The Blitz
St. Paul's underground station, London (exit 2)
Guided by Fiona or Jonathan or Tom
Adult: £20 · Students & Seniors: £15 · Children: £5
Walk Times
| Day | Walk Type | Start Time | End Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | Weekly | 2.15 pm | 4.15 pm | Winter Summer | Reserve Online |
Short read: “London turned crimson”
Long read: The dome of St. Paul’s seemed to ride the sea of fire like a great ship. Ludgate Hill was carpeted in hosepipes. Two hundred people died that night. On the north side of the cathedral 63 acres became a waste of smoking ash and rubble. Another 100 acres were completely devastated in other raids that autumn. At the finish, out of the City’s tight-packed 461 acres, 164 were reduced to ruin. And this was just 1940.
FANCY A PODCAST?
Called The Night the Darkness Lost, this one tells the story of the end of the Blackout.
NONPAREIL GUIDES
Far be it from me – David – to say London Walks are the best guides in London but they’re certainly in the top one.
THE BLITZ – THE PRACTICALS
The Blitz takes place every* Thursday afternoon at 2.15 pm. The meeting point is just outside exit 2 of St. Paul’s Tube. N.B. the Blitz Walk ends by St. Paul’s Cathedral, right next door to St. Paul’s Tube
*Summer programme only. Please check winter dates as it runs less regularly in the winter, and make sure to check out other things to do in London in Winter.
LONDON WALKS REVIEWS
“We went on five London Walks tours while vacationing in London: ‘This is London,’ ‘Soho Unzipped’ (a pub tour), ‘St. Paul’s Cathedral,’ ‘The Blitz,’ and ‘In the Footsteps of Sherlock Holmes.’ All of them were fabulous! Better than we could have hoped for. The guides were friendly and incredibly knowledgeable – it felt almost like we were taking fun 2-1/2 hour college courses about some of the most fascinating aspects of London. The groups were small – never more than 20 people, and the guides spoke loud and clear, which was much appreciated. Definitely better than the hop-on / hop-off buses with faulty audio guides, and definitely a great value at just 10 pounds per person. We took advantage of the multiple-walks ticket and paid only 8 pounds per person for the last three tours. It was great! We’d recommend London Walks for anyone looking to learn more in-depth, fascinating facts about London’s history without the boiler-plate, pre-packaged feel of the hop-on / hop-off buses and audio guides.” Meredith R., New York City
“you can’t do better than London Walks” London Day by Day
LONDON WALKS PRIVATE WALKS
If you can’t make the regularly scheduled, just-turn-up, public Blitz walk why not think about booking it as a private walk? If you go private you can have the Blitz 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 walks – we go to great lengths to make sure the guide-walker(s) “fit” is well-nigh perfect. Ring Fiona or Peter on 020 7624 3978 or email us at [email protected] and we’ll set it up and make it happen for you.
GIVE THE GIFT OF LONDON WALKS
If you’re looking for an unusual and wonderful gift or Christmas present for a friend or family member – well, why not consider the gift of a private tour with a world-class guide. Merchandise schmerchandise – but giving someone an experience, now that’s special. Memories make us rich.
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE GUIDING
“If this were a golf tournament every name on the Leader Board would be a London Walks guide”
SallyB –
Fabulous, fascinating tour of the city of London during the Blitz with Fiona today. Lots of information tempered with poignant insights into the lives of Londoners during the bombings. Thoroughly recommended.
Kimberley –
We enjoyed our afternoon with Andrew on The Blitz walking tour. Andrew is a wealth of information about his topic and relays it well. He ably answers the random questions asked by tour participants. The pace was comfortable, the stopping points served to illustrate significant examples of consequences of the Blitz. We came away understanding much more about life during the Blitz and the long term effects on London.
Victoria Redshaw –
What an utterly brilliant and fascinating walk. Jonathan was exceptional in the presentation of a very important aspect of World War II, weaving a route through the City of London. Having walked through these streets on many occasions, I thought I knew it all. Spoiler: I know nothing, but Jonathan imparted many absolute gems. One piece of advice to people reading this: go on this walk!
Viv Pyner –
A walk in the area round St Paul’s Cathedral with lots of information from Russell, some of which I knew, but much that I didn’t. It was very enjoyable and Russell certainly knows lots about the blitz, and some information about other periods of history as well. A great walk.
Cynthia Oleary –
We had the pleasure of having Tom as our guide to learn about the Blitz and what life was like for a typical Londoner during those times. Although the weather at the start of the tour was only cloudy, just as Tom was beginning to discuss the various bombs, a thunderstorm started to provide the perfect sound effects! We learned a lot about the power of propaganda used by Churchill, the use of the Tube as bomb shelters and the heroic volunteer firefighters who saved St. Paul’s Cathedral, among many other things. We highly recommend this tour!!
Sara –
Fiona was a great guide who truly was able to connect the sights to the realities faced by Londoners during a difficult time. She made the conversation approachable and provided a lot insight that is often missed in discussions about the Blitz. Humanizing and purposeful tour.
Shane –
i thought this walk might possibly be over-specific and/or saddening–but it’s nothing of the kind! Fiona does a wonderful job with it, providing both detail and general context in a walk that’s engaging and moving throughout. She’s very warm and well-organized, and she invites questions–a truly outstanding walk!
Nikolai –
Jonathan did an incredible job engaging the entire group with his remarkable ability to tell the Blitz story and also share a few valuable insights about the City of London area in general. Highly recommended and beyond worth the price!
Dr. Thomas A. Underwood –
Fiona is a seasoned professional. She has a lovely down-to-earth warmth that accompanies and facilitates delivery of her deep knowledge of London’s social history. I’ve been on numerous walks that took up the story of the Blitz but this walk helped bring my knowledge of its effect on ordinary people to a newer level of understanding. Fiona knew how to blend prosopography and place without losing her gentle wit or eye for irony. She offered an especially brilliant comparison of Londoner’s life during the Blitz to everyone’s during the Covid pandemic. All told, a well-told tale of suffering and survival. brava!
Scott & Jennifer –
Great tour! in depth knowledge and great ability to link history to the London of today.