Castles, Crusaders, Communists & Courts

Get a taste of real London as we explore narrow lanes & see a different side to London. Starting at Smithfields, where William Wallace of Braveheart fame met his terrible end.

At St. Barts we will hear how one of the oldest hospitals in the world came to be created by a Crusader after a close encounter with a Saint & explore some of the places that were built as a result.

Nearby Charterhouse started off as a Priory. It also sits next to one of the biggest known plague pits in London, we can see the remains of an unfortunate victim who was recently unearthed.

See old gatehouse of the Knights of St John and see some of their great treasures & pass through old Dickensian Clerkenwell whose terrible poverty saw the first meeting between Lenin & Stalin.

See beautiful streets & squares of one of the most prominent legal districts in London including the largest (& unvisited) square in London before we finish at the end of famous old Fleet Street outside the Royal Courts of Justice.

Marvel at the beautiful cathedral of the City of London, the latest in the long time of holy sanctuaries to be built here since before the Roman times.

The Oldest Court in the Western World and famous for its high profile cases that still are held here today.

This old pub infamously has jail cells beneath it where people would await their fate… normally being publicly executed just outside as highlighted in the works of Charles Dickens.

See the place where William Wallace of Braveheart fame died, along with many others through the ages.

We will explore the ancient church, often used in movies and built by a dying crusader who had had a vision of a Saint in the Holy Lands. We will also visit nearby sites associated with the same encounter.

Charterhouse Square, one of the largest plague pits before entering Charterhouse chapel and amongst other things seeing a recently discovered skeleton of a victim of the Black Death (Plague).

We will see the gatehouse belonging to the Knights of St John Crusaders and have a quick look inside at their collection of weapons and armour.

Clerkenwell was the scene of dreadful poverty in the 19th Century and the inspiration behind one of Charles Dickens great novels. This poverty led to Lenin and Stalin meeting here for the first time in what is now a beautiful old pub.

The communist heritage of Clerkenwell continues with this working institute.

This beautiful street was the scene of both a wedding a dreadful act by King Henry VIII and technically is part of Cambridgeshire… in the middle of London.

The largest square in London though rarely visited by tourists which is a shame as it is a beautiful, ancient and tranquil square with great halls, a wonderful chapel and well tended gardens. Home to one of the great Inns of Court.

We will finish at the Royal Courts of Justice, one of the great courts which stands at the end of famous old Fleet Street on the borders of the City of London and the City of Westminster.

• Wheelchair accessible
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
• We have earmarked this tour as especially safe during the Coronavirus outbreak due to generally quiet places that we visit where social distancing is generally not a problem. All of our tours are private so it is just you/your family and your guide.  To make it easier and safer for all concerned we would suggest starting this tour a little later than the usual time, perhaps around 10.30-11am which allows us all to miss rush-hour. We are happy to still come to your hotel to meet you but for the moment we would suggest meeting us at the tour starting point.  This allows you to arrive by a taxi or uber rather than public transport. Please feel free to wear masks throughout or at times during the tour.  Your guide will also have a mask with them.

• Castles, Crusaders, Communists & Courts
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  Pickup included

• In-person guide

• Tube travel, before or after the tour.

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• This Tour is Provided by Ye Olde England Tours.
• Tour Timezone & Starts at Europe/London.
• Mobile or paper ticket accepted.
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
• This Tour is Rated 5 Stars based on 1 valid reviews on TRIPADVISOR.
• Minimum 1 Travelers is required to book.
• Maximum 15 Travelers is accepted for booking.