Hello! I’m Jack, an Open City trained tour guide. My walking tours of London’s hidden history are fun-filled with a focus on the quirky and off-the-beaten-track. Join me to unearth this fascinating city’s hidden gems and spot the little secret details that many miss.
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To take yourself on a self-guided walk, you can download a Google map of over 300 hidden historic locations I highlight on my blog and Instagram.
Links to blog posts and Instagram reels are included (you do not need Instagram). On a computer the links are clickable, on a phone you have to type the URL separately into a browser. Click the link below to find out more.
There are also five new self-guided walks in my new book, London: The Hidden Corners for Curious Wanderers. You can buy a copy here.
Current Walks
St James’s: Style, Scandal and Seduction
A deep dive into the history of beautiful St James’s, looking beyond the facades to uncover scandals and salacious stories
- Sun 22nd June 11am– Sold out
- Fri 4th July 2pm– Sold out
- Sat 12th July 11am– Sold out
- Fri 18th July 10.30am– Sold out
- Weds 30th July 2pm– Sold out
- Sun 10th August 11am– Sold out
Secrets and Symbols of the City
A walk exploring his historic heart of London: the City, aka the ‘Square Mile’. We will look at its fascinating past through the lens of its minutae: hidden gardens, narrow passageways and oft-overlooked little symbols. See all dates here.
- Sun 15th June 2.30pm– Sold out
- Thurs 26th June 2pm– Sold out
- Sat 12th July 2.30pm– Sold out
- Sun 27th July 11am– Sold out
- Fri 1st August 2pm– Sold out
- Sun 10th August 2.30pm– Sold out
Spitalfields Secrets: A Life On The Fringes
Beautiful architecture, atmospheric streets, an inspiring cast of characters and, at times, a seething dark underbelly, Spitalfields has it all. Find out how so many different people and cultures have shaped this area over the centuries.
- Sat 21st June 11am– Sold out
- Sun 6th July 11am– Sold out
- Sun 13th July 11am– Sold out
- Sat 26th July 11am– Sold out
- Thurs 31st July 10.30am– Sold out
The Hidden Strand: Power, Wealth and Empire
A fun-filled walking tour of the hidden Strand and surrounding alleyways, uncovering its secrets and how power, wealth and empire have shaped its history. See all dates here.
- Weds 30th July 10.30am– Sold out
- Thurs 14th August 2pm– Sold out
Smithfield Uncovered: Rebels and Retribution
A walk discovering one of London’s most captivating areas. Walk in the footsteps of queens, revolutionaries, monks, murderers and merry-makers to uncover an area of extreme contrasts and an, at times, gruesome history.
- Thurs 26th June 10.30am– Sold out
- Tues 1st July 2pm– Sold out
- Thurs 17th July 10.30am– Sold out
- Sat 26th July 2.30pm– Sold out
Lambeth’s Legendary Trailblazers: From Blake To Chaplin
Discover a lesser-known area of London but one that is packed with history. Walk in the footsteps of Charlie Chaplin and William Blake as well as street urchins, pedlars and Tudor princes, as we explore off-the-beaten-track Lambeth. See all dates here.
- Sun 15th June 11am– Sold out
- Fri 27th June 10.30am– Sold out
- Sat 19th July 2.30pm– Sold out
Covent Garden: Behind The Scenes
See Covent Garden like never before on this walking tour digging out the area’s hidden history, its spectacles and scandals. Pull back the curtain on this well-known area and tread in the footsteps of pimps, Victorian actors and protesters. See all dates here.
- Tues 1st July 10.30am– Sold out
- Sat 19th July 11am– Sold out
- Weds 6th August 10.30am– Sold out
Westminster’s Backstreets: Saints and Scoundrels
A walking tour of historic Westminster and its lesser-known backstreets, uncovering stories of heroic saints and scurrilous scoundrels. See all dates here.
- Sun 22nd June 2.30pm– Sold out
- Fri 18th July 2pm– Sold out
Recent Reviews
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Best London walking tour I’ve been on! Excellent tour. Jack is very engaging and clearly loves what he does. The tour was thoroughly researched and always fascinating. It touches on some real gems along Strand, along with some great Strand facts. 10/10 would recommend.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Historical Touring at its finest! We’ve been on a few previous walking tours and while Jack’s walking tour (of The Strand) focussed as much on history as it did on architecture, it was simply fascinating! Jack showed us so many hidden nooks and crannies and shared with us so much from London’s past that we were totally hooked! And all this delivered by a thoroughly affable and generally very knowledgeable chap. Just beware of his solid myth-busting!!!
Private Walking Tours
I also offer private London walking tours- perfect for curious Londoners and tourists who want to get off-the-beaten track! Simply email me at [email protected].
Looking for some London history inspiration? Check out my most recent blog posts below!
When I went Mudlarking On The Foreshore Of The Thames
The foreshore of the Thames is a generally very overlooked part of the city. If…
Visiting The Site Of One Of Victorian London’s Worst Slums
Skimming over the East End of London on Google maps (or your maps provider of…
An Inspiring Community Campaign: The East London Waterworks Park
I have written a lot since starting this blog about many of the amazing green…
Celebrating 60 Years Of The London Ambulance Service
2025 marks the 60th anniversary of one of London’s most essential services: the London Ambulance…