getting away from all the tourists as we explore the ancient streets usually only visited by Londoners & not many of them.

In days gone by it could often be a dangerous, even deadly pursuit to talk politics or news to your friends & neighbours incase you were speaking to or overheard by an informer.

To get round the problem, people would spread news & gossip by dressing up the meanings of what was being said so that their true meanings could be more easily denied to the authorities.

Centuries later, these events are remembered as the nursery rhymes that we all sang in childhood around the world, some of which with much toned down & child-friendly lyrics.

What's included

  • Private Guide

What to expect

  1. Tower of London
    15m · Admission ticket not included
    The infamous Tower of London, with history going back to Roman times, home to Crown Jewels and hideous executions. Also home to one of London's ancient and precious trees and here we will go round the Mulberry bush
  2. St Olave's Church
    5m
    An incredible amount of literary history here where the final remains of Old Mother Goose were laid to rest
  3. London Bridge
    15m
    The famous London Bridge which is still standing, or at least the existing one is. Others have long since fallen down and we will see them too.
  4. The Monument to the Great Fire of London
    15m · Admission ticket not included
    Here we will see a huge and not so huge memorials to the Great Fire of London and visit the spot where Londons Burning all began.
  5. 30m
    Down the medieval alleys of old London we will visit St Clements of Oranges and Lemons fame as well as the rhyme of St Swithins and learning all about Dick Whittington and his cat
  6. Bank
    10m
    Just why is the Cat and the Fiddle on display just a few minutes walk from the very centre of finance and old London at the Bank of England?
  7. St. Paul's Cathedral
    10m · Admission ticket not included
    Whilst everyone else gasps at the beautiful St Pauls Cathedral (and we can too), we'll actually visit a statue remembering the importance of the wall and meat trade and the tyrannical law that inspired Baa Baa Black Sheep
  8. WIlliam Wallace Memorial
    5m
    It may be unexpected enough to find a memorial to William Wallace in the middle of London but how does this relate to the old nursery rhyme of Doctor Foster who went to Gloucester?
  9. Rogers, Bradford, Philpot Memorial
    10m
    Smithfields is a place bursting with history including the possible origins of the nursery rhyme, Three Blind Mice and we can throw in Mary, Mary, Quite contrary into the mix too.
  10. The Charterhouse
    15m
    We can't walk through the quiet lanes of medieval London without dealing with The Black Death or Plague and we can't do nursery rhymes with out Ring a ring o' rosies and if you like we can even visit an unfortunate victim of the dreadful Black Death
  11. Farringdon
    15m
    We will finish off this tour in the heart of Farringdon with a pub that isn't all that it seems and work out what the lyrics mean for Pop Goes The Weasel.

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

Just outside the Underground Station

End point

We end at Farringdon Station, a well connected station on London Underground and surrounded by restaurants and pubs.

Pickup details

We will pick you up from any hotel in Central London (Zone 1 on London Underground) and travel by Underground or taxi to the tour starting point, alternatively we can meet at the tour starting point.

Additional information

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
  • We have earmarked this tour as especially safe during the Coronavirus outbreak due to generally quiet places that we visit where social distancing is generally not a problem. All of our tours are private so it is just you/your family and your guide.  To make it easier and safer for all concerned we would suggest starting this tour a little later than the usual time, perhaps around 10.30-11am which allows us all to miss rush-hour. We are happy to still come to your hotel to meet you but for the moment we would suggest meeting us at the tour starting point.  This allows you to arrive by a taxi or uber rather than public transport. Please feel free to wear masks throughout or at times during the tour.  Your guide will also have a mask with them.

Cancellation policy

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

Reviews

5.0 (1)
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£160.00 per person
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  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts
  • You'll choose your date and travelers and pay on viator.com. Prices vary by date, group size and option.
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