The Famous Square Mile
Monument Underground station, London (Fish Street Hill exit)
Guided by Delianne or Fiona or Judy or Simon or Tom
Walk Times
| Day | Walk Type | Start Time | End Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | Weekly | 10.30 am | 12.30 pm | Winter Summer | Reserve Online |
| Thursday | Weekly | 11 am | 1 pm | Winter Summer | Reserve Online |
HEAR TOM MBE HERE
Here’s barrister and superstar guide Tom Hooper MBE talking about this walk. This is Part I of a two-part interview in which Tom enlightens and entertains us about what this walk covers, what you get, where it goes, etc.
Short read: 2,000 Years of History (brought to you by brilliant guides*)
A dream team of nonpareil guides
Long read: The great classic London Walk, the London Walk of Walks! It explores the very heart of the City – the most historic part of the capital. Threading his way through an intricate network of narrow alleys and cobblestone lanes, Simon chronicles the 2,000 years of London’s rich and tumultuous history. And illustrates it by drawing upon everything from street names to ancient customs to the frozen music of London’s great buildings, among which are the ruins of the Roman Temple of Mithras, the Bank of England, the Lord Mayor’s Mansion House, and ancient Guildhall. Guided by Tom MBE, Judy, Fiona or Simon.
*”If this were a golf tournament every name on the Leader Board would be a London Walks guide”
FAMOUS SQUARE MILE TOUR PRACTICALS
The meeting point is just outside the Fish Street Hill exit of Monument Tube. N.B. the walk ends very near St. Paul’s Tube Station.
LONDON WALKS SOUPÇON
The gold stored at the Bank of England cannot be stacked more than 5 feet high and has to be continuously moved around. Why? Because the London clay does not provide a solid enough foundation. Gold is so dense and thus heavy, it would start to sack the foundation of the vaults. In Manhattan, in contrast, the vaults are laid right on top of schist bedrock which is very strong. There is virtually is no limit to how high the stacks can be. (Perhaps just as well because there is more gold in the vaults of the Federal Reserve Bank in Manhattan than there is in Fort Knox. More than 36 countries store their gold there – more than 1/4 of the world’s gold is in those vaults. And well might you ask – how much is in the Bank of England?)
LONDON WALKS REVIEWS
“London’s best city tours” The Telegraph
“Even jaded Londoners find these London Walks a source of astonishing gems of information about the city in which they live.” Daily Mail, Top London Treats
“London Walks was the first – and is the best – of the walking tour firms” Fodor’s Great Britain
“The Famous Square Mile with guide Simon this morning was excellent. I didn’t want it to end even though it had begun raining. The wealth of knowledge of Simon and his exuberant passion for the history of this famous city was reflected in how he brought it to life for our group. I’ve been on numerous of the London Walks and all are the highest calibre. Take as many of these walks as you can!!” P. Fuselli Banff, Canada Feb. 2020
LONDON WALKS PRIVATE WALKS
If you can’t make one of the regularly scheduled, just-turn-up, public Famous Square Mile walks do think about booking one as a private tour. If you go private you can have the Famous Square Mile walk – or any other London Walk – on a day and at a time that suits your convenience. We’ll tailor it to your requirements. 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, thoughtful and unusual 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.
David Kennedy –
Loved this walk! Simon an awesome triple threat as a tour guide, as he possesses voluminous knowledge of London history, a very dry sense of humor, and a vocal range and volume that cuts through any and all background noise of the city that he so clearly loves. Be sure to ask Simon about the “Suits” of London!
Nicole –
Ask yourself, if you miss this tour, have you really seen London? No my friend, you have not.
Simon is more than a tour guide, he’s a tour de force. Thank you for an unforgettable two hours of stories, history, and humor. As with all London Walks this was jam-packed with information, presented in a most memorable way. A compelling overview of a 2000+ year old piece of the city!
Ilaira bouratinos –
The walk was wonderful, not too long or too short, and our guide, Ann, explains everything in an easy to understand yet detailed way. Her encyclopaedic knowledge of London’s history combined with her obvious enthusiasm, made the fascinating stories she shared with us on the walk an unforgettable experience! I think this walk is an excellent choice, whether you’re a history buff, a culture vulture, just curious tourist or even a long time London resident an excellent choice! Highly recommended! Thank you Ann!
Jean –
Our guide Ann was very informative yesterday morning. Making our Very Wet walk a pleasure to be on. She certainly knew her stuff & told with a joy of her knowledge. Thank you Ann we 3 did enjoy. Yes recommend if you especially like architecture & churches. Also had pinpricks of London’s Square Mile past times.
Tina Bonny –
Tom took this tour, and I enjoyed it so much. Hugely entertaining and informative, I would love to have seen Tom in action at the bar! Small group and easy pace. Highly recommend this tour.
alison sanderson –
Thoroughly enjoyable and informative walk with Ann (despite the freezing cold!)
Kieron Earney –
Tom was a brilliant guide- entertaining, funny and knowledgeable. He involved everyone in the group really nicely making it feel like a shared experience. A lovely way to spend a couple of hours getting to know London. The walk was really interesting, taking in stories about both the ancient and the modern city
Katharine –
Did this tour on Thursday 28/12/23 with Delianne. Despite the rainy weather it was an extremely enjoyable, interesting walk and I learned a lot though I’ve lived in London all my adult life. Delianne was funny, entertaining and very knowledgeable. And we swapped skincare tips! Thank you!
Nancy –
I did this tour on Nov 12th with Simon and it was incredibly well done. Simon was fantastic: knowledgeable, entertaining and organized. We would highly recommend this tour and especially any tours done by Simon.
James –
Really enjoyed Simon’s tour. A light enjoyable touch, delivered with just the right amount of gravitas. Will book another tour soon.