Swallowed by central London, do you even pick out the village of Marylebone? Begin with the leafy courtyard at the side of the Parish Church overlooked by angels from its dome.
Then take a High Street saunter, past the pocket graveyard of an earlier church. From the mosaic of shopfronts, wriggle down narrow Marylebone Lane which breaks the street grid as it shadows the line of the river Tyburn. Don’t miss Pentons 1841 hardware store, the display at Rothe’s, a ‘four generations’ delicatessen.
Or the handsome pub corners. It gets narrower – St Christopher’s Place fashionable now, once an alley of Victorian poverty. Skip across the hiatus of Oxford St to work the passageways till you burst onto New Bond St with its centuries of high-end spend. Soon the great Tudor gatehouse of St James’s Palace is ahead.
Giving a nod to the monarch’s Clarence House home, emerge on the Mall which offers a full frontal of Buckingham Palace.
Round off with the lake and landscaping of St James’s Park before coming to rest next to the highly wrought portals of Queen Anne’s Gate.
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE GUIDING
A B A –
Section 7 of the Ultimate London Walk, September 2026.
Sections 7 and 8 feel like the most urban parts of these linked walks. Most of the group felt the shift and the sensory overload in Section 7, which is to be expected when navigating central London and the tourist hotspots, especially after being spoilt with green spaces up to this point.
However, despite its central location, there are still hidden gems that are easily overlooked, so I wouldn’t let the urban nature put anyone off—it is still a cracking walk.
The pre-walk information was excellent. The detailed email regarding meeting points, potential toilet stops, and terrain made it easy to prepare and pack appropriately. Additionally, the group size was ideal; everyone could hear clearly, and we were encouraged to walk at our own pace without feeling rushed.
Finally, our guide, Charlie, was outstanding. He was attentive, passionate about sharing his knowledge, and very open to input from the group.
ant –
Walk 7: now into central London and the Marylebone / Mayfair area. Wealth can be seen by the shops and buildings we pass by. Look above the shops though and links to the past are seen and Charley is able to point them out and bring the past alive. The advantage of these walks is giving time to recognise lives in the past and the changes /impact to the present and the future.
Well done Charley for keeping us moving and together amongst all those on the London streets on a Saturday. Still finding the green spaces though with a sighting of the Pelicans in Green Park.
Jacky –
Sections 7 & 8: Marylebone to Stockwell
The most “urban” of our North to South London “Camino” walk so far.
For the morning walk from Marylebone to St James’s Park, Charlie our guide managed to steer us through the back roads, pointing out several items of historical interest: one of the first National Schools and “The Ragged and Industrial Schools”, which in their day went some way to addressing issues of poverty and child neglect. It’s wonderful to see these handsome buildings so well preserved.
We passed through Marylebone and the wonderful independent shops – shout out for the cheese shop La Fromagerie – crossed over Oxford Street and down through Mayfair & St James’s with its cigar shops & wine merchants.
To see a number of pelicans and their brood on the pond in St James Park was a total surprise!
Dorothy MacDonald –
We have left the countryside behind but what an interesting walk, the major streets of central London and the small hidden alleyways and squares all have fascinating stories to tell as do the Royal palaces, this was a great walk.
Martin Harborne –
Interesting walk through some little known back streets as well as more well known roads. Lots of detail from the guide. I think because of the distance to be covered the pace of the walk was a bit quick for an oldy like me.