walk/tour
Outside Marconi Lounge, 336-337 Strand, WC2B 4RD
what3words: loves.gold.punt
Join us for a walking tour along a short but remarkable stretch of the Strand and Aldwych, where centres of law and learning have flourished from Tudor times to the present day. Along the way, we will hear the stories of the women — and a few men — connected to this corner of London: royal residents, scholars, activists, lawyers, artists and athletes who lived, worked, studied here, and went on to change the world. We will look at the buildings and artworks that carry their traces and walk in the footsteps of some of history's most formidable women, who opened doors for those of us who came after them.
Charing Cross, Embankment, Holborn, Temple, Waterloo, Covent Garden
Blackfriars, Charing Cross, Waterloo
1, 13, 139, 15, 168, 171, 172, 176, 188, 23, 243, 26, 341, 521, 59, 68, 76, 87, 91, RV1
Meeting point is opposite Somerset House. End point: outside Bush House North on Aldwych, near to starting point.
We will go up one set of around 15 steps, with handrails on both sides. Let me know if this will be an issue.
Be aware that the Strand is mixed use in the area we are visiting. Take care not to step out in front of other road users, such as cyclists
Walking tour
14:00–16:30
How to book
Bookings will open at midday on 19 August. You won't be able to book a ticket before then.
We will be meeting by the yellow metal chairs opposite Somerset House on the Strand. Be aware that this is a mixed use area so look out for cyclists sharing our space.
We will visit the outside areas of:
The Strand,
Somerset House,
St Mary le Strand,
Bush House,
King's College London,
The Royal Courts of Justice,
and the London School of Economics.
Finishing on Aldwych outside Bush House north, our two hour walk covers around one mile, but will have taken us through centuries of history.
Note: there are public toilets available in Somerset House at the start of the tour. We will not be stopping for a toilet break on the tour. However, our finish point will only be around 5 mins walk from Somerset House.
The Golden Key Academy is a course training up insightful and engaging guides dedicated to explaining London and bringing its many stories to life. This tour is part of a wider collection of tours created by Golden Key Academy guides for the Open House Festival celebrating their conclusion of the eight month course.
Further information on the Golden Key Academy can be found here https://open-city.org.uk/golden-key-academy
If you would like to attend this tour, please ensure you have booked a ticket before turning up.
Helen is a proud Londoner by birth and by choice. She works with international students as a lecturer King's College London, and loves to introduce them to our amazing capital city.
While she doesn't echo Johnson's claim that 'When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life', she does believe that maybe when a person is tired of London, they might need something to reignite their love for the city, and that a walking tour is a good place to start.
She enrolled in the Golden Key Academy to enable her to learn and share stories of London with a willing audience.
