Pirates, Press-Gangs and Execution Dock
Tower Hill underground station, London (meet by the Tower Hill Tram coffee stand)
Guided by Dan Parry
Adult: £20 · Students & Seniors: £15 · Children: £5
Walk Times
| Day | Walk Type | Start Time | End Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 June 2026 | Special | 2.30 pm | 4.30 pm | Summer | Reserve Online |
| 11 July 2026 | Special | 2.30 pm | 4.30 pm | Summer | Reserve Online |
| 22 August 2026 | Special | 2.30 pm | 4.30 pm | Summer | Reserve Online |
| 19 September 2026 | Special | 2.30 pm | 4.30 pm | Summer | Reserve Online |
| 17 October 2026 | Special | 2.30 pm | 4.30 pm | Summer | Reserve Online |
| 14 November 2026 | Special | 2.30 pm | 4.30 pm | Winter | Reserve Online |
Here’s ace guide Dan Parry – he of Spies’ Walks fame – talking about this walk.
Discover the dark side of the empire
Better still, discover it with a world-class guide…
And while you’re at it, discover a “world class guide.” Get to know him. This podcast is Dan telling us a bit about Dan – about being a cowboy, about interviewing Astronaut Neil Armstrong and President George Bush, etc.
This walk has stairs and cobbles.
Find your sea-legs and sail into the past! Beneath the eerie cry of the gulls, we walk along the river from Dead Man’s Hole to Execution Dock, via ancient smugglers’ taverns where press-gangs dragged men off to sea.
Exploring a salt-encrusted, maritime world that was the making of Britain’s empire, we step off the beaten track to discover a long-forgotten way of life – a time when rum-soaked buccaneers chased Spanish treasure ships, and Royal Navy crews fought criminal captains in the Golden Age of Piracy.
Venturing through streets they knew and perhaps glimpsing the ghosts that still linger to this day, we walk from Tower Hill to St Katherine’s Dock. Then following the Thames, we eventually finish at London’s oldest riverside pub, where you’ll be able to enjoy a drink in wonderfully atmospheric surroundings.
A family-friendly stroll – guided by Dan Parry, former BBC documentaries producer and author of the National Maritime Museum’s biography of Blackbeard – this is the most authentic pirates walk in London!
In the beginning, there were stories of gold. Daring men, who lived, drank and fought beside London’s crowded wharves, sailed to the Caribbean in search of treasure. For some of them, we know their names, where they lived and what they seized along the way.
Sailing as buccaneers, they had royal approval for their attacks on ships and towns. They included men like John Limbrey, who inspired the likes of Captain Morgan and later Blackbeard, and who commanded the Merchant Royal, laden with gold and silver that today would be worth $1.5 billion…if it were ever rediscovered.
Later, such men were outlawed by the state and regarded as pirates. Captain Kidd, seized in Boston, was dragged back to London to be hanged at low tide on the banks of the river. We’ll take a look at Execution Dock, where Kidd met his end, as did many others, and where his body was swamped by three high tides before it was cut down.
Other thieves stole riches closer to home. Before secure docks were built, ships lined up on the Thames waiting to unload. By 1800, thousands of river pirates, night plunderers, light horsemen, scuffle-hunters and mud larks were routinely raiding whatever they could find.
We’ll take a spy-glass glance at all these renegades. We’ll discover how they became pirates, we’ll look at the risks they took, and encounter the people who pursued them. Along the way, we’ll meet the only man who stole the crown jewels, and maybe witness the ghost of the sinister Hanging Judge Jeffreys. Join us, and discover the dark side of the empire…!
Richard Hentschel –
An intereting walk perfect for a Saturday afternoon and more exciting than the FA Cup Final. Dan was an entertaining and very informative guide. There were so many references to nautical phrases still used in the Engliah language. I thought the fun quiz in the middle of the walk was great and a good way to dispose of myths about pirates and the sea
Laura Hayden –
We don’t need no Press-gangs…Dan brings us willingly along on this adventure with pirates, privateers and more. As usual, his stories are well told, the walk interesting and informative and there’s a very strong through-line in his presentation which gives us a solid chronology as well as a sense of history and place. All and all, it’s an enjoyable look into an era and a profession that has been glamorized by misinformation and media, but he brings it all down to earth with facts. It’s always a joy to have him lead us around!
Yuliya –
Thanks for another enjoyable walk. We learned a lot of new historical facts while walking familiar streets and it is remarkable how well researched and detailed your stories are. We hope to be back for more.
Meryl –
I went on Dan’s Pirates walk with about a dozen others. It was full of interesting facts and I was particularly interested to hear about the many marine phrases which have crossed over into everyday parlance.
It was lovely walking along the Thames in glorious sunshine and to end up at The Prospect of Whitby pub with its own unique history.
Great way to spend a couple of hours in an area that has seen much change and regeneration in the last 20 years but has retained a lot of its historical character. Highly recommend
Perry –
Entertaining and informative walk on a beautiful sunny day. Dan is friendly and engaging, bringing tbe subject to life with interesting facts and fun anecdotes.
Russell –
Excellent interesting walk
Dan is full of intriguing history and knowledge.
He has so much enthusiasm and open to questions
It’s was more of a relived journey than just a walk .
With a clear crisp voice to .
We’ve done many London walks over the years
This one was the best
Thank you Dan
Russ-Jane
Helen Jenkins –
I booked a private pirate walk with Dan Parry for my husband’s birthday as it’s a part of London we find very interesting and who doesn’t love a pirate! It was a great decision for many reasons. Dan was extremely engaging and a fantastic communicator – one of those people who can really bring history to life. It was a great walk from Tower Hill to Wapping with plenty of stops and a huge amount of very interesting information. It was a great mix of Thames-side walking and down winding back streets as well as the remaining docks. I would highly recommend this for any group and any age. The walk is very well-designed with places to sit if you’re slightly less mobile and ends at one of the best pubs in that area – absolutely perfect for lunch!
Dan fan! –
Dan is an outstanding guide: personable, knowledgeable, humorous and well aware of his audience. He engaged us with his thorough presentation of the topic and drew fascinating details from his substantive researches into piracy thereby whetting our appetites for the next morsel of information. Dan offered numerous opportunities for questions (surely the hallmark of a master teacher and storyteller) and was generous in his responses when members of the tour (we were neophytes) proffered titbits of their own. Dan’s pacing was also just right. He embodies the spirit of the London Walks and I look forward to reading his book (“Blackbeard”) and learning more from him on future tours. I urge you to take this tour with Dan. You will be enchanted!
Jac –
A fantastic walk, 4 of us did it and we were captivated from start to end!!
Highly recommend this as Dan taught us so much.
Sue –
Lots of historical facts and a nice walk