Credit: CWoolfrey
Credit: CWoolfrey
Credit: CWoolfrey
Credit: CWoolfrey
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 a forgotten river, ingenious water wheels 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 northern approach of Millennium Bridge, Thames Embankment, London EC4V 3QH (nearest stations Blackfriars and Mansion House).
This walking tour includes a stepped footbridge and some raised kerbs with no dropped or flush corners at intersections.
2hr walking and standing. A mix of quiet back routes and busy roads. Water en route. Seats available at end of walk. Toilets a 10min walk.
Credit: CWoolfrey
Credit: CWoolfrey
Credit: CWoolfrey
Credit: CWoolfrey
Walking tour
10:00–12:00
How to book
You'll need to log into your account before you book.
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 was 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 along the Thames.
• Learn about secret Roman initiation ceremonies next to the then-sacred River Walbrook.
• Get a glimpse of a wonder of the Medieval world.
• See an early fire engine and hear 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 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.
