London’s Old Town: Romans, Riots and Royals｜United Kingdom

Meet your guide near the Tower of London and set off on a journey through the city’s rich history. Begin by visiting the best remaining sections of the original Roman city wall near the Tower and at Vine Street. Hear about London’s 2,000-year-old origins, its abandonment, and eventual Saxon resettlement.

Move on to the site of Aldgate, a former home of Chaucer, and hear about the dramatic Siege of London, a bloody battle fought here during the 15th-century Wars of the Roses. Then, view the remains of the Holy Trinity Priory, a monastery torn to pieces during Henry VIII’s Reformation and break with the Catholic Church of the 1530s.

Continue to Mitre Square, where one of Jack the Ripper’s last known victims was found in the late 19th century. Next, see a fine example of the unique architectural contrasts the City of London offers at St Helen’s Bishopsgate, a 13th-century convent and church and Shakespeare’s former parish, with the gleaming 21st-century Gherkin skyscraper looming behind.

Pass through the ornate 19th-century Leadenhall Market, a popular filming location including that of Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter films, on the way to the quiet Fen Court with its moving monument to the Slave Trade. A quick stop at the base of the Sky Garden then sees you travel on to Pudding Lane, the origin of the Great Fire of London of 1666, and then on to a lovely oasis garden amid the ruins of St Dunstan in the East, a Blitz victim.

A visit to All Hallows by the Tower takes you back to the story of the Saxon resettlement of the City, with its Saxon archway above a Roman undercroft. End your walk overlooking the bloody Tower of London, William the Conqueror’s 11th-century fortress, palace, and prison. Here, learn about the fates of many tragic prisoners, including Anne Boleyn and the Princes in the Tower.