About this Event
Hello, it's great to meet you! I'm Peter, a qualified City of London and City of Westminster green badge walking guide.
On this walk, it feels like we’re walking in the footsteps of centuries of Londoners who lived here before us. This is the hidden City, often overlooked by passers-by who miss the pathways into the narrow, shaded alleyways.
Frequented and written about by Charles Dickens, this is where he came to dine at the George and Vulture.
The London stock exchange originated in this area, springing out of the coffee shops of the 17th century, where candle auctions were held. Fortunes were made and lost here as Londoners struggled through times of the plague, the destruction of the City by fire and then the gradual rise of the City as today’s economic and financial powerhouse.
This walk starts at the Monument with the story of the great fire, the plague of 1665 and St Dunstan’s in the East, a hidden church that surprises many Londoners and visitors alike. We continue through beautiful Leadenhall market before entering the network of alleyways where shady business deals took place, scientific discoveries were made and where coffee was first sipped in the city, that old, bitter, thick, pungent drink… nothing like todays espresso lattes!
The walk finishes at Bank Junction, the centre of today’s financial district which carries echoes of the past in the Mansion House, the Royal Exchange and the Bank of England.
This fabulous green space is a hidden gem in the City of London. The old church ruins are now overgrown and provide a wonderful backdrop for romantic photos. The garden itself is an adundance of plants and the towering church steeple looks so tall that it may topple down... but it's stood the test of time and continues to be an oasis of calm for City workers, curious passers-by and creatives looking for an enchanting video location.
This hidden network of alleyways transports us back to the time of Charles Dickens, Victorian London... and then further back to the time of the great fire in 1666. Visitors are often amazed that these alleyways still exist, just a stone's throw away from the bustling financial district. City workers who regularly drink in the pubs in this area continue a long tradition of seeking refreshment after a days work. The echos of generations of City folk can be felt in each corner and alleyway of this part of the City.
The layout of many of the City's streets and alleyways has remained unaltered for hundreds of years. We follow the same footsteps of Londoner's before us. Some lives full of love and laughter and others who struggled with heart-ache and pain. London has always navigated it's way between triumph and despair. Every part of the City feels alive and it's history runs deep within the ground we tread on, the walls that we touch and the shadows that fall on us.
Yes, it's a beautiful tower but it's also a Monument to tragedy and re-birth. The City born out of the ashes. It's also a tribute to scientific discovery and holds an incredible secret in it's design. Things are not always what they seem!
It's great to meet you, I'm Peter.
I'm a member of the City of London and City of Westminster Guide Lecturers Associations and a Green Badge holder. I'm a qualified and experienced official guide to the City of London and the City of Westminster.
That's a lot of words to say that I'm an official guide, have passed all of the exams, have done my research and have many years of experience guiding groups around London! I've done all of the hard work so that you don't have to - just come along and join me to discover and explore this wonderful city.
I was born in London, went to university here, work here and above all, have fun here! I've always enjoyed strolling around its hidden streets and alleyways, often discovering something new around each corner!
I've been very fortunate to have had a varied career that allowed me to travel and work around the world for humanitarian organisations such as the Red Cross but the excitement, history and fascination of London has always drawn me back home.
I still get excited every time I learn or see something new, so why not come and join me on a guided walk and hear about some of the stories that make this city so fascinating.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Monument - Meet beneath the Monument (the LARGE stone column beside Monument Underground station), 18 Fish Street Hill, London, United Kingdom
GBP 15.00
