Photos: El Greco, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain Diliff, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo credits
Photos: El Greco, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain Diliff, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The City of London: Roman wall, plague churches and livery halls
Your local guide
Harriet Walsh
View profile
Highlights
- The Roman wall at Tower Hill
- St Olave Hart Street and Samuel Pepys's grave
- Leadenhall Market over the old Roman forum
- A livery hall courtyard, seen from outside
- St Mary Aldermary, rebuilt by Wren
About this tour
This walk follows the City of London's oldest layers, from the Roman wall at Tower Hill to Leadenhall Market, built over the site of the Roman forum. You see the grave of Samuel Pepys inside St Olave Hart Street, a livery hall courtyard open to the street on weekdays, and St Mary Aldermary, one of the churches Christopher Wren rebuilt after 1666. It is two thousand years of the same few streets, one layer at a time.
The session opens with a sound check, then moves between sites in roughly the order they were built, oldest to newest, with time to look closely at each one. Questions come along the way, and a short list of the churches, halls and markets follows by message once the walk ends.
This suits anyone interested in how a modern financial district sits on top of a Roman and mediaeval city. It also suits those who work near these streets and have never had time to look properly.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 7 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of London before heading out.
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The Roman wall at Tower Hill 21 min
At Tower Hill, the camera holds on a surviving stretch of the Roman wall, the guide explaining how much of the City's shape still follows the line the Romans laid down.
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St Olave Hart Street 21 min
Inside St Olave Hart Street, the guide points out the grave of Samuel Pepys, buried in the church he wrote about attending in his diary.
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Leadenhall Market 21 min
In Leadenhall Market, the camera moves under the Victorian ironwork roof, the guide marking the spot below where the Roman forum once stood.
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Your questions 14 min
Time to ask anything about London: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 6 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Fish and chips and Soho, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in London time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 12 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through London, showing you Tower of London and Buckingham Palace live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk London live with my phone and you ask anything as we go.
Times shown in London time (GMT)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Thu 29 Oct · 12 seats left From 24,00 €
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