How the City Got Rich
Tower Hill underground station, London (meet by the Tower Hill Tram coffee stand)
Walk Times
| Day | Walk Type | Start Time | End Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | Weekly | 2.30 pm | 4.30 pm | Winter Summer | Reserve Online |
N.B. this walk will not take place on the following dates:
24-10-2023Short read: A new walk. Exactly what it says on the tin. Served up by nonpareil, well-connected guides Mary B. and David P. One of them a former London Mayor. Both – it almost goes without saying, this – professionally qualified (City of London and Blue Badge, respectively).
Good listen: Here’s a great podcast guide David did about How the City Got Rich – the walk and the history.
Longer read: “Since Dick Whittington first came to the City of London 600 years ago, people have thought of the streets of London as ‘paved with gold’. Exploring ancient City of London alleyways – finding and opening up to view the historic hotspots – we piece it together, make the connections, decipher it, discover how (and why) thanks to merchant shipping, monarchy, Methodism, Mercers (Whittington’s ‘Livery Company’ that still thrives today) and much more, including, yes, coffee houses, London came to be so much richer than Luton, Lisbon or Lima.”
HOW THE CITY GOT RICH – THE PRACTICALS
How the City Got Rich takes place at 2.30 pm every Tuesday. The meeting point is just outside the exit of Tower Hill Tube. Meet David P. and co. by the Tower Hill Tram coffee stall.
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE GUIDING
Don’t just take our word for it…
LONDON WALKS REVIEWS
“by far the most impressive series of walks that I have ever encountered are those offered by London Walks” Travel and Enjoy
“the unfailingly fascinating London Walks… If you can’t find one [of their tours] that captures your fancy, maybe you really are tired of life.” San Francisco Chronicle
LONDON WALKS PRIVATE WALKS
If you can’t make one of the regularly scheduled, just-turn-up, public How the City Got Rich walks do think about booking one as a private tour. If you go private you can have the How the City Got Rich 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 Niamh or Peter 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 seriously special, thoughtful and unusual gift – be it a birthday or anniversary or graduation or Christmas present or whatever. Merchandise schmerchandise (gift wrapped or not) – but giving someone an experience, now that’s special. Memories make us rich.
Nancy & Miguel –
Context and history came to life in Mary’s narrative. What could’ve been a dry exercise in dates and numbers turned into a revealing glimpse of London’s evolving power and wealth. Mary’s strength as a historian is that she connects the dots to make history engaging.
Jane N –
We thoroughly enjoyed the Old Westminster tour yesterday . Simon was very knowledgeable and amusing. Lots of detail which have been missed without his expertise. We have done several walks and will be back for more.
Chris M –
My uncle and i have enjoyed many of the walking tours over the years. Such a splendid and fun way to get to know more about London and it’s rich history! We particularly enjoyed this tour thanks to David’s welcoming and uplifting character. Such a great companion for a little but extensive time travel!
Nina Millsaps –
I went on this tour on May 24th. It was one of the best tours I’ve attended. Really enjoyed the roof top garden views of the City of London. Jackie made the small group feel comfortable. I highly recommend this walk.
Mary O’Mahony –
I booked this walk for a group attending a conference in London in November. Everyone enjoyed the walk, even those of us who work in London. Many of us went to places we had never been to before and Jackie was great in placing the areas in historical context. She is a very knowledgeable and friendly guide. I highly recommend this walk.
Clive and Ella Fisk –
Review.
We have enjoyed several Walks covering the same geographical area but this gave us a different appreciation of how the tiny ‘Square Mile’ gradually developed from almost nothing pre Roman times to become a world financial centre due to a sequence of events. Jackie was an informative and knowledgeable guide.
Non review
Since the mid-noughties Pre COVID we would visit London two or three times a year and would always try to do a couple of the Walks in groups of to about 30 people which could be a little unwieldy. On Tuesday we found that we were the only two to have booked and would not have been surprised if the Walk was cancelled but we were delighted that Jackie seemed happy to take just ourselves and we really enjoyed being able to have a more personal interaction. Greatly appreciated, Jackie.