About this Event
Step back in time and experience the sights, sounds and tastes of late medieval London on this theatrical wine tour led by Dr Matthew Green, brought to life by actors and musicians planted in the medieval city's tagliatelle of twisting, winding streets.
The tour includes a delicious coconut-shell of coloured medieval wine, as well as two sizeable glasses of modern wines, one of which will be mulled.
- *** TIME OUT CRITICS’ CHOICE *** – 4/5 stars: “The winning Dr Matthew Green paints a lively picture of Medieval London…There can’t be many walking tours that take the ‘getting you drunk’ bit almost as seriously as the history bit. Luckily, the stories we’d heard were plenty vivid enough to stick in our fuzzy head…’ Read the full review here
Let Dr Green guide you through this stark medieval world from the crumbling Roman walls, to Cheapside and the Vintry, the wine-importing (and growing) district where Chaucer’s father lived and beyond to the ancient port at Queenhithe. We will finish with malmsey wine overlooking the Thames, taking in the full panorama of medieval London. Learn how so much of the City’s wealth was fuelled by ‘liquid gold’: a bewildering array of wines from all over Europe.
En route, a world of fun awaits: experience the deliciously twisted humiliation rituals reserved for vintners selling putrid wine; hear the gruelling stories of the young anchorites walled into tiny stone cells attached to churches for the rest of their lives; understand how the medieval metropolis grew out of the ghost town of Londinium; visit a PLAGUE PIT which doubled-up as a vineyard; take in some of the finest medieval architecture in London and ask Dr Green literally anything you want about the medieval life and worldview.
This is a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the medieval metropolis when it was a close-knit and neighbourly place, albeit one that would grow into a megacity, holding up a mirror to our sprawling and more anonymous capital. That, and an excuse to drink some delicious wine.
About Your Guide
Dr Matthew Green is a historian, writer and broadcaster with a doctorate from Oxford University. He has appeared in documentaries on the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, and has written historical features for the Guardian, Telegraph and Financial Times. He is the founder of Unreal City Audio, which produces immersive tours of London as live events, podcasts and apps. His first book was , his new bestselling book, (Penguin), was released in March 2022 to much critical acclaim. Follow him on Twitter.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Guildhall Art Gallery, Basinghall Street, London, United Kingdom
GBP 43.00 to GBP 45.00