Pirates, Press-Gangs and Execution Dock
Tower Hill underground station, London (meet by the Tower Hill Tram coffee stand)
Guided by Dan Parry
Walk Times
| Day | Walk Type | Start Time | End Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 February 2024 | Special | 2.30 pm | 4.30 pm | Winter | |
| 20 April 2024 | Special | 2.30 pm | 4.30 pm | Winter | |
| 4 May 2024 | Special | 2.30 pm | 4.30 pm | Summer | Reserve Online |
| 22 June 2024 | Special | 2.30 pm | 4.30 pm | Summer | Reserve Online |
Discover the dark side of the empire
Better still, discover it with a world-class guide…
Running on the third Saturday of the month, 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…!
Julie Durling –
August 2023
A very interesting walk around Wapping. Dan certainly knew his stuff and bought the area to life. A great way to spend an afternoon in London, off the beaten track.
Jenny B –
A very enjoyable walk with Dan based on an interesting subject. There was a good balance of background history, stories and humour bringing the characters and the area to life, delivered with energy and enthusiasm. I would definitely recommend this walk and will be joining the London Spymasters walk in the near future.
Julie Barratt –
Dan was so eloquent , enthusiastic and knowledgeable he is a joy to listen to he made our walk so very interesting.
We were amazed at the amount of sites and history in such a close distance to the Tower Of London. Dan also had a great cache of sayings and short stories that were both fascinating and funny.
Thank you Dan what a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.
Karen –
Despite a challenging weather day (pouring rain on and off) Dan made a soggy walk loads of fun. We’d never been east of the Tower of London before and it was a revelation! His knowledge is extensive and he never hesitated when answering questions. He’s a great storyteller as we’ve found all the London Walks guides to be. We’ve been on over 20 walks over the years and never been disappointed.
William –
Best paced walk yet. Not everything talked about is in London so the guide has broken up the walk into walk sections and talk stops with a better distribution than any other walk yet. Add to a very interesting speild and a lovely area to walk through and the result is an excellent and enjoyable experience.
Marc Hodes –
As with all 3 of Dan’s Walks, this one was utterly exceptional. He is knowledgeable, passionate and friendly. Before this walk names like Blackbeard and Captain Kidd were just names — now I have a keen understanding of who they were and why they were so historically important. A huge bonus was seeing Wapping too — had never been there before and it’s quite an interesting neighborhood (past and present) in London! No better way to spend an afternoon!
Paige (age 11) –
Yesterday my mum and I went on the fabulous and intriguing walk. We both enjoyed it and learned a lot about mischievous pirates 🏴☠️ and gory executioners. Our guide (Dan) was kind and engaging. The stories were great. To sum it all up, I thought it was a great experience and it was fun and interesting.
Polly –
My daughter and I joined Dan for this walk and thoroughly enjoyed it – Dan had so much historical knowledge of an area that we pass through frequently, tales of pirates, treachery, death and corruption – tales Dan told with enthusiasm, bursting with fascinating facts. We will definitely be joining Dan for another of his walks in the coming months, but in the meantime, we highly recommend this one!
Fleur Launspach –
This was a great walk, along a beautiful part of london and packed with interesting stories and historical fun facts. The guide Dan is a true pleasure to listen to, clearly an expert & has a very lively and enthusiastic way of telling stories. We ended the walk at a lovely historical pub by the water. I definitely recommend this walk!
Paul Horton –
Great informative walk just a stones throw away from the hustle and bustle of Tower Bridge!