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.
Mike –
Excellent tour that provided a fascinating history of the area, as well as London in general. Isabelle was a superb guide.
Anthony Parker (Wales) –
Absolutely brilliant…..Simon made it, very knowledgeable and his knowledge was delivered with enthusiasm. I’ve been on walks before where the guide had knowledge but couldn’t deliver it if they were a postie. Simon had it all. Thank you very much.
Mark Lansdell –
A wonderful tour and a wonderful guide! Simon was extremely knowledgeable, charismatic and engaging. We really enjoyed him and learned a lot. Fantastic tour, thank you!
Peck –
I went on a London Walk at Famous Square Mile on the 1st April 2023 with Delianne. My first London Walk ever, and I was left with so much interest to find out more about this wonderful city at the end of the tour, as Delianne was so informative and entertaining. I went on to join 2 other walking tours: Westminster Abbey and Old Westminster Walking Tour.
Yvonne Scotton –
A very informative walk through areas of London we have never seen before. Thank you to Fiona who is so knowledgeable, we would definitely recommend, & choose this company to go on other walks around the city .
Paul Swift –
We enjoyed the Famous Square Mile walk yesterday with Fiona as our guide. Great to hear anecdotes and learn about the City through its long history, not just as a centre of trade and finance but also its social and cultural development. Not heavy but chatty, lighthearted and fun, weaving expertly through the alleys and old streets we were given a real sense of how the area has become what it is. Highly recommended.
Alison Jones –
Fascinating, informative, relaxed. Fiona has whetted my appetite for more of these tours. Very good value.
joelle –
We had a very enjoyable and informative tour with Delianne. She made it so much fun and lively that we would definitely like to book another tour with her . I would highly recommend this tour . Thank you Delianne
Neil –
Sue led an informative and engaging walking tour of London City, providing a comprehensive overview of the area’s rich history. From Roman Coliseums to the origins of coffee shops, the tour offered a diverse range of historical highlights. Sue’s expertise and passion for the subject made for a memorable experience. Highly recommend to anyone interested in learning more about London City’s past.
Mike and Lindy –
We went on this incredible walk with JUDY on the last week of December. Enriching in ways we did not expect and exceeded all of our expectations! It was our first London Walks…walk…and we knew more walks would be in the offing if they were as good as this. Judy was a consummate professional with all the in-depth knowledge and experience needed to make us feel comfortable, entertained, and educated. We came away enormously grateful! Loved it!