The Famous Square Mile
Monument Underground station, London (Fish Street Hill exit)
Guided by Delianne or Fiona or Judy or Simon or Tom
Adult: £20 · Students & Seniors: £15 · Children: £5
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 |
N.B. this walk will not take place on the following dates:
25-12-2025
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, 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 at Guildhall, nearest tube is Bank and it is a short walk to St. Paul’s.
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.
Peter Docwra –
Anne is a really good guide. She has just the right balance of knowledge, humour and delivery. The content was excellent and the pace just about right. I felt she had plenty in reserve every time she was asked a question and clearly enjoys what she does. My wife and I will look for her name on future walks as a guarantee of excellence.
Jennifer Serna –
The Famous Square Mile with Ann was one of several I took during my visit to London. Ann is really engaging, her knowledge is presented with humor and fun. It is a nice to come off season when the group is smaller. I highly recommend a walk with Ann Jones.
Charles Carnahan –
We had great time with Ann on our walk with Ann yesterday. Her knowledge of the area and some of her inside knowledge of the area were both entertaining and informative. I have taken a London Walks Tour several times over the years visiting London and never been disappointed.
Annika Scott –
Simon was fantastic on this morning’s walk, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, funny and theatrical. Thank you, Simon
Joe and Jamie –
This morning we did the Square Mile tour with Simon, and it was fantastic! This is our second tour with Simon, and as soon as we saw that he would be our guide today, we knew we were in for a treat! Simon ties everything together into a cohesive and understandable history, and he does it with great humor and without hiding his opinions! I can’t recommend him and this tour enough!
Stacey –
Ann was a superb guide, showing us both old and modern sides to this very interesting part of town. She was informative, engaging, and created a great atmosphere for our group. I really enjoyed learning about London with Ann and highly recommend this tour!
Michael –
Anne was an interesting and gracious guide, willing to answer questions and with a good sense of humor. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Sakshi –
I first took this walk six years ago, have recommended this walk to others ( and been thanked profusely – one friend called it the highlight of her trip) and brought back my family this time. Fiona was absolutely amazing, we loved the details she shared about Christopher Wren’s influence on the rebuilding of the city after the Great Fire, the anecdotes about the different guilds ( the Mercers’ maiden was a particularly fun one!). Also, who wouldn’t want to stop by the fountain where Bridget Jones’s Diary ends ❤️ Two hours well spent even if it was freezing cold!
Rebecca Swift –
So informative and interesting! Loved seeing parts of the city that were unexpected and full of history. Thank you Simon!
Elwood MacMullin –
Had a very enjoyable morning. A fun way to learn and to see a new part of London-or should I say Londonium!