Pioneering Women in the City Tour
Embark on a journey through the Square Mile to uncover the rich, complex, and often overlooked history of the women who helped shape the City of London. From the working women of the 1300s to the campaigners and pioneers of the modern era, this private walking tour offers a fresh perspective on London’s development through the lens of female experience.
Despite playing vital roles in every facet of society, women’s achievements have too often been marginalised, omitted, or deliberately erased from the historical record. This tour seeks to redress that balance—highlighting extraordinary women who founded hospitals, financed institutions, challenged legal exclusion, and championed rights for others.
As we stroll past iconic buildings and walk the very streets where these women made their mark, you will hear stories of defiance, ingenuity, and perseverance. From medieval nuns to Edwardian suffragettes, and Victorian clerks to twentieth-century professionals, each stop reveals how women navigated adversity and injustice to shape the social, economic and political identity of the capital.
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This carefully curated experience is structured around three interwoven themes:
Power: Challenging Structures of Control
Women’s resistance to systems of authority is centuries old. From medieval dissenters imprisoned for their political beliefs, to suffragettes who endured the brutality of the Cat and Mouse Act, the City has long been a site of confrontation and transformation. Courtrooms, prisons, and civic buildings become the backdrop for stories of protest, persistence, and political courage.
Profit: Subverting Economic Marginalisation
Even when barred from official positions or institutions, women found ways to drive economic progress. Some used widowhood to circumvent guild restrictions in the medieval period, while others quietly invested in ventures that laid the foundations of British finance, including the Bank of England. By the nineteenth century, underpaid but indispensable female clerks underpinned London’s financial infrastructure. Their contributions, long ignored, were vital to the City’s prosperity.
Progress: Rewriting the Rules
The barriers women faced in professional life were immense—and yet they persisted. The four-decade campaign to admit a woman to the Institute of Chartered Accountants exemplifies the long fight against institutional exclusion. Legislation such as the 1919 Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act marked crucial milestones, gradually reshaping workplaces, professional bodies, and public expectations.
Legacy: The Impact of Collective Resilience
The enduring efforts of these trailblazers helped transform both institutions and cultural attitudes. Their legacy can be found not only in today’s boardrooms, courtrooms, and charities—but also in the language of reform, the structures of equity, and the visibility of women’s achievements. This is not simply a walk through history; it is an exploration of how ambition and solidarity reshaped London from the margins inward.
Tour Details
This 90-minute private guided walk begins at Cannon Street Station and winds through the heart of the City. You will explore lesser-known sites and better-known landmarks from a new perspective—one that foregrounds the contribution of women to the world we live in today.
From medieval hospitals run by religious orders to the suffragette actions that brought the City to a standstill, this walk invites you to engage with the layered histories that continue to shape modern London.
Book your private tour today to experience how power, profit and progress converged to rewrite the City’s narrative—one determined step at a time.
Your Guide: Jenny Funnell
Your Guide: Jill Dalton
Qualified London Tour Guides
