walk/tour
Threadneedle Street (by Royal Exchange), EC3V 3LL
what3words: move.lamps.wisely
Join this enjoyable stroll through the City of London, exploring the story of water and how it continues to shape the place we know today. We will follow in the footsteps of ancient Romans and famous Londoners such as Dick Whittington and Samuel Pepys, and discover how forgotten rivers, ingenious conduits and vast sewers have transformed life in the City from earliest days to the present.
Bank, Cannon Street
Cannon Street
133, 21, 43, 141, 25, 26
Walk ends at Balzagette Embankment, EC4Y ODZ (nearest stations Blackfriars and City Thameslink).
This walking tour includes a stepped footbridge and raised kerbs with no dropped or flush corners at intersections.
2.5 hours of walking and standing. A mix of quiet back routes and busy roads. Water en route. Toilets and seats available at end of walk.
Water made London possible – on this walk through the City of London’s historic heart, we'll explore how attitudes to water and waste have changed as the capital has grown over nearly 2,000 years. We'll find traces of the now-hidden River Walbrook and discover why this stream and the lost River Fleet were so important in Roman and Medieval times. We will uncover surprising stories around where drinking water has come from. And we’ll follow the timeline of public sanitation from 12th-century ‘houses of easement’ to the 21st-century Tideway super sewer now protecting the Thames from pollution.
• Explore atmospheric wharves and water stairs along the Thames.
• Learn about secret Roman initiation ceremonies next to the then-sacred River Walbrook.
• Hear why Medieval royalty and dignitaries were so keen to finance toilets for the poor (it may not be why you think).
• See an early fire engine and find out what knock-on effect the Great Fire of London had on the city's water infrastructure.
• Discover how bad the Great Stink of the 19th-century really was.
We will meet on Threadneedle Street, to the side of The Royal Exchange, and we'll start at the stated time, so arriving 10 minutes early is advised. (There are seats and places to grab a coffee.) This will be the first stop on the tour.
This walk will take two and a half hours at a comfortable pace. We will use narrow city pavements next to roads, uneven, cobbled streets and we will be walking a paved section of the pedestrian-only Thames Path next to the river. Where there are steps, a bypass will unfortunately not always be available.
Tours go ahead rain or shine, so dress for the weather. Suitable for all ages. Dogs welcome.
The Golden Key Academy is a course training 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 the conclusion of their 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.
