London Guided Walks » Best of Blackfriars Walk
Best of Blackfriars Walk
Step back in time to Roman, Medieval, Tudor and Victorian London, and discover the best of Blackfriars on this walking tour of a much forgotten world.
- Discover Roman London to present day
- Follow in the footsteps of Shakespeare & Pepys
- Meet other adventurous souls



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Join our guided walking tour of the Best of Blackfriars and immerse yourself in the rich history and culture of one of London’s most fascinating neighbourhoods. From Roman settlements to present-day landmarks, this tour takes you on a journey through time to uncover the best of Blackfriars.

As you explore the winding streets and alleys, you’ll follow in the footsteps of literary greats such as Victorian author Charles Dickens, famous diarist Samuel Pepys, and playwright William Shakespeare, discovering the stories and secrets behind their famous works. Marvel at modern innovations, award-winning architecture, and medieval priory remains, and stand on the site once belonging to Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII.
Learn about the lost palace once given to Katharine of Aragon as a wedding present by her new husband, Henry VIII, and walk where luxurious Roman villas and a temple to Mithras once stood. The tour also offers a fascinating insight into Victorian engineering and how their efforts connected Blackfriars to the continent, with a lasting impact still visible today.
The Blackfriars area has a rich history dating back to the 13th century when a group of black-robed friars attached to the Order of St Dominic settled in London. By 1276, they had become so prosperous that they moved to the edge of the City of London, an area now known as Blackfriars. The thriving community built a church, cloisters, and other priory buildings, including their own quay.
So come along and discover the Best of Blackfriars on this unforgettable walking tour. You’ll meet other adventurous souls and gain a deeper appreciation for the rich cultural heritage of this vibrant neighbourhood.
- Start: Blackfriars Station
- End: St Paul’s Cathedral

Best of Blackfriars Walk Reviews

Elizabeth
Best of Blackfriars was a very interesting walk around a small area. The guide was informative and amusing, showing sites and buildings that normally go unnoticed.

Hasmine
Susan was an excellent guide. She had all the information about Blackfriars and its environs at her fingertips, and her delivery was clear and easily audible. She was extremely friendly and attentive to everyone in the group, and I just wished the walk could have gone on longer despite the bad weather. I shall go back and explore more inspired by her introduction.

Jane
As always with London walks the guide was very knowledgeable; Susan was lovely and very enthusiastic about this area of London and I did find out interesting facts that I didn’t know but felt this tour of the Blackfriars maybe (the highlights) could be incorporated into another tour in the area as I felt I needed to move around a little bit more (but this could have been my need to keep warm as it was a cold day!)

Anette Frances
Enjoyable walk. Our guide knew her history and I discovered some charming areas in City of London and did not know existed including several quaint pubs.




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Veronique
June 2019
A great tour of the Blackfriars area. It was the second time I was attending one of Hazel’s tours and I very much enjoyed it. Hazel knows a lot about the history of London and shared many stories. She makes her tour very lively, fun and interesting.

Sarah
June 2019
A fascinating walk , entertainingly guided by Hazel. We will definitely be booking up some more walks with her in the future

Carolina
June 2019
Despite the weekend closure of the District Line, everybody on Hazel’s list turned up, and I am sure everybody enjoyed it as much as I did. Hazel is knowledgable and entertaining in equal measure and kept everyone interested and engaged. I will definitely book another of her walking tours and recommend them to anyone who might be interested.

Yael
June 2019
Blackfriars Walk Very inspiring Excellent walk a lot of interesting stories Learning a lot Small group of people Very good walk leader I will definitely go again!!

Annie
March 2019
Tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the area; very interesting tour. Makes you look more closely at the details of the buildings and bridges you pass every day.

Ulrich
March 2019
I enjoyed the tour. Hazel the guide was full of useful information and it was fun to walk with her. Highly recommended to try 1 of her many tours . I’m sure that I will book more with her during the warmer weathe

Annie
October 2018
Very entertaining and interesting- the guide had lots of information that i had never heard before.

Mark
October 2018
Fascinating insight into an area of London not so commonly visited by walking tours. Many anecdotes the guide told us were from her personal experience e.g. her own visits to buildings that were closed to us. Would have liked more information about the Dominican ‘Black friars’ when we visited the only remaining piece of the monastery but the guide was open to questions.

Annie
April 2017
A great way to get to know a less well known area of London. Interesting and informative.

Kenton
April 2017
Easy place to find, meet and walk from, Hazel was friendly and very informative of Blackfriars area and local history. Most enjoyed the walk while learning new facts of old London.

Catherine
April 2017
Thoroughly enjoyed the walk. Most interesting walking in an area I knew very little about. The guide, Hazel, was very personable and knowledgeable about the area. I’ll never look at Blackfriars bridge in quite the same way again. Certainly has encouraged me to take a closer look around the North side of the Thames. It was a friendly group and people soon got talking to each other on the walk between places of interest.

June
April 2017
This Blackfriars walk is really interesting. Hazel really ‘knows her stuff’ and her enthusiasm and charm make it all the more interesting. I have lived in London most of my life but still learnt so much about this historically rich area

Gillian
April 2016
Who’d have thought Blackfriars could be so interesting. Hazel knows her stuff and always makes time to answer any questions you may have.