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…!
Siobhan –
Wow…didn’t know any of this part of London and all its history
Fascinating
Angela –
Winding down from the tower to cobbled streets via the riverside, this was a fascinating walk that I would highly recommend.
Dan is a brilliant guide, very clearly spoken and with so much research. He is so full of knowledge and he shares this through exciting tales. He even threw in some origins of words you would never have guessed.
If you want to learn loads about the pirates, docks and gangs and how and where many were executed, then Dan is your man!
Kai –
Dan is a great storyteller, providing so many interesting details and bringing the pirate age back to life. If you like historic settings and how it all connects, this walk is a must – and Dan rounding it all up.
Charles P –
This is walk you will not have been on before, close to the city yet so far away. Dan took us on a pirate adventure half way across the world with his tales of treasure and executions, dumping us happily in one of the oldest pubs in London. Enjoy!
Charles P –
This is a walk you will not have been on before. Close to the City yet a world apart. Dan took us on a pirate adventure that crossed the then known world and dumped us happily in one of the oldest pubs in London. Enjoy!
Mark Bush –
A really excellent London Walk, the perfect mixture of interesting locations, surprising facts and juicy scandal. You’ll be glad you live in the 21st century when you hear how violent and unpleasant life was in centuries past. Dan is a great story-teller, delivering with passion for his subject, lightened with humour. Absolutely recommended.
Lily Stringer –
We joined Dan on the pirates tour yesterday, we found it so interesting that we are continuing to discuss the history today.
Dan was a fantastic storyteller and we thoroughly enjoyed our morning on the tour.
Thank you!
E Semple –
I highly recommend Dan Parry’s Pirate walk. Dan is incredibly knowledgeable of the topic and had many great and entertaining stories to tell. Will definably do one of Dan’s other walks in the future!
Miranda Robinson –
A really great way to gain some insight into the fascinating history of London as well as a fair few familiar historical names that we all recognise but aren’t 100% sure why! Dan is a passionate and talented storyteller and he weaves these captivating stories together through providing us with a combination of raw historical knowledge and other, lesser-known anecdotes to provide an even richer perspective. I particularly enjoyed learning where some of the common idioms that we use in everyday language really come from!
Paul Scott –
A superb, enjoyable walk packed with history, fascinating stories and intriguing characters.
To remember as much of it as possible, I retraced the whole thing back to Tower Hill tube afterwards and enjoyed it for a second time.
Dan’s subject knowledge is deep, his storytelling superb and his passion clearly evident from beginning to end. At times, he makes you feel like he must’ve been there at the time these events happened to be able to describe them so articulately.
If you’re interested in London and/or history, this walk is for you. A thoroughly enriching way to spend a couple of hours.