Horses Past, Horses Present – Horse Power in London Society
Victoria Underground station, London (outside Wilton Road exit, opposite Apollo Victoria Theatre)
Guided by Charlie
Adult: £20 · Students & Seniors: £15 · Children: £5
Walk Times
| Day | Walk Type | Start Time | End Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 February 2026 | Tour du Jour | 10.45 am | 12.45 pm | Winter |
HORSES AND LONDON
Giddy up.
Charlie’s created two Horses and London canters. The other walk – they complement one another – is called When Horses Ran London. It’ll take place in July.
MEET YOUR GUIDE
HEAR IT HERE
Click here to hear what guide Charlie has to say about this walk
There’s a riding school at Buckingham Palace. It’s been there 250 years. Did you know? If not, here’s a real journey of discovery. This walk reveals the vast importance of horses in asserting the position of those in power. From the royal stables, through the vast complex of early 19th century Belgravia mews, to the four horses sculpted atop the arch at Hyde Park Corner where Britain’s best racehorses were once auctioned, the history of horsepower is all around. Not forgotten are the myriad of coachmen, grooms, stable hands and ostlers that supported a coach-owning aristocracy. Also featured are the sites of 6 attempts to assassinate Queen Victoria. It’s not all in the past – this walk takes in a view of the royal mews, the home of the household cavalry and the two-storied police stables which are still in the street they call Great Scotland Yard.
Melanie Goodwin –
Another great walk with Charlie whose knowledge of his subject seems to know no bounds! From our meeting place at Victoria Station to the finish with the smells of horses at the Met Police stables and the perfect place to watch the changing of the guards outside Horseguards Parade this was a walk of continuous interest and enjoyment. Just brilliant!
Christine –
So much fascinating information and so many sights hidden away in plain sight, all in one great walk! And delivered with such enthusiasm by Charlie, that one could almost imagine being there as passengers vied for cabs or showed off their own ones, promenading on Rotten Row (no soiled saddlery on show there!), or passed through mews arches at the end of the day. And then there were all the details in the sculptures and reliefs that Charlie pointed out, that you just wouldn’t have noticed otherwise. And of course, timing on this walk is paramount, to reach one of London’s must see highlights for “Horses Present”! Thank you Charlie! I will definitely be joining you again on one of your many other walks!
John Keating –
Charlie does a lot of research for each walk he offers. He selects what to tell us about while we are looking at what he wants to discuss.
Just because he has probably five hours of material, he does not feel compelled to dump more information than we can absorb.
Whenever I come to London, I look for a Charlie Forman walk
Malcolm Dewhurst –
I hesitated to do this walk as I have zero interest in horses. Don’t hesitate. Whether you are interested in horses or not this is a fabulous walk with a fantastic guide. A real treat.
Abel K –
Thoroughly enjoyable and informative walk. Charlie’s coverage of the locations and history of London’s association with horses was extensive and eye opening. Highly recommended.
June Stewart –
Another excellent walk from Charlie. Horses Past, Horses Present was so interesting and Charlie has the knowledge to drop in other pieces of information along the way – nothing to do with horses! He even timed it that we were back at Horseguards to see the changing of the horses which are replaced every hour. Highly recommended!
Dorothy MacDonald –
Another excellent walk with Charlie, interesting and informative with lots of extra little hidden gems, I’d highly recommend it, you’ll enjoy it.
Kerry –
Fantastic walk. Charlie was so enthusiastic & knowledgeable! We enjoyed every minute.
Looking forward to attending one of his future walks soon.
Angela –
I loved this walking tour! Charlie really showed not just his knowledge about horses and their role in the running of London, but his passion for his subject. Horses and their importance in a society that was so dependant upon them really brought home the conditions they were subjected to. We really need to acknowledge and respect the animals that still ‘work’ for us. I’ll be looking out for other tours led by Charlie.