Disastrous London

(18 customer reviews)

Barbican Underground station, London

Guided by Andy or Citlalli

Walk Times

Day Walk Type Start Time End Time
Saturday Weekly 2 pm 4 pm Winter Summer Reserve Online

Short read: Fire, Plague, Bombing, Rebellion, Executions

Shorter read: Down, Dirty, Disastrous London

Short listen: Here’s Guide Citlalli talking about the walk.

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE GUIDING

Don’t just take it from us…

Long read: Bloody, Flaming, Poxy London. Plague, Fire & Revolution. The Black Death. Churchyards brimming with bodies. The harvest of Death.

The zombie apocalypse – but for real. What changes?

Everything. We start at an ancient Carthusian priory built next to a plague pit so the brothers could pray for the tormented souls of the dead.

We visit an execution spot. But not just any execution spot – THE execution spot – Protestants (yep, the big reboot) and Mel Gibson (ahem).

We visit the site of revolt – in effect tour a battlefield – a poll tax – not Maggie – this is 1381, a Lord Mayor, a king, a revolutionary.

Spoiler alert. It ends badly.

Fast forward to 1666 and the Great Fire (we’ll see several pre-fire structures), the Duke of York and 100 men, poised, a last stand – Cock Lane (yep, it’s exactly what it says on the tin) and then a peek at London’s great phoenix, St. Paul’s, raised from the ashes in all its glory. You’ll need to quench your thirst so how about a pint at Shakespeare’s gaff?  And yes, he finally bought a place, in Ireland Yard, the Blackfriars gatehouse. His cellar is still there. It’s our pub cellar, our pints come up from Shakespeare’s cellar.

CODA: so it’s pubs, stunning vistas, historical alleyways, centuries-old architecture and, yes, ahem, filthy street names. What more from a walk? Violence, mayhem, fire, sedition, sex and booze. The London Walk that just keeps on giving. Guided by Andy or Citlali
The walk will include a brief pub stop en route.

DISASTROUS LONDON – THE PRACTICALS

The meeting point is just outside the exit of Barbican  Tube.

LONDON WALKS REVIEWS

“the best London has to offer” Culture Trip

“London’s best city tours” The Telegraph

“London Walks has many copycats, but it’s the best” Frommer’s London by Night

“Simon, a true professional, extremely well read and dramatic, but understated leads a fascinating tour. THIS WALK HAS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE: HUMOR, GORE, CINEMA, WAR, ARTS, COLORS, PLATES, Gates DETECTIVES AND EVEN THE CUMBERBATCH! This is truly a must see!!” T. Hobbes

LONDON WALKS PRIVATE WALKS

If you can’t make one of the regularly scheduled, just-turn-up, public Disastrous London walks do think about booking one as a private tour. If you go private you can have the Disastrous London Walk – or any other London Walk – on a day and at a time that suits your convenience. We’ll tailor it to your requirements. And – always with private London Walks and tours – we go to great lengths to make sure the guide-walker(s) “fit” is well-nigh perfect. Ring Fiona or Peter or Niamh 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 very special, indeed, unique gift – be it a birthday or anniversary or Christmas present or whatever. Merchandise schmerchandise (gift wrapped or not) – but giving someone an experience, now that’s special. Memories make us rich.

LONDON WALKS – STREETS AHEAD!

Don’t just take it from us or The New York Times

Fire, Plague, Bombing, Rebellion, Torture & Executions..

18 reviews for Disastrous London

  1. Chris

    A fantastic walk! Andrew balances history and entertainment perfectly 🙂

  2. Nikki

    This was such a great tour. Andrew was friendly, super organised, very knowledgeable and fun. We packed so much into 2 hours. The time flew and I am still thinking about all the interesting facts. I would highly recommend it.

  3. Ray Lockey

    Andy was excellent in every respect. His humorous, informative presentation of the history and architecture on the walk was brilliant and kept everyone engaged. A really good way to see and learn about London. Would recommend without hesitation.

  4. Jackie

    Very interesting area in
    London.
    Andy was a brilliant guide.
    Very enjoyable

  5. Chris

    Excellent walk, which included done of the oldest buildings I’ve seen in my life. My favourite was a church sequestered by King Henry VIII, which still looks and feels very Catholic and Latin after all these years.

  6. RoseAnn Martin

    This was a great walk that went beyond the standard London highlights! The walking pace was great and we learned a lot of information we hadn’t heard previously. For £15 for a nearly 2-hour tour it was also a great value!

  7. George

    Citlalli took us on an engaging and eye-opening tour. Having lived in London for a few years we were pleasantly surprised to hear so many interesting (and gruesome) tales on Dangerous Walks. Sights included a hidden abbey in a back alley and a dungeon below a pub, as well as London’s oldest house! Citlalli was very informative and answered all our questions. We had a fantastic time and will definitely be recommending the walk and Citlalli. All the stories she told us have stuck with us since and we’ve been talking about it ever since!

  8. Nigel Watson

    We went on this tour yesterday and it was enthralling. Simon (our guide) was an excellent story teller. We live in London, but we learned a lot.

  9. Gigi

    Two hours in a freezing cold London went by in a flash as our wonderfully engaging and erudite guide, Simon W, walked and talked us through a patch of the City of London that has borne witness to various disasters over the centuries.. epic story-telling at it’s best and a rewarding way to spend a Saturday afternoon. I am a born and bred Londoner and loved this walk. Strongly recommend.

  10. Crispy

    Simon is a really engaging guide. He walked us through London’s ‘disasterous’ history, with great knowledge and humour.
    What a brilliant way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

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