Historic London Tours

25/06/2024

London is one massive burial ground of bodies and buildings. Millenia of rubble, foundations and general waste have been piled on top of one another, with the result that ruins from the Roman period are up to twenty-five feet below today’s ground level. Digging down in London, you’re going to find something – and in January 2022, the largest Roman mosaic discovered in fifty years was unearthed in Southwark. Find out more on the link below!

👉 https://historiclondontours.com/tales-of-london/f/romanes-eunt-domus

London is one massive burial ground of bodies and buildings. Millenia of rubble, foundations and general waste have been piled on top of one another, with the result that ruins from the Roman period are up to twenty-five...

24/06/2024

Monday morning quiz! Where in London can you find this Roman mosaic...? The answer will be posted tomorrow.

18/06/2024

👉 https://historiclondontours.com/tales-of-london/f/mr-fieldings-people

Before the establishment of the Metropolitan Police in 1829, law enforcement in London was disorganised and inefficient. It relied on a mish-mash system of part-time constables and poorly paid, often elderly, parish watchmen known as Charleys (they having been established by Charles II in 1663). Almost a century before the Met’s foundation, one London magistrate would create what is seen today as London’s first professional police force, which would lay down the guiding principles of modern policing: the Bow Street Runners. Find out more on the link below!

Before the establishment of the Metropolitan Police in 1829, law enforcement in London was disorganised and inefficient. It relied on a mish-mash system of part-time constables and poorly paid, often elderly, parish watc...

17/06/2024

Monday morning quiz! Which organisation once wore this uniform...? The answer will be posted tomorrow.

11/06/2024

Most Londoners know of - and at some point have probably ventured through and smelt the lingering scent of w**d within - the Greenwich Foot Tunnel, which runs beneath the Thames between Millwall and the Cutty Sark. But few people know of the existence of an earlier foot tunnel near the Tower of London, which initially served as the world’s first ‘tube’ railway: the Tower Subway. Find out more on the link below!

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Most Londoners know of - and at some point have probably ventured through and smelt the lingering scent of w**d within - the Greenwich Foot Tunnel, which runs beneath the Thames between Millwall and the Cutty Sark. But f...

10/06/2024

Monday morning quiz! The Metropolitan Line was the world's first underground passenger railway, built using a system of cut-and-cover (cutting open the road, digging a trench, laying the track, and bricking over the tunnel). But which was the world's first 'tube' railway, built by boring through the earth...? The answer will be posted tomorrow.

04/06/2024

Greenwich Park and its environs have long held an association with the stars, firstly metaphorical and latterly literal. Greenwich Palace, now the site of the National Maritime Museum, was the birthplace of Henry VIII and his daughters, Mary I and Elizabeth I. Greenwich Castle, atop a hill in the park, was founded as the fifteenth-century Duke Humphrey’s Tower; it was then used as a hunting lodge by the Tudors, where Henry would stow away his mistresses. On the site of the castle now stands a place which defines time itself: the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. Find out more on the link below!

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Greenwich Park and its environs have long held an association with the stars, firstly metaphorical and latterly literal. Greenwich Palace, now the site of the National Maritime Museum, was the birthplace of Henry VIII an...

03/06/2024

Monday morning quiz! What does this green light denote...? The answer will be posted tomorrow.

28/05/2024

For seventeen centuries, since the first settlement by the Romans circa AD 50, the only route across the Thames in central London was via London Bridge. The City of London made a huge amount of money from charging travellers to cross over London Bridge, and to avoid losing this revenue stream they ensured all other proposals to build another bridge were rejected. Finally in the eighteenth century a bridge was constructed at Westminster - but due to the financial and construction mishaps involved it would be dubbed 'the Bridge of Fools'. Find out more on the link below!

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For seventeen centuries, since the first settlement by the Romans circa AD 50, the only route across the Thames in central London was via London Bridge. In the early twelfth century a bridge was constructed over the rive...

27/05/2024

Monday morning quiz! Where in London can you find these rather amusing shadows...? The answer will be posted tomorrow.

26/05/2024

Are you ready to explore the vibrant stories of London? Join us on an unforgettable journey through the city's past with our expert guides! 🚶‍♂️✨

https://historiclondontours.com/walking-tours

23/05/2024

Thank you for these kind words! It is great to meet so many guests that have lived in London and still find value in our tours. We welcome you back anytime - see you next time!

21/05/2024

In Roman London, some two millennia past, the route to the City from the south was through Southwark and over London Bridge. Those passing over the bridge would have an unobstructed view, a quarter of a mile up a straight road, of the five-acre, three-storey square building that was the forum and basilica: the town hall, courts and marketplace all on one site. Two thousand years on, the largest extant market within the City walls – itself now seven-hundred years old – occupies a large portion of that same site: Leadenhall Market. Find out more on the link below!

👉 https://historiclondontours.com/tales-of-london/f/the-poulterers-pride

In Roman London, some two millennia past, the route to the City from the south was through Southwark and over London Bridge. Those passing over the bridge would have an unobstructed view, a quarter of a mile up a straigh...

20/05/2024

Monday morning quiz! Where in London was this Roman mosaic of the god Bacchus discovered back in the early nineteenth century? The answer will be posted tomorrow.

18/05/2024

There is still time to purchase tickets for a great cause! Tickets cost £10 and all net profits raised will go directly to the Air Ambulance appeal.

⭐ Further details can be found here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/historiclondontours/1202268

Thank you for your support!

16/05/2024

We often hear our tours are the tours visitors wish they did first!

14/05/2024

One of the charms of wandering the streets of London is that occasionally, amidst the glass high rises and regrettable Brutalism of the post-War period, one will stumble upon an historic architectural beauty. One such example, like a glitch in the Matrix, is nestled between the concrete offices where High Holborn gives way to Holborn: the Tudor timber-frontage of Staple Inn. Find out more on the link below!

👉 https://historiclondontours.com/tales-of-london/f/maids-of-honour-to-a-princess

One of the charms of wandering the streets of London is that occasionally, amidst the glass high rises and regrettable Brutalism of the post-War period, one will stumble upon an historic architectural beauty. One such ex...

13/05/2024

Monday morning quiz! Where in London can you still see this building - albeit now restored to its original form? The answer will be posted tomorrow.

10/05/2024

Thank you for this kind review! Cheers! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"This was my third tour and it definitely won't be my last. Whenever I have friend a visiting I suggest a tour, and we've never been disappointed. It's the perfect combination of history, pieces of information about London that you'd struggle to find anywhere else, and a really approachable, kind and witty guide. Don't hesitate to book!"

08/05/2024

QUICK TRIVIA: Which tour might you find these sites?

A) Burnings, Butchery & Black Death: London's Bloody Past
B) Roman Ruins to Blitz Bombings: London's Fiery History
C) Booze, Brothels & The Bard: London's B***y Borough

07/05/2024

Visitors to central London are so spoilt for choice when it comes to unusual attractions both modern and ancient, that something that would seem completely out of place in a different city can appear quite ordinary here - one example being the six hundred foot long Second World War battleship permanently moored between London Bridge and Tower Bridge. Find out more on the link below!

👉 https://historiclondontours.com/tales-of-london/f/operation-seahorse

Visitors to central London are so spoilt for choice when it comes to unusual attractions both modern and ancient, that something that would seem completely out of place in a different city can appear quite ordinary here ...

02/05/2024

"Tom is a fantastic tour guide! He was extremely knowledgeable and had some great recommendations for further activities. If you’re new to the city I would definitely recommend doing this early so you can get some ideas for more places to visit during your stay." - Happy Customer

01/05/2024

🚶‍♂️ Walking tours by Historic London Tours. We offer:

- Walking tours
- Group tours
- Corporate tours &
- Private tours

Feel the thrill of walking in the footsteps of kings and queens, explore secret corners known only to locals, and uncover the hidden gems that make London truly unique.

Don't just visit London—experience it.

30/04/2024

On Saturday 31st January 1953, England experienced its worst flood of the twentieth century. A storm surge in the North Sea struck the Netherlands, Belgium, Scotland, and England. The official UK death toll on land was 307; there was one fatality in London, with two-hundred people in Canning Town made homeless. Although London was largely spared this time, it hadn’t been so lucky on previous occasions: flooding had been an issue ever since the first Roman settlements two thousand years ago. It would take until the 1980s though to protect London from future diluvian incidents. Find out more on the link below!

👉 https://historiclondontours.com/tales-of-london/f/the-tide-is-high

On Saturday 31st January 1953, England experienced its worst flood of the twentieth century. A storm surge in the North Sea struck the Netherlands, Belgium, Scotland, and England. The official UK death toll on land was 3...

29/04/2024

Monday morning quiz! What is being constructed in this photo? The answer will be posted tomorrow.

25/04/2024

Get the inside scoop on our London Walking Tours ⇣

Tour: Palaces, Parliament & Power: London's Royal City
Duration: Approx. 2 hours
Topic: history, culture, landmarks,
Book: https://historiclondontours.com/walking-tours

23/04/2024

‘The Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Members of the Sovereign's Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary’ might not exactly roll off the tongue. But this is the official name for the UK’s oldest military corps: the Beefeaters. Stationed at the Tower of London since 1509, their primary role these days is as tour guides - but there's a few boozy perks to the job... Find out more on the link below!

👉 https://historiclondontours.com/tales-of-london/f/may-you-never-die-a-yeoman-warder

‘The Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Members of the Sovereign's Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary’ might not exactly roll off the tongue. But this is the offi...

22/04/2024

Monday morning quiz! Which ceremony is taking place here within the Tower of London? The answer will be posted tomorrow.

21/04/2024

Thank you for choosing to spend your time with me while in London! We welcome you back anytime 😊

16/04/2024

The question of which is London’s oldest pub is a troublesome one, as it all depends on how you frame the question. The oldest building? The length of the licence? The longest continually occupied plot of land? Within the City of London or throughout Greater London? One pub that can certainly claim to be a contender though is hidden down Wine Office Court, an alleyway just off Fleet Street: Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. Find out more on the link below!

👉 https://historiclondontours.com/tales-of-london/f/d

The question of which is London’s oldest pub is a troublesome one, as it all depends on how you frame the question. The oldest building? The length of the licence? The longest continually occupied plot of land? Within th...