The Most Beautiful Walk in London
Stamford Brook tube station, London
Guided by Ann
Adult: £20 · Students & Seniors: £15 · Children: £5
Walk Times
| Day | Walk Type | Start Time | End Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 November 2026 | Tour du Jour | 10.45 am | 12.45 pm | Winter | Reserve Online |
William Morris, His Friends and His Thames
Short read: A glorious Thameside walk through the London of William Morris, the Pre-Raphaelites and the Arts and Crafts movement.
“If a chap can’t compose an epic poem while he’s weaving tapestry, he had better shut up, he’ll never do any good at all” William Morris
THE WALK
It has been called the most beautiful walk in London.
And it has a fair claim to the title.
This is London at its loveliest. Leafy lanes. Old houses. Riverside gardens. Historic pubs. Boats nosing along the water. And, for a wonderfully long stretch, the Thames beside us.
Hammersmith Bridge, one of the great Thames landmarks on The Most Beautiful Walk in London.
But beauty here is not just scenery. It is the whole point of the story.
Because the linchpin of this beautiful London walk is William Morris, the man who believed that beautiful surroundings, beautiful objects and beautiful workmanship could make life itself better.
Designer. Poet. Printer. Storyteller. Socialist. Dreamer. Bearded Victorian force of nature.
William Morris. Photograph published no later than 1896; photographer unknown. Source: The Bookman, via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.
Morris spent the final eighteen years of his life here beside the Thames. This was his London, his neighbourhood and his creative world. And what a world it was.
Edward Burne-Jones. Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Emery Walker. The Pre-Raphaelites. The Arts and Crafts movement. Bookbinding, calligraphy, stained glass, textiles, printing and political revolution. Beautiful things were imagined and made here. Some of the most remarkable people of Victorian Britain lived, loved, quarrelled and created here.
There was romance as well as revolution. Morris’s wife Jane was one of the great beauties of the nineteenth century. Her long relationship with Rossetti supplied the circle with a Victorian love story worthy of a novel.
Along the way we meet Morris the dreaming boy, Morris the bestselling writer, Morris the translator of Icelandic sagas and Morris the revolutionary who thought Parliament should be emptied of politicians and filled with manure.
And all the while, there is the river.
Hammersmith Bridge at dusk, glowing above the Thames on The Most Beautiful Walk in London.
A beautiful walk. A remarkable neighbourhood. And the extraordinary man who ties it all together.
Guided by Ann
Photo by Nick Sarebi
THE WALK IS BEAUTIFUL. THE GUIDING MAKES IT SING.
London Walks guide Ann
Meet your guide, sample the walk. Click here for Ann’s delightful podcast about William Morris and his circle, his work, his times and his Thameside places. And here’s Ann’s equally delightful podcast about “Mrs” William Morris, Jane, one of the great beauties of the 19th century.
APRÈS WALK
And when the walk ends, the day doesn’t. There’s the option of lunch in a much-loved riverside pub, followed by a visit to the house where Morris spent the final eighteen years of his life.
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WALK IN LONDON – THE MEETING POINT
To go on The Most Beautiful Walk in London meet Ann outside the exit of Stamford Brook Tube.
Photo by Alex Muller https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hammersmith_Bridge_2008_06_19.jpg
LONDON WALKS REVIEWS
“the unfailingly fascinating London Walks… If you can’t find one [of their tours] that captures your fancy, maybe you really are tired of life.” San Francisco Chronicle
“London Walks offer the very best walking tours of the capital” The Travel Channel
“by far the most impressive series of walks that I have ever encountered are those offered by London Walks” Travel and Enjoy
LONDON WALKS PRIVATE WALKS
If you can’t make one of the regularly scheduled, just-turn-up, public walks do think about booking one as a private tour. If you go private you can have the The Most Beautiful Walk in London – 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 (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.
Fruit or Pomegranate by William Morris (1834-1896). Original from the The MET Museum. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel.
Daniel Smith –
William Morris was an exciting and important Part of the story of London. He lived in the Victorian period, he created a group of artists and crafts people following his medieval communal ideals, he was a socialist writer and leader, a true “Renaissance man.”
Ann was an excellent walk leader in her deep knowledge of the Morris group and the community they established on the banks of the Thames. She entertained us with her enthusiasm and her story telling skills.
I highly recommend that you join Ann on this walk. You will expand your knowledge of London, its history and geography, and joining Ann for the morning will make your day, and your entire visit to London, more fun and rewarding.
Thank you Ann.
Vibeke –
What a lovely walk. Ann did a wonderful job of knitting together this very interesting and artful cast of characters. And it was the perfect opportunity to take a gorgeous walk along the Thames, and after the tour, see William Morris Society’s coach house and have a lovely lunch at the Dove overlooking the Thames. An excellent day out!
Alissa –
Wonderful! I was so pleased the William Morris & Friends walk was offered whilst I was visiting London, and I was not disappointed. Ann was a delightful guide .. informative and engaging. Her knowledge of and enthusiasm for the subject was clear. The walk culminated at the Morris Society House and near several attractive pubs which could not have been better planned. *****
Jane S –
Thoroughly enjoyed the William Morris and friends walk with Ann
She was so knowledgeable, a great communicator and friendly
And we finished at William Morris’ house and a pub! What could be better on a drizzly day
Joni –
Ann is such an excellent guide. Her enthusiasm for the area where William Morris lived and his connections with nearby businesses, friends and collaborators came alive thanks to Ann’s extensive knowledge of Morris, store of engaging details and interesting revelations! The illustrations which Ann had with her were a very thoughtful addition to her talk. The pace was just right and in spite of a very grey, wet day we thoroughly enjoyed this walk and the time flew by. As an added bonus we were able continue our explorations at the end of the tour with a visit to Kelmscott House. Not to be missed! Thank you
Colin Startup –
I highly recommend Ann’s William Morris walk. She is very friendly and knowledgeable. Learnt so much about William Morris and his associates in a lovely setting by the river Thames. The walk ends by Kelmscott House and a pub. What could be better?
Caroline Howard –
Anne was a wonderful guide and my friends and I enjoyed our walk immensely. Anne was a very knowledgeable guide who clearly has a passion for her subject and goes over and above to make this such an interesting and very worthwhile experience.
Robert Campbell –
An interesting and relaxing walk in Hammersmith and on the Thames. The guide, Anne was knowledgeable and fun
C. Williford –
I really enjoyed the relaxed pace of this walk and how much I learned about the legacies of the inhabitants of one small, comparatively quiet London neighborhood. These legacies remain part of daily life today. I had never had an opportunity to explore Hammersmith before and am now eager to come back. Ann’s exceptional skill and experience as a guide shines through at every stop. I have been going on London Walks over 25 years of visits and have enjoyed every one, no matter how much or little I knew about the subject going in. So don’t hesitate even if you know very little about William Morris or Morris & Co.
E. Roth –
I highly recommend Ann’s William Morris walk. As others have noted, she was very knowledgeable, a great communicator, and very funny! She conveyed a great understanding of Morris and his circle, giving us a peek into his life in Hammersmith at the time.