London Guided Walks » Medieval London Walk

Medieval London Walk

A thriving Medieval city of commerce and culture – who could ask for more?!

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Welcome to our Medieval London walk, a journey through time to explore the storied past of one of the most vibrant and fascinating cities in medieval Europe. On this guided tour, we will explore deep into the daily lives of Londoners during this period, uncovering the secrets of how they made their livings, how religion permeated their lives, and how they had to put up with some pretty strong smells.

London during the medieval period was a city unlike any other. It was a place of great contrasts, where the wealthy and powerful rubbed shoulders with the poor and downtrodden. It was a city of opportunity, where hard work and determination could lead to great riches and success. But it was also a place of danger, with disease, crime, and violence never far away.

As we walk the streets of medieval London, we will discover the fascinating stories of the people who lived and worked here. We will explore the markets and guilds that were the lifeblood of the city’s economy, and learn about the trades and professions that thrived in this bustling metropolis. We will also examine the role of religion in medieval London, and how it permeated every aspect of daily life, from the magnificent cathedrals and churches to the humble chapels and shrines.

But perhaps most of all, we will experience the sights, sounds, and smells of medieval London. We will explore the narrow streets and alleyways that were home to some of the city’s most notorious characters, and discover the secrets of the city’s many taverns and alehouses. We will also encounter some of the less pleasant aspects of medieval life, such as the overwhelming stench of the city’s open sewers and the constant threat of disease and illness.

London during the medieval period was a place of contradictions and complexity, and on this walking tour, we will bring its many facets to life. Join us on a journey through time, and experience the excitement, richness, and danger of one of the most remarkable cities in history.

Start: Cannon Street Station
End: St Paul’s Cathedral

City of London Tour guide: Ian McDiarmid

Medieval London Walk Reviews

Diana

This Medieval London Walk was led by Ian McDiarmid. He is extremely knowledgeable having studied History at Cambridge University. As we walked through the narrow streets we learnt about the lives of people in medieval times. How they made their living and heard about those with a lot of wealth and those with extreme poverty.

Many of the women having to resort to prostitution. Religion played a big part in the lives of people in those

days and Ian spoke about the numerous churches and those attending.

Ian had a great sense of humour and spoke in detail about the awful smells in the streets in medieval times due to the open sewers and he detailed how the rich disposed of their excrement compared with the poor and how the men whose job was to dispose of the excrement got paid very well.

Overall an excellent walk with an excellent guide. I highly recommend this walk

Patricia

The walk was both informative and very entertaining. Ian, the guide pitched the story just right, with the breath of information interspersed with vey amusing anecdotes. All centred on the City of London, as we learnt the heart of medieval London with it’s guilds, markets and churches populated by a surprising variety of people. Ian made sure we could all hear despite some surrounding noise. Do go.

Paula

I’ve been on a few of the London guided walks and this walk was equally as enjoyable as the previous walks. Lots of interesting facts and sights to see with humour included. Highly recommended and Ian was a great knowledgeable guide.

Cora

I really enjoyed the walk – it was informative and fun, just the right balance of facts and human interest and has made me want to find out more about the period.

Boris

“Ian was fantastic! I shall consider more walks with him in the future”

William

“Interesting walk around the city explaining the key components on Medieval London: trade, government and religion and the evidence for these. It was a cold and grey day, but Ian’s knowledge shone through.”

John

“Very informative and very entertaining walk. Conducted with professional ease. Very enjoyable and recommended.”

Katy

“Ian was very knowledgeable and interesting about medieval London and could answer rather esoteric questions. I can highly recommend him.”

Annette Frances

“Very good friendly authoritative guide. He knew his history and very enjoyable despite cold weather.”

Miriam

“A 90-minute walk with lots of information and conclusions on medieval London, its social and religious customs (and its toilets). It was a large group despite the low temperatures and some of the stops were quite noisy, but Ian used a mike and so you could hear everything throughout. Ian also pointed us towards an amazing source of podcasts on historical London.”

Penny

“A great walk with Ian, if not somewhat freezing cold! He has good knowledge of of info such as we know it about the medieval period in the City of London, particularly toilets and sewage systems. He is a clear and fluent communicator, would highly recommend.”

Marta Clave

“Ian was very knowledgeable and provided great insights to London in the Middle Ages! The tour was fun, and learnt about new places not very touristy in the city centre.”