Ghosts of the Old City

(50 customer reviews)

St. Paul's underground station, London (exit 2)

Guided by Adam or Karen or Shaughan

Walk Times

Day Walk Type Start Time End Time
Saturday Weekly 7.30 pm 9.30 pm Winter Summer Reserve Online
26 December 2023 Special 7.30 pm 9.30 pm Winter

SPOOKTACULAR 

“Top Ghost Walk in the UK” – Essential Travel 

“Fear came upon me. And trembling.” The Book of Job, 4:14

Fear came upon them. And trembling. And screaming. As this video attests to. The “incident” took place on this walk a couple years back.

“The civilised human spirit cannot get rid of a feeling of the uncanny.” Doctor Faustus, Thomas Mann

Stygian gloom – Waking the dead – Walking amongst them

Ghostbusters on a recent tour with Adam

 

At night the ancient City is deserted. And eerie. Exploring its shadowy back streets and dimly lit alleys we might be in a medieval citadel, in overpowering stone. The very street names – Aldersgate, Cloth Fair, Charterhouse, Threadneedle – take us far back. We’re alone… Or are we? For this is the hour when the She-Wolf of France glides through the churchyard, the hour when the dark figure on Newgate wall rattles his chains, the hour when the Black Nun keeps her lonely vigil, and something inexpressibly evil lurks behind a tiny window. We’re on their trail… Or are they shadowing us? “How easy it is to awaken the unwanted attention of things that should sleep quietly in their tombs or hiding places…”  Guided by the Duke of Darkness or the Shadow Walker or the Woman in Black.

GHOSTS OF THE OLD CITY – THE PRACTICALS

Ghosts of the Old City takes place at 7.30 pm every Saturday.

Meet the Duke of Darkness or the Shadow Walker or the Woman in Black just outside exit 2 of St. Paul’s Tube. N.B. the walk ends back at  St. Paul’s Tube. The Duke of Darkness is Shaughan. The Shadow Walker is Adam. The Woman in Black is Karen – she’s merely “the world’s greatest guide”, according to the Travel & Leisure rankings. (Karen’s Travel & Leisure coronation was of course presaged by her winning the London Tourist Board’s Guide of the Year Award.) 

HERE’S WHY

Ghost walks are tricky to guide. Get it wrong and it’s embarrassingly bad. Cringe-making fake “scary” voice, that sort of thing. It all comes down to the guiding. Now the immediately striking thing about the London Walks’ Ghost Walks guides “line up” is that all the guides – Adam’s the exception who proves the rule – are actors. Important? Or a coincidence? Yeah, you guessed it – it’s the former. The reason, quite simply, is it takes a special set of skills to make a ghost walk work. What are those skills, those “ingredients”? Well, you can guess – the great voice, presence, perfect timing, conviction – let alone the sixth sense about exactly how far the envelope needs to be pushed. Actors have those abilities – most of the rest of us don’t. Or at least don’t have the whole package. Which is why if you get some amateur fronting a ghost walk it’s not just a disappointment – it’s worse, it’s an embarrassment. It’s just common sense, really. All you need to do is think back to your childhood – hearing ghost stories round the campfire. It was only the born storytellers – the ones who had the gift – let alone the great voice – who could bring it off. The upside is that when that sort of thing is done brilliantly – by pros, by people who know what they’re doing – well, it’s as good as it gets. That’s why we’ve got professional performers fronting our ghost walks. And the proof of the pudding – well, see the JR note below. Or listen to Shaughan, the Duke of Darkness, at the start of his Ghosts of the Old City video. Or Captain Spooky (Peter) at the start of his Ghosts of the West End video.

Want to preview the walk and the guiding? And watch this sidekick video. It’s the Shadow Walker (Adam), setting the stage for the Ghosts of the Old City Walk. A born story-teller “can make you believe.”  And an update, Adam’s bagged himself a professional guiding qualification. He’s now – as of 2019 – an award-winning, professionally qualified, “badged” guide. 

“WHAT WILL I SEE?”

These are “extras”, “incidentals” – our main fare is ghostly goings-on. But in addition, in passing, you’ll also get…

1. Three of the most splendid of Wren’s spires in attendance upon St. Paul’s dome

2. The sparking point of the City

3. The focus, the concentration of City life

4. A nine-foot-long dragon

5. A bare-breasted native American

6. A perfect example of a 1672 house (lived in by one of our greatest poets)

7. The City’s most delightful hidden network of streets, shops and restaurants

8. A tent-like structure that seems to grow out of the ground (the rainwater collected by its roof is used to flush toilets and irrigate the nearby planting)

9. 350-year-old cottages built for canons

10. A street that shows perfectly – it’s often used as a film location – the pre-Victorian scale of the City

11. The ebullient late Victorian building that replaced the grimmest structure in London (the one that featured carved manacles and chains and grim, windowless rustication)

And that’s just for starters…

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE GUIDING

Don’t just take it from us…

Meet your guide. I, David, describe Adam as the only human being I know who talks like a very well written magazine article. The information is brilliant. As is the way it’s put across. As this wonderful little sidebar podcast Adam’s put together attests to.

LONDON WALKS REVIEWS

“London Walks has many copycats, but it’s the best.”  Frommer’s London by Night

“It’s hard to remember how many times I’ve taken this walk [London Horror Story]. Every time I am taking a relative or friend around London with me, this is the walk I take. The scenery is straight out of a movie, and what can I say about Shaughan. He’s definitely better than any write-up either I or this brochure could come up with. The stories, the tidbits, the drama – this walk has it all. I guess I’ve done this walk about 6 or 7 times. It’ll be up to 8 the next time I’m in town . . .”   JR New Jersey, USA

“Top Ghost Walks in the UK  London, England: London Walks…their four ghost walks” Essential Travel

“prowling shadows, sense of dread, the dark negative of the sunny snapshots of tourist London” 

GLAD TO HEAR IT

Click here to meet your guide – here’s the Adam interview we did for the London Walks podcast

THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

(Here’s a quick sneak preview – some pictorials, a word from the guide and a classic payoff at the end.)

(And here’s a quickie intro video – a four-guider – about private walks,  how they work, etc. Should you fancy one.)

FINAL THOUGHT

You don’t have to be in London on a Saturday evening to go on the Ghosts of the Old City walk in London, don’t have to be in London to go on Adam’s spooktacular. You can be in San Diego. Or Vienna. Or Toronto. Or Melbourne. Or Singapore. Or wherever. How cool is that.

And how’s that magic work? Easy. Adam runs it occasionally as a Virtual Tour. Keep an eye for it, when one hoves into view, sign up for it and you’re away, you’re in ghostly London.

LONDON WALKS PRIVATE WALKS

If you can’t make one of the regularly scheduled, just-turn-up, Ghosts of the Old City it can always be booked as a private tour. If you go private you can have the Ghosts of the Old City walk – or any other London Walk – on a day and at a time that suits your convenience. We’ll tailor it to your requirements. Ring Fiona or Mary on 020 7624 3978 or email us at [email protected] and we’ll set it up and make it happen for you. A private London Walk – they’re good value for an individual or couple and sensational value for a group – makes an ideal group or educational or birthday party or office (team-building) or club outing.

GIVE THE GIFT OF LONDON WALKS

A private London Walk makes a fab gift – be it a birthday or anniversary or Christmas present or whatever. Merchandise schmerchandise (gift wrapped or not) – but giving someone an experience, now that’s special. Memories make us rich.

LONDON WALKS – STREETS AHEAD!

Don’t just take it from us.

OTHER TOURS YOU MAY LIKE

50 reviews for Ghosts of the Old City

  1. Jon Wardle

    We had a wonderfully “dark” tour with Adam. He used a mix of history and humor to keep a great pace. Really enjoyed being in the financial district with very few people around on a Saturday night.

  2. Lance Arnt

    I have been on many, many different walks with Shaughan through the years, and it is always an excellent, enjoyable experience. He is extremely knowledgeable, talented, and funny, and I always try to take one of his tours every year when I visit London.

  3. Mark from Croydon

    Adam had us in the palm of his hand for 2 hours… the time flew by. Amospheric locations, tons of history all clearly explained, lots of creepy stories – amazing voice and delivery. A great way to spend an cold, wintery Saturday night. Highly recommended!

  4. Chrissie Williams

    Adam was a brilliant tour guide. He was very entertaining and tailored the tour to suit the group. He knew the history and stories off by heart and kept us engaged even during miserable weather. I learnt stuff about a small area I’ve been in loads of times but never knew before.

  5. Alex B.L.

    I have lived in London for decades! I know the area around St Paul’s relatively well but the Ghosts of the Old City walk with Adam was incredibly entertaining and informative. A good way to spend a wet January Saturday evening doing something a bit different. I highly recommend the walk to Londoners and non-Londoners alike. It just makes you realise that the past is always with us and intermingles with the present. Thank you for this lovely experience

  6. Oliver Bond

    Ghosts Of The Old City with Adam – I cannot recommend enough. Adam was entertaining without over-doing it and feeling like you’re at a panto. He was informative and knowledgable without feeling like you’re at a lecture. Great balance, fantastic company, brilliantly done. I’ll be back!

  7. Ilse Claeys

    We had a great time on the Ghosts of the old city walk. Adam is an excellent storyteller. It was spooky, humorous and entertaining.
    We loved it and would highly recommended a walk with London Walks! Not to be missed when visiting London.
    Greetings from Belgium!

  8. Millie

    I wanted to send a note to say my sincerest thanks to Adam for the tour yesterday. It was beyond brilliant – so educational, gory, theatrical and fun. We had a really amazing evening and perfect alternative birthday celebration! Please pass on mine, and all of my friends thanks to Adam.

  9. Izzie L

    Our team thoroughly enjoyed the ghost walk with Shaughan last night. He was so knowledgeable and made it so much fun too. A lovely evening spent wondering the streets of London learning all about the history and ghosts. I would highly recommend. Thanks so much Shaughan!

  10. Amanda H

    Fabulous! Took the Walk with Simon on 10/21, and he was animated, humorous, and very knowledgeable on the area/subject. Thank you Simon!

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