Best of Blackfriars Walk

Step back in time to Roman, Medieval, Tudor and Victorian London, discover the best of Blackfriars on this circular tour of a much forgotten world.

Duration

90 Minutes

Follow in the footsteps of literary greats such as Victorian author Charles Dickens, famous diarist Samuel Pepys and actor and playwright William Shakespeare.

Marvel at modern innovations, award-winning architecture and medieval priory remains. Stand on the site once belonging to Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII. Learn about the lost palace once given to Katharine of Aragon as a wedding present by her new husband Henry VIII.

Walk where luxurious Roman villas and a temple to Mithras once stood. Learn how Victorian engineering connected Blackfriars to the continent and how their efforts are still of use today.

In the early part of the 13th century a group of black-robed friars attached to the Order of St Dominic settled in London. By 1276 they had become so prosperous they moved to the edge of the City of London, an area now known as Blackfriars. The thriving community built a church, cloisters and other priory buildings including their own quay.

• Discover Roman London to present day
• Follow in the footsteps of Shakespeare, Pepys and Dickens
• Meet other adventurous souls
• Qualified guide
• Start: Blackfriars Station | End: Ludgate Hill

Blackfriars Walk Reviews:

"Very informative, visiting interesting areas around Blackfriars which I never knew about. The guide had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the area." David

"Hazel took us on a great tour of Blackfriars, with a fascinating glimpse into its past. She tells some interesting
stories about the area that bring it to life, even where the old buildings no longer exist. The time flew by and I
definitely recommend this tour!" Caroline

"Enjoyable tour round some historic sites near Blackfriars tube named after the friars that once had an abbey
there and favoured by the Crown until the break from Rome. The site is now the Blackfriars pub with its
unusual metal and stone depictions of monks on the wall. Nearby is the site of the Baynard Castle, built by the

Normans with long history of Crown connections, the headquarters of the Yorks during the War of the Roses,
and later gifted by Henry V111 to Catherine of Aragon. The site is now a rather ugly BT building. We walked
through the narrow streets to other sites, including the College of Arms, and the King’s Wardrobe which was
once a place that stored Crown possessions. Our guide Susan made the past come alive despite the fact that
many of the historic buildings are long gone." Merle