The Rock ‘n’ Roll London Explorer Day is a full-day tour with stops at some of the most iconic locations in Great Britain. It’s suitable for savvy travellers who want to visit hidden gems of the capital city and learn about its history of music.
Rock’n’Roll meets breathtaking views: this is the perfect tour for all those who have a passion for rock’n’roll, a love of history and a curiosity about the hidden neighbourhoods of London away from the tourist traps. In one day we will visit some of the key locations where the golden age of English rock’n’roll music was made and where the biggest stars of all time developed their craft.
Booking & prepaying is essential – via secure prepay link on the tour guide’s website.
Small, intimate group guaranteed no more than 12 people per Explorer Day.
TIME: Meeting 9.30am (0930)
MEETING POINT: Waterloo Station by the National Windrush Memorial just inside the main entrance of the station (see photo)
ENDING POINT: Richmond Green (just a few minutes from Richmond Station)
COST: £49 per person
Meeting point for the Rock’n’Roll Explorer Day
What Is A Rock’n’Roll Explorer Day?
An Explorer Day goes further afield than a regular walking tour. It’s a full day tour using London’s public transport network to reach areas of London that are just too far to include on a standard West End walking tour.
On this Southwest London Rock’n’Roll Explorer Day we will travel by public transport to visit three different historic neighbourhoods – each with a long and venerable musical heritage.
The River Thames at Barnes
The Places
Barnes, Twickenham and Richmond are three of the most exclusive picturesque and historic neighbourhoods in Greater London. Each boasts strong links with the major players in the foundation and story of rock ‘n’ roll.
As we go, we will also uncover a little of the history of these London villages, as well as the architecture, the famous people and the events that made these neighbourhoods, the alluring destinations that they are in the 21st-century.
We will meet: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, the Small Faces, Queen, Marc Bolan & more…
We will see: Recording studios, film locations, homes, shrines, legendary gig venues and we’ll visit one of the UK’s best small museums with free admission for Rock’n’Roll London Explorers.
Music History
From the arrival of black music into England to the birthplace of The Rolling Stones we’ll look at how, when and why American music was reshaped in this leafy corner of olde England’s capital.
How does a Rock’n’Roll Explorer Day work?
Rock’n’Roll Explorer Day – Barnes, Twickenham & Richmond
Meet your guide Adam at 9:30 am at Waterloo station a 20 minute train ride will take us to Barnes in Southwest London
Morning
Beginning with our first breathtaking view of the day – looking West along the River Thames – in Barnes we will seek out The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Marc Bolan. Following a short coffee break at the cinema which was once one of the world’s leading recording studio. Then we will board a bus for a five minute ride to the Marc Bolan shrine.
A 10 minute train ride will take us to Twickenham, where we will see the location of the legendary Eel Pie Island venue. From the 1950s to the late 1960s, Eel Pie Island hosted skiffle & trad jazz through the blues boom to the rock era. Acts discussed here will include Pink Floyd, Rod Stewart and the ever-present Stones.
We will then visit the wonderful Eel Pie Museum with free admission for Rock’n’Roll London Explorers. The Eel Pie Museum is one of the hidden gems of Twickenham and has its own little gift shop with souvenirs and t-shirts – there’s also a little, independent record store nearby.
Break for lunch. If you choose to have lunch at the nearby Eel Pie Pub a 15% discount is offered for Rock’n’Roll London Explorers!
Afternoon
A 20 minute train and bus ride takes us to Richmond Hill. In Richmond Hill, we will find The Who, Mick Jagger, the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. Our walk down the hill to Richmond Green takes in a view so special that it is protected by Act Of Parliament, a little Richmond history (and Ted Lasso locations!) and we conclude the story of how black music first came to dominate pop and rock music in this country. The Rock’n’Roll Explorer Day ends at Richmond station with the birthplace of the greatest rock’n’roll band of them all, The Rolling Stones.
At Richmond Station Rock’n’Roll Explorers can catch trains and the London underground back to central London with departures roughly every 10 minutes.
FAQs
Q. How Much Walking Is Involved?
A. An average level of fitness is recommended for this tour. You will take roughly 8,000 steps covering over the course of the day. There will be LOTS of opportunities to sit down along the way
Q. Are There Steps? Hills? Uneven Surfaces?
A. Step free access is available at all four stations that we will visit (Waterloo, Barnes Bridge, Barnes, Twickenham & Richmond). At one point, we will cross a small portion of Barnes Common using a footpath which can occasionally be muddy. The terrain in Richmond is very hilly.
Q. What Are The Advantages of Using Public Transport?
A. Using public transport allows us to provide all the exclusivity and intimacy of a private tour for the cost of a public tour. In addition…
• Our short journeys allow us plenty of breaks throughout the day – public transport is less busy in the middle of the day so there will be plenty of opportunities for a sit down.
• It’s greener. This is the most environmentally friendly music tour in town.
• With no extra cost for coach hire and driver we can keep the price of the tour way down.
Q. If we are moving all day, are there any loo stops?
A. Yes! All three stations on the route have toilet facilities. Adam has scoped and scouted and will happily provide you with his Good Loo Guide To Southwest London!
Q. How Many People Will Be In The Group?
A. There will be no more than 12 people on each Explorer Day.
Q. Exactly How Much Of My Day Will Be Spent Travelling On Public Transport?
A. In total, we will be on public transport for around one hour. The longest journeys will be 20 minutes. For the longer journeys you have the option of accessing a number of specially curated playlists on Spotify, podcasts to listen to, blog posts to read. Alternatively you can chat to your guide Adam and get to know your fellow Rock’n’Roll Explorers, compare notes on your favourite rock and roll bands, or simply sit back and relax.
Q. Is Lunch Included in the price?
A. No, but if you decide to have lunch at the Eel Pie Pub in Twickenham, your tour ticket does include a 15% discount on lunch.
Q. Do I Have To Buy A Special Train Ticket?
A. No. An ordinary travel card/Oyster card/bank or debit card will be sufficient on the date. If you pay by bank card, TFL (Transport For London) will automatically cap your daily transport at £14. That £14 will include your journey to Waterloo station, your journey back from Richmond, all the journeys undertaken on the Explorer Day and any subsequent bus, train or tube journeys that you might take in the evening of the same day up till midnight.
Q. Will Adam Be Guiding On The Bus/Train On The Explorer Day?
A. Adam will be with you the whole day, available to answer questions and chat. He will not be conducting a formal guided tour on the trains/buses.
However… For those of you, who would like them Adam has curated a little extra functionality in the shape of a number of special playlists relating to the tour. These can be accessed at any time during the Explorer Day. They will be informative and well as fun and hopefully will help your travelling time to pass little more enjoyably.
Q. When And Where Does The Explorer Day End?
A. We will aim to end at Richmond between 4.30pm (1630) and 5pm (1700). You will be back in central London by 5:30pm (1730) in good time for any evening events, gigs, restaurants, or theatre performance… Or indeed to join me on an evening walking tour in the West End!
If you are staying in south west London after the tour, you are well placed to keep on exploring – highly recommended especially on the light summer evenings by the River Thames. Kew is very nearby – check Kew Gardens website for evening events. Back in Twickenham there’s the Cabbage Patch Pub for live music, everything from solo vocals to tribute bands. Ask Adam for recommendations at the end of the tour.
Q. How will I recognise my guide?
A: See the picture below…
If Rock N’ Roll is your idea of a good time, dive into our range of tours meticulously created to offer you the ultimate experience. Choose from any of our available tours.
Simon G –
A great tour. I loved it.
Anne Smith –
Fantastic day out and guided tour! I thoroughly enjoyed the day and Adam made it highly entertaining with his choices of music and his very well researched history and knowledge. We visited some extraordinary places and I eagerly await next year’s itineraries. Thank you Adam for all your much appreciated hard work.
Tim Gifford –
This is a corker of a day! Fun and interesting from start to finish and Adam is a mine of musical knowledge and rock history which neatly draws together all the aspects of the whole tour. It is well researched, well coordinated and very enjoyable. The other walkers were also absorbed in the stories of the musical legends whose lives we learned about. Five stars from me and this is highly recommended!!
Judith Kellermann –
Excellent tour considering all the history involved and every piece of information was/is fascinating.
Pub food -not so good
Mary Chadwick –
I had a thoroughly enjoyable day on Friday 21st September on Adam’s Rock and Roll day out. The whole day was well thought out and researched. The transitions between stops on public transport worked really well. It was good being in a smaller group as there was plenty of time for explanations & questions. I’m looking forward to joining another day trip soon. Thank you Adam!
Mary Barry –
Lots of music facts and fun on this tour, with memories of my student days around this area. Adam ushered us on and off trains and buses and in between we had interesting walks in the sunshine. I appreciated how he had previously scouted out suitable toilet stops.
Virginia de Kretser –
Adam’s tour of Barnes, Twickenham and Richmond on 20th September, 2024. We had the most wonderful day with Adam who is brilliant in his stories, humour and facts. Thank you very much Adam and look forward to the next one.
HW –
It’s hard to believe that the respectable and affluent areas visited during this tour once hosted, or were home to, some of the wildest musicians in British rock ‘n’ roll history. Throughout the tour, Adam gave a brilliant account of their early lives, their influences, their rise to fame and, in some cases, their demise. Depending on what you already know, this will either be an opportunity to learn about the great musicians of the rock ‘n’ roll era; or it will be a time to reflect on the contribution those musicians made to the music you know and love. The museum visit included in the tour presents further reminders of the musical heroes who were such a strong presence in the lives of many of us. Even if you have only a passing interest in music, this will be a glorious day out, away from the hustle and bustle of central London. If you want to re-live your musical youth, Adam will provide the sounds and the stories that will help you to do so, injecting them with his customary humour, extensive knowledge and boundless enthusiasm.
Harald Binder –
This was probably the most enjoyable and interesting tour I’ve ever been on. Adam brought along not only a mobile loudspeaker from which he played the music fitting to the place but also a huge treasure of knowledge and entertaining stories. Initially we had thought: a whole day? It was more than worth it! and certainly for us not the last music tour with Adam !
NoahVail –
We had a great day exploring rock and roll history with Adam. He was a wealth of knowledge and anecdotes that kept us interested all day. Introducing us and granting us membership to the Eel Pie Island Museum will surely have us returning for a deeper dive into all the wonderful memorabilia on display. We highly recommend this tour, and especially our guide Adam.